Have you ever heard the saying “You are only as good as your tools?” Well, I guess my good friend was unaware of these wise words.

Earlier this spring, he calls to tell me that he’s going to put up a fence. Mistake number one. Don’t get me wrong, I love him dearly; but he’s not really the type of do-it-your-selfer you need to accomplish a project of this magnitude. When I suggested that he consult a professional, he told me that he’d seen it done on television, and that “its not as hard as you’d think.” Mistake number two! Usually I’d offer to lend a hand, but this is one project I decided to sit out. I’ve installed basic fences, after all, and I know how hard it can be.

Sure enough, I get a call a few weeks later from my buddy, and he asks me to come over and check out his fence. So I did, expecting the worse. When I arrived, I thought to myself, Wow, this looks pretty good. I was actually impressed. He too was proud and couldn’t wait for my approval.

This is where the story gets interesting. The fence ran along the back of his property line so he could block the view of the neighbor behind his property. It seemed simple enough. He chose, in my opinion, the correct fence—a shadowbox style. Shadowbox fences are nice because you still get good airflow and they look nice on both sides.

I could tell my friend was getting nervous when he noticed the strange look on my face. He asked me what was wrong as I started walking back to the fence. I didn’t say anything until I got to the fence. I looked at it from the side and noticed it was bowing towards the house. I asked him if he noticed this before. He said no, and said he made sure it was perfectly level from all sides before hanging the fence on the posts.

Next I noticed that the holes the posts were in looked small. I asked him what size the holes were and how deep he dug the holes. He didn’t look happy at this point. He told me they were about twelve inches deep and about eight inches wide.

Needless to say, we spent the next two hours taking the fence down and removing the posts. I asked him what he used to dig the holes, and he said he used a hand tool made for digging fence posts. He showed me the tool. Mistake number three. Next, I asked how long it took him, and he said more hours than he’d like to admit. I asked him if he had ever thought of renting a power auger. He replied that he didn’t know what that was. Mistake number four! And so, the two of us went out and bought new posts, new cement, and some gravel. Then we went to a local rental store and rented an auger and an electric concrete mixer for a half a day, and we started the entire process over from the beginning.

This time we correctly dug the holes thirty-six inches deep and ten inches wide. And with the power auger, it was a breeze. We placed gravel on the bottom of the holes to allow for drainage away from the bottom of the concrete and also to help keep the posts level during the process. Next, we placed the posts in the ground and made sure they were level—he got that part. Then we filled the holes with cement, secured the posts to make sure they wouldn’t shift while curing, and angled the top of the cement away from the post so water wouldn’t accumulate around the base. At this point, I demanded that he wait until the concrete was completely set before re-hanging the fence. He agreed as he didn’t want to do this process for a third time.

The entire project went very quick with the two of us working together. I really didn’t want to get into a discussion with him about the frost-line and various other factors about building a fence and digging postholes. But here is my advice: if it’s a simple job like my friend’s, do some research first, and see if you think you can handle the job. If the project covers an entire yard or involves varying slopes, consider bringing in a pro. Choose someone with references and check out their work before you consider using their services. Of course, before you purchase anything or sign a contract, make sure you check all local ordinances and regulations. Also before you begin, make sure you contact your local utility companies before doing any digging. You might also want to discuss your plans with your neighbors, just so there are no surprises. You’ll also need to make sure you know your property boundaries and that you stay at least 6 inches inside your property lines or what is stated in local regulations.

To be honest, even though I consider myself pretty handy, if I needed to fence an entire yard, I’d call in the pros. Until next time, your good ol’ Blue Thumb gardener wishes you a wonderful summer.