Holly's Homestead — Garden Systems & Structures
Fencing Basics
Keep animals in, or pests and predators out
DIFFICULTY Moderate
TYPE One-off build
TIME A weekend to a week depending on scale
TYPE One-off build
TIME A weekend to a week depending on scale
Difficulty
Moderate
Time
1–7 days
Cost
Moderate–high
Best Season
Any time
Frequency
Built once, maintained ongoing
01Posts set firm, wire strained tight
Good fencing comes down to two fundamentals: posts set deep and firm enough to resist pressure, and wire or mesh strained tight enough not to sag — skimping on either undermines the whole fence.
02What you'll need
- Posts (timber, steel, or a mix of strainer and standard posts)
- Wire, mesh, or electric fencing appropriate to what you're containing or excluding
- A post hole digger or auger
- A wire strainer for tensioning
03Method
- 1. Plan the line and mark corner and strainer post positions.
- 2. Dig and set corner/strainer posts deep and firm — these bear most of the load.
- 3. Set standard posts along the line at consistent spacing.
- 4. Attach and strain wire or mesh tight between posts.
- 5. Add any specific features needed — electric wire for extra deterrence, buried mesh for digging animals, or gates for access.
04Troubleshooting
- Fence sagging over time — usually under-strained wire or insufficiently firm strainer posts; re-tension or reinforce posts.
- Animals pushing through or under — check for gaps at ground level; consider a buried skirt of mesh for persistent diggers.
- Posts leaning or loosening — insufficient depth or firming when set; corner and strainer posts especially need to be set deep and well-compacted.
- Electric fence not deterring animals — check the fence is actually earthed and charged correctly; a weak or faulty circuit won't work.
05Timing & maintenance
Best time
Any time, though avoiding very wet or frozen ground makes post-hole digging much easier.
Duration
A simple garden fence can be a weekend project; larger paddock fencing takes considerably longer.
Maintenance
Check tension and post condition periodically, especially after storms or ground movement.
Signs of success
A fence that stays taut, upright, and effective at containing or excluding what it was built for, season after season.
06Tips & variations
Pairs well with
Building a Chicken CoopCommon mistakes
Under-setting corner and strainer posts, which bear the most loadSkimping on wire tension, leading to a sagging fence within a seasonPro tip
Spend proportionally more time and material on corner and strainer posts than on the line posts between them — they do most of the structural work.