Originally Posted by
John Leech
Great comments here, thanks.
John, frost line here is generally considered to be the same as yours. 18 inches. I suspect that it's less than that in reality because one of the ways I saved money originally was to cut the posts in half and set them anywhere from 10-12 inches. My decision to dig 24 inch holes came about from the desire to add a few inches of gravel and added security.
Stan, I'm planning to use pressure treated posts and they will be cut 3 1/2-4 feet above grade. I'll make the decision once the pickets (3 1/2 feet tall) are on. So long as I'm not like a former employee of my grandpa who once said, "I cut it twice and it's still too short" I should be OK.
Jim, I used panels the first time and they worked fine for a portion of the fence, but for the section on a slope they only appeared plumb if you were leaving Bourbon Street after a long night. I'll give them a once over, but think pickets may be easier and better in the long run. The purpose of the removable section is not to keep things in (other than the dog) but to get the riding mower into the back yard in the fall, so I'm not concerned about 'curious humans.' If they want, they can just look over the fence, but if they mess with my hammock, we'll have words! LOL
Mark, I toyed with going the vinyl route, but the quality of plastic seems low. Not to mention having to find replacement parts several years down the road when the inevitable branch crashes through the fence