Step-By-Step Installations

There can be various benefits of covering your house with a steel fence. It not only improves the overall appeal but also provides an extra layer of protection to the house. This is because privacy fences are made to withstand most of the weather conditions.

Thank You for purchasing Armour Guard Privacy Fence. This brochure will guide you through Fence installation process in brief.

List of Things That You Need To Consider Before Initiating the Installation Process:

• It is very important that you determine your property line before beginning the installation process. Talk to you neighbor and sort a pin-point line where your fence would be installed. You can make use of a string or surveyor to get a clear demarcation.
• Don’t forget to compare the level of your land to that of your neighbors. In case, it is not in sync with their land level, you will have to make use of plinths to adjust the difference.
• Determine the type of your ground to choose an ideal fence. Suppose, your ground is uneven then a sloped fence would provide a more long lasting and strong support.
• Make sure the height of your fence does not exceed 1800mm unless you have got permission from council regulations.
• You can dial 1100 to know if there are any water, gas or electricity mains beneath your land.
• Check your soil type before proceeding to further process. This is because different types of soils have varied concrete requirements.

List of Things That You Need To Consider During the Installation Process:

• Wear protective equipment before making use of an operating tool.
• Clean the concrete residues from your Fence immediately. If left on the surface for long, concrete can leave a permanent mark on your Fence.
• Don’t use angle grinders to cut Armour Guard sheets. Make use of cold cutters like tin sips or nibbler instead.
• Avoid use of paint to touch up small scratches that might have occurred during installation. It would not sync with the actual tone and fade away differently.
• Consider leaving the scratches as it is. However, if the damage is noticeable then replace that section of the Fence.

Gather Proper Equipment Tools

For Field

• Rubber Mallet
• Self-drilling screw gun with clutch system
• Spirit Level or Magnetic Level.
• String Line & Marker Pegs.
• Larry Hoe and Wheelbarrow
• Post Hole Scissor Shovel.
• Spud Bar.
• Petrol Post Hole Digger
• Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker.
• Magnetic Hex Driver.
• Concrete mixer
• Nibbler and Tin Snips to cut sheets into pieces.

For Personal Use

• Ear Muffs for cutting
• Protective gloves
• Hat and sun lotion to prevent damage from rays
• Safety Glasses.
• Appropriate safety footwear.

Steps in Installation of Fence

Step 1: Marking Out Your Post Holes

This is an essential part in the installation of a fence, make sure you invest quality time to get this right in once.

• Take a string and tie it with the help of stakes on corners of your fence. This will allow you to decide the location of your intermediate posts easily. There is no description of an ideal spacing mandatory between two posts anywhere. However, you can make a choice by keeping the normal spacing criterion of 8 feet from center to center in mind.
• Next, you need to start digging the holes using a post-holer. Remember that these holes need to be wider at the bottom and comparatively narrower from the top.
• Different areas have varied soil type; you need to dig the holes as per your specific soil.
  • For rock soil minimum depth of hole is 300mm
  • For Clay or Firm Earth minimum depth of soil is 600mm
  • For Sand or loose fill minimum depth of soil is 900mm
• With an increase in the depth of the holes, the requirement of concrete would also increase from 20 kg for rock soil, 40 kg for clay soil to 60 kg for sand soil.

Additional Information

• Armour Guard Fence Ltd recommends the users to spend extra time in slopping the fence on an uneven ground. It gives a much better appeal than stepping the panels.
• In case your fence is exceeding the permissible height of 8 feet then make use of a cold cutting saw or nibbler to cut the sheets.
• You should never burn steel to break it into pieces, always cold cut.

STEP 2: Securing the Posts

• The process of securing posts begins with fastening. You need to place 2 fasteners at a distance of 60mm from top of the post.
• Remember that you can align only 2 screws within the length of 30mm.
• Next, fix the post vertically and adjust its height properly.
• Prepare a mixture of wet concrete and fill the holes completely.
• Concrete requires sufficient time to get firm; it might take longer than a night’s time for the concrete to dry in places experiencing wet or cold weather.

NOTE: Armour provides you with a couple of self-drilling screws required to fix channel posts together.r.

Tapering the Front of Your Fence

Tapering of fence enhances the overall visual appeal and makes it stronger than the usual design. However, if you don’t wish to change the entire look then do consider tapering the last panel of the fence to add minimal amount of variation.

Step 3: Installing Fence Panels

• This step begins with the insertion of bottom rail between the posts. It is essential that you leave a gap of 50mm between the rail surface and ground.
• You would be able to determine the location of posts after insertion of Rails. Fix the rails with help of self-drilling screws.
• Don’t tighten the screws much, as you would have to take them out while inserting sheets.
• Check the positioning and installation of posts.
• The top rail should protrude 2mm above the posts to minimize the risk of injury.
• Next, unscrew one top Rail at a time to fill sheets. The sheets should overlap the bottom of the Rail.
• Make sure the sheet is properly placed in the Rail from one end to another. Gently tap the surface with help of a rubber mallet, if required.
• Use self-drilling screws to lock the top Rail as you proceed.
• Give your Fence a finished look by removing unwanted particles from nibbling process. The presence of such remnants for long can cause damage to the fence.

More Installation Tips

1. Lattice

• Lattice can be quite heavy and difficult to carry. Handle the Lattice vertically to reduce the load and prevent fall-outs.
• Cut the Lattice into appropriate length after wearing safety glasses.
• Clamp the material to prevent damage.
• Use a cold cutting saw to cut the Lattice.
• Slide and fix channel post into the Rail with help of self-drilling screws.
• Carefully slide the Lattice of appropriate measurement into the bottom Rail.
• Install top Rail above Lattice.
• Use self-drilling screws to fix the top Rail to Channel Post.

2. Plinth

• Put concrete in your first Channel Post.
• Next, slide in the Plinth in the Channel Post.
• In case of more than one Plinth, stack all the Plinths with help of screws before installation.
• One unit of clubbed Plinth is easy to handle and requires less time to get fixed.
• Install other Channel Post and insert the bottom Rail in an appropriate position.
• Screw the Plinth and Rail to Channel Post.
• Proceed further with regular fence installation process.

3. Kit Gate

• Determine the width of the gate by deducting the width of two gate posts, latch gap and hinge gap.
• Decide the Rail length by deducting two (100mm) gate styles, cut bottom and top Rails accordingly.
• Glide Gate Strips on both sides of the Sheets, lengthwise.
• Next, install Rail on bottom and top of the sheet.
• Glide Gate Style in the Rail one by one.
• Lock the gate by fixing two self-drilling screws along all four corners of the gate.

NOTE: This entire installation might require use of more than 30 self-drilling screws, analyze the number of screws required in advance.

How to Maintain Your Armour Guard Fence?

• Avoid concentration of dry leaves, sand and garden clippings under bottom Rail of the Fence. This can disrupt the water drainage.
• Don’t make use of abrasive cleaning agents and chemical based products on your Fence.
• In case, Fence is in contact with any harsh substance like garden and pest control sprays then consider washing its surface immediately.
• Use a gentle brush, garden hose and sufficient water supply to clean the Fence.
• Remove the cobwebs with help of a soft bristle broom.
• Armour advices you to replace damaged panels on a priority basis.
• Fence located in a coastal region or near a swimming pool requires extra maintenance. Owners should wash down the underlying edges regularly to avoid concentration of salt content.