You don’t need a professional to do every job. If you’re looking to remove your old or ugly fencing, whether it’s because you no longer want it or it’s in disrepair, you can, in fact, do it yourself in most cases. However, a few tips from the professionals can make your job a little easier.
1. Make sure it’s yours
It may seem like a no-brainer, but if you bought your property with the fence already there, it may, in fact, not be yours to remove! Check with your neighbor, or go through professional channels to find where, exactly, the property line lies. If it’s on your property, you may proceed with removal.
2. Find out where the utility lines are
Call the utility companies to find out where the power, gas or other conduits are buried on your property. Because fence posts often go several feet into the ground, you will need to engage in quite a bit of digging to get them out. You don’t want to risk an electric shock!
3. Determine what materials are in your fence
If your fence is an older asbestos fence, under no circumstances should you try to remove it on your own. Asbestos is incredibly harmful and should only be handled by professionals trained in asbestos removal. Find a professional, such as Brick and woods construction, who is certified and experienced in asbestos fence removal.
Also, depending on the material your fence is made of, the project of removal will be more or less difficult. Chain link and wooden fences are relatively easy to remove, whereas stone and brick fences are quite a bit more work.
4. Go in order
When you’re taking down a fence such as chain link, you’ll want to first remove the wire ties and metal fittings. Trying to pull the fence down by its posts will be much more difficult and time consuming, particularly when you’re moving the waste materials. After the chain link is removed, then you will start taking out the posts. Each post will have to be rocked out, or dug out, and you may even want to consider renting equipment to pull them out of the ground.
5. Know when you’re in over your head
If at any point you feel you are unable to continue to safely remove the fencing from your property, call a professional. There’s no reason to hurt yourself or spend infinite amounts of time attempting to complete a task that is more difficult than you anticipated. The professionals at Brick and woods construction fencing are able to step in at any point in the process and quickly complete the job. If you want a new fence installed, we can help, too.
