Building Rail Fence
Installer Handling Techniques
The following instructions are primarily for experienced fence installers.
If you have never installed a horserail fence before, please consult someone
from our list of installers. You can also check out our FAQ's
for any further installation information.
As with any installation procedure, we advise you to always be mindful
of safety precautions when handling materials and equipment.
Design
Where a new fence is being considered, we recommend at least three fencerails
or a mix of fencerails and Kencote wires to give added height and density.
In the case of an arena, we suggest that four or five fencerails be installed.
Please note the section below on "Preparation of Fence Line for Rail."
To provide improved visibility and strength in an existing fence, it is
a good idea to replace the top wires with a fencerail. While laying out
the fence line, we suggest that you stake the position of all ends, corners
and gateways. Next, tension a string line or guide wire so that you can
see how the land lays.Then, measure the distances carefully so that you
or your installer have a clear understanding of the project and quantities
of materials needed.
Preparation of Fence Line for Rail
Care should be exercised in preparing the fence line and the positioning
of the line posts. (Try to avoid one post rise or one post dip). The tops
of the posts should have a smooth, flowing line even if it means placing
a rise post a little deeper or leaving a dip post higher. In extreme cases
of undulating terrain, it is better to use a bulldozer to smooth the fence
line, taking off the high spots and filling in the dips. Other options
include fencing across the top of sharp dips and filling in later with
boards or panels. The last, but more difficult choice, is to cut the top
or bottom wire of the rail during the tensioning phase. Notch the web
and carefully rejoin the wire with crimping sleeves. You can use a chain
grab wire puller to assist at this time. The rail should then be stapled
to the post again with the standard 2" (50mm) barbed staple or with a
flat bracket. Please note that certain steep topography will make it very
difficult to use the 4" (111mm) rail. Some installers limit the elevating
change to 3 degrees per post.
Post Spacing
While this is largely up to the individual, factors to be considered
are:
- livestock pressure
- topography
- firmness of soil and
- corral, arena and/or paddock
size.
Installers have found that these factors have indicated a range of between
6 feet(2m) for more intense situations or where the line is curved, such
as an arena, and up to 16 feet(5m) for larger in-sheltered areas. The
more posts you use, the better it looks.
End Structures
Since the fencerail requires minimal tension to keep it flat and straight,
(no excessive tension needed), a single end post with regular bracing
is all that is necessary. Use as large an end post as possible, because
it's the foundation of your fence. It also helps dwarf or hide the wire
tensioners or tightners.
Tensioning
We recommend that the rail be laid out rather than pulled out and that
the rails are attached with the proper brackets to every 4th or 5th line
post, BEFORE tensioning to the end posts. We suggest that you first tension
the rail with a chain grab wire puller (come-a-long) at both ends while
you are attaching the remaining brackets to the posts. This assists in
the amount of polyethylene rail that has to be stripped back off the wires.
We recommend the use of wire tensioners (strainers) on each wire to ensure
easy attachment. In 99.9% of the cases, it is recommended that wire tensioners
be placed at both ends of each rail. The maximum distance of a fence from
end to end is virtually unlimited on flat terrain. The rail will pull
around corners fine, but in this case the length of the fence should be
no more than 100 feet (30 meters) or so. Position the wire tensioners
as close as possible to the end posts. Note: it's not recommended that
you place tensioners in the middle of the fence span when using coated
wire or rail products.
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