We installed a bamboo fence in Zebulon last week. The home owner was looking for something different and classy. He needed the fence to be able to give his dog (Dachshund) a safe place to play, and a fence to fit in with the plan for his yard. We looked at vinyl and wood, but these options were not what the home owner was looking for. The home owner started looking at fence designs online and found pictures of bamboo fencing. He called me to share what he learned. The bamboo he found was from www.CaliBamboo.com. After a call to Cali Bamboo, the material was on the way and delivered in about a week! The fence would be 6′ tall bamboo with a picture frame.
We began setting posts for the fence on Thursday. Digging conditions were great- red clay with very little rock. We used 4×4 posts for the line and 6×6 posts for the gates, all set in concrete. The fence was around 185′ total with one single gate and one double gate. The set took us a few hours to complete. We let the posts set overnight giving the concrete time to set.
We arrived at the job the following Friday morning. With the bamboo, we used a 2 rail system composed of 2×4 runners. The top runner was set 6′ tall at the high point going level to the next post. The bottom rail was set just off ground level and followed the grade of the land. The bamboo was then attatched by screws to the runners. Being a picture frame fence, the fence had to be “stair stepped”.
We finished the fence on Saturday. We installed the top and bottom face plates to the outside of the fence, and a top plate of 2×6 lumber. The gate hardware was attatched. We were extremely happy to see how strong the bamboo was! With only a top and bottom rail, the bamboo was very stiff and had very little give when pushed on. You can see the finished fence at www.carolinacustomfence.com/bamboofencezebulon.
A few notes if you wish to install a bamboo fence yourself. When attatching the bamboo, be sure to drill pilot holes for the screws. If you don’t, you will crack the bamboo. Drill the screw in to secure the bamboo, but not too tight- again, you will crack the bamboo. Use a fine tooth saw to cut the bamboo to avoid splintering. We used a 60 tooth finish blade on a circular saw and a 24 tooth metal blade on a sawzall.
Please post any questions or comments for bamboo fencing and I will be sure to answer them. Feel free to call me directly as well at 919-796-0464. You can also see other fence styles and designs at www.carolinacustomfence.com.
Thanks for reading!
Scott
