How to Take Down a Chain Link Fence?
If you’re thinking about taking down a chain link fence, it’s important to plan ahead. It’s not a simple job, and it will take some effort to complete. If you’re in a hurry, or if you don’t have the time to do it yourself, consider hiring an expert fence installer to remove the chain link for you.
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Before you start, make sure that you’ve cleared a safe place for the chain link fabric to fall down on its side. It should be at least 2 feet wider than the height of the fence fabric. This will make it easier to roll the fabric up and store it.
Once the fabric is down on its side, use a sharp, long knife to cut it into small pieces. Do not cut too far down into the fabric, as this will cause it to sag and lose its tension. You may also need to use a bolt cutter or hack saw to cut it.
Next, clear a place to install the new top rail. If the existing top rail is bent, repair it first before removing and replacing the top rail. To do this, disconnect the fence fabric from the rail and then untwist the wire ties that hold the top rail to the rail.
You can use a reciprocating saw to cut the pipe, but it’s more convenient to rent one from an equipment rental shop. After cutting it as squarely as possible, slide a tapered end of the replacement rail into the freshly cut pipe as far as you can. Repeat the process to replace the remaining rail.
Step 4 – Add Additional Top Rail
The top rail of a chain link fence attaches to terminal posts by a series of brackets, which are welded or screwed into the ends of the terminal posts and the fence fabric. This allows the top rail to stretch tight to support both the terminal and line posts. The rail can’t stretch tight if there is slack in the rail because it will pull the terminal and line posts out of line with each other.
Step 5 – Cut Excess Rail
If you have an excess top rail, cut it off as close to the terminal post as possible using a hack saw or a pipe cutter. You don’t want the top rail to sag between the terminal and line posts, since this will affect the strength of the fence.
Step 6 – Stick Posts
Most chain link fence posts are set in concrete and can be difficult to remove without damaging the concrete base. If this is the case, soak the ground around the fence post to make it easier to dig out of the dirt and expose the concrete base. You can also use a jackhammer to break up the concrete base. Once the cracks have reached the base, carefully remove them.
Depending on the size of your yard, you might need to enlist the help of a friend or neighbor to pull the posts out from the dirt and the concrete. Alternatively, you can rent a post-puller from a heavy equipment supplier. These strong metal pivot and pull devices make it easy to remove fence posts without risking damage.
