How Do You Anchor A Fence Post To A House?

There are many reasons why wood fences are popular with homeowners. Aside from being beautiful, they are also very low-maintenance and long-lasting. 

One of the most common questions about wood fences is how to anchor a fence post to a house.

Generally, you shouldn’t attach wood to the exterior of your home. Moisture, insects, and other potential problems will be created down the road if you do this.

Anchoring A Fence Post To A House

It’s important to use caution and common sense when installing a fence for the backyard to contain your new puppy or an ornamental fence for your front yard.

You want to make sure you don’t damage your house or underground pipelines or utilities when installing a fence post near or next to your home.

Also, DIYers like yourself should know what’s available to help them, particularly a handy tool called a post hole digger. Ready to learn more about installing fence posts? Let’s get started.

Using A Post Hole Digger Tool

Using a post-hole digger when working near the house is especially beneficial because there will be little space for maneuvering. In addition, by extracting only the soil that’s displaced by the fence post itself, you won’t have to stand off to the side and shovel dirt.

Furthermore, that soil can be extracted vertically. Using a shovel handle to move a shovel around is easy, so you don’t risk breaking a window on the first floor!

Additionally, you won’t have to pack soil or pour concrete around a wobbly fence post if you dig the hole just the right diameter. The hole will be uniformly shaped, even in tight spots.

You can install it easily by following these steps:

Creating a fenced path involves staking out a wooden stake at each corner of the yard (or at each end of the fence for straight sections). Once the stakes are in place, run twine between them, creating a perfectly straight path for your post holes.

Use a wooden stake or eco-friendly marking paint to mark the post holes for your fence. To make the posts straight and evenly spaced, measure along the twine next to your house.

Use a post hole digger to ensure your fence posts are perfectly sized. If you dig with a shovel, you’ll end up with a much larger hole than you need. Using a hole digger tool is ideal.

As you try to hold the post perfectly vertical, you’ll need to use fast-setting concrete or pack soil around it. It’s likely that you’ll end up with crooked or wobbly posts. However, you can dig a hole exactly the length and diameter you need with the Oz-Post tool.

It’ll be tough to tell if you’ve driven the post to the bottom of the hole if you used a fence post hole digger, but it’ll be a tight fit adding stability and strength to your new fence.

Using a pencil, mark the spot 18 inches up from the bottom of the fence post if your fencing manufacturer recommends inserting fence posts 18 inches deep. As a result, it is easy to determine if the post is positioned correctly inside the hole.

The Traditional Method:

To minimize the amount of work and costs involved in erecting a fence around your yard, you may use your house as part of the fence.

Ensure there are no gaps between the house and the fence by securing a wooden fence post to the side of the house. A post secured to your house prevents any holes from being dug near the foundation.

Step 1

The hand drill and a drill bit measuring 12 inches should be used to drill four evenly spaced holes through your fence post.

Step 2

Measure the length of the bolt sticking out from the back of the post by inserting the lag bolts through the post. Protrude at least two inches from the post when installing lag bolts.

Step 3

Put a bubble level against the side of the fence post and place the fence post against the house. Mark the holes on the house with the holes located on the post, so the post rests plumb against the house.

Step 4

With the hand drill, drill holes into the house. You should use a drill bit about half the size of the lag bolt when drilling into wood walls covered with siding. 

Drill a hole large enough for the wall anchor to fit into if you are drilling into masonry. The bolts or wall anchors must be able to fit into the holes.

Step 5

Silicone caulk should be used to fill the holes. Protecting the inner wall from moisture is essential.

Step 6

Depending on whether you are securing your post to masonry or concrete, you might need to slide wall anchors into the wall.

Step 7

Attach the lag bolts to the post and place them against the wall. Insert the lag bolts as deep as you can into the fence post with your fingers. Turn the ratchet handle clockwise to tighten the lag bolts after placing the socket on the bolt head.

Caution:

You can make the difference between a quick, simple fence installation that lasts a lifetime or a long, drawn-out nightmare that requires a do-over next summer with the right tools and equipment.

Consider buried utility lines, underground piping, and drainage issues before you start digging with your new post-hole digger tool.

A little planning can prevent damage to your home or its foundation – or a messy sewer situation. The safety of your home is just as important as the safety of your children and pets.

Final Words

Most people advise against attaching them to the house. There is no reason to punch more holes into your siding if you don’t have to. The fence and the house will most likely move differently, apart from putting holes in your siding.

It is possible for the attachment to cause a tear in the siding, which would be a problem. Instead, run the fence top and bottom supports up to within about an inch of the siding, then place the fence post close to it.

For that differential movement, leave a little gap. The slats should get just a bit closer to the siding as they are placed on the supports. In addition, you could install a flexible membrane between the fencing and siding, similar to the one used to seal garage doors at the bottom.