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Technical How-To Articles
Tag: Wambam
How To Add Supplemental Material To Your WamBam Gate Post
WamBam offers (2) different 6 ft tall vinyl gates. A gate wheel should always be used for our 6’x6′ Privacy Gate to help alleviate stress on the post and hinges. But customers sometimes ask about a way to reinforce the post, so the hinge screws have more material to connect. Here’s a quick and affordable read moreGet Your Instant Fence Quote With Our Easy Online Tool
When it comes to enhancing your yard’s privacy, security, and curb appeal, choosing the right fencing is essential. But getting a fence quote can be time-consuming and confusing. That’s why we created our Quick Quote tool — an innovative online fence calculator that gives you an instant fence quote in minutes. Whether you’re shopping for read moreA Buying Guide for Privacy Fence
A general overview highlighting the benefits of vinyl privacy fence.Can I Paint this Vinyl?
This is a tricky question. While vinyl can be painted, it has the potential to come with many problems. First, it voids the warranty, and the paint may cause the vinyl to warp. Second, it requires a lot of paint to actually change the color. Third, you would be turning a virtually maintenance free product read moreHow To Clean Your Vinyl Fence
The beauty of vinyl is that it’s maintenance free. Unlike wood, you will never need to paint or stain your vinyl fence which will save countless hours of time over the years. Having said that, once you invest in a vinyl fence you will want to take care of it to keep it looking fresh for years read moreMurphy’s Aluminum Fence Laws
Read all about potential obstacles and possible solutions when installing our aluminum fence by reading Murphy’s Vinyl and Aluminum Fence Laws (wambamfence.com)All About Surface Mounts (For Vinyl & Aluminum Posts)
Surface mounting is attaching a fence or screen to a solid surface. The surface could be a wood deck, concrete patio, sidewalk, or driveway. Any WamBam vinyl fence or aluminum fence can be mounted to a wood, or concrete surface using our vinyl surface mounts or aluminum surface mount post. Please see below for installation instructions read moreBuying Guide for Newport and All American Fences
Zippity Newport fence and All American fence panels are bundled with a post, pipe anchor and cap. Customers sometimes do not realize this, and accidentally order too many finishing posts for their project. These steps here will help illustrate how to calculate how many panels and posts you should order: Step 1: Draw a sketch read moreHow To Draw A Good Sketch For Your Friendly Project Consultant
Determining how much material you need for your fence project can be a bit confusing at times. That’s why WamBam has a friendly team of dedicated Project Consultants to help. We only want you purchasing what you need to successfully complete your project. No more. No less. Too much material will likely result in costly read moreWhat drill and bits are best for my installation?
You’ll need a good drill (or two, more on that below) to install your WamBam fence. Drills are needed to: Predrill holes into galvanized steel pipe anchor for screws Drive screws through pipe anchor positioner and leveling donuts into pipe anchor Drive screws through vinyl to secure posts to pipe anchor and rails to posts read moreI have a sledgehammer. Do I really need a post pounder?
Customers sometimes ask, “I have a sledgehammer, do I really need a post pounder?” The short answer is YES. In our experience, having a post pounder makes your install easier and more consistent. Here’s why: Post pounders give you a greater chance of installing your pipe anchor straight into the ground. Straight pipe anchors are key read moreAdjusting Tension on Gate Hinges
Our gate hinges are spring loaded to allow for self-closing gates. Depending on what style of gate you are installing, there will be 1 of 2 different types of hinges utilized to attach gate and post. Vinyl Gate Hinge Aluminum Gate Hinge Below please find the steps on how to read moreSurface Mounting BL19042 Posts for Sturbridge, Nantucket, Westport, or Windsor Panels
We do not offer a dedicated surface mount for the posts that are used with our Sturbridge, Nantucket, Westport, or Windsor fences. If you are looking to mount your posts to a concrete surface like a patio or wooden surface like a deck, in short, you have two options: Surface mounting or core drilling. SB61000 read moreInstalling Nantucket, Sturbridge, Newport, & All-American Fences on an Angle Other Than 90 Degrees
We sell some no-dig fence products through resellers such as Amazon.com and Homedepot.com. These products do not have the special WamBam architectural grooved post. Because of this, if you need to angle your fence line at degrees other than 90, the process is different for these products. The below applies only to the following products: read moreHow to Secure a “Lone Soldier Post” Next to the House
Even though it’s not recommended, sometimes you need to hang a gate on a lone fence post that is next to the house. In this instance you will want to take extra precaution to secure the lone fence post. This will cause it to remain strong over time. One solution is to screw a bolt read moreUsing Existing Gate Latches for Double Gates
The latches that come with your vinyl gate can be installed on double gates. Install one of the latches and fingers provided as illustrated below. Instead of the regular six points of contact for screws on the latch portion, you will only be able to use four. For more information on double gates, please see read moreNo-Dig Fence and Potential Frost Heave
You should not need to worry about frost heave with your no-dig fence for two reasons: Concrete footings have enough surface area for frost to get underneath and heave up the footings. A pipe anchor has a small diameter making it much more difficult for frost to get enough leverage to heave. In the rare event that read moreDealing with Loose Rock Underground
Running into mid-sized rocks underground when trying to install your fence can be extremely frustrating. If you encounter this, we recommend you purchase a post hole digging bar at your local hardware store or online. It’s generally less expensive to purchase at your hardware store. This handy tool may just become your new best friend regarding read moreHow Do I Deal With Sloping Ground for My Aluminum Fence?
Our aluminum fence is rackable, which means that it has been engineered to automatically slope with the grade of your yard, up to 10in per 84in panel. There is nothing special you need to do to slope your aluminum fence. It will angle to the position you set it. Note:What To Do If Your Gas Pounder Gets Locked on Top of Your Pipe Anchor
Because the top of your pipe can mushroom during extreme impact (rocky or hard ground), the gas pounder can get locked on to the top of the pipe. Please check the top of your pipe frequently to avoid this problem. This problem mainly occurs on our small pipe anchors for vinyl fence. Tips to avoid read moreTrouble Shooting the Gas Powered Post Pounders (Rentals)
Points of note/things to keep in mind: All pounders are maintained, inspected, and tested for proper operation by WamBam prior to shipping to customers. Gas pounders are not core drills! They are not intended to make the act of driving our pipe anchors through rock/ledge/large roots any easier, and should not be used as a read moreHow to Make A Double Vinyl Gate
If you have already purchased a double gate kit and are looking for instructions, please see the installation guide. Combine 2 Gates for a Wide Double Gate All our gates can be made into a double gate for a 100in opening. To make 2 of our gates into a double, you will need 2 things: 1. read moreHow do I mount my aluminum fence rail to a pre-existing wall?
To mount your aluminum fence rail to an uneven brick wall, follow the instructions below: A. Attach bracket using concrete screws, while adjusting the spacing with washers. To mount your aluminum fence rail to another type of pre-existing wall, follow the instructions below: A. Place brackets evenly with fence rail spacing and secure with screws. read moreHow do I mount my vinyl fence rail to a pre-existing wall or fence?
To affix a panel to a wall, you will need to purchase vinyl fence brackets. Please see the spec drawings of your fence style to determine the size of brackets that you need. A. Place wall mounts evenly with fence rail spacing and secure with screws. B. Install fence panel rails into wall mounts and read moreInstalling a Gate Without a Gate Jig
If your sidewalk gets in the way of using the provided gate jig, you can either cut down the provided vinyl gate jig or re-create a small gate jig out of 4×4 wood (see gate instructions) to span the distance between the anchor and the concrete as necessary. The jig can simply be be pressure read moreHow to Remove a Crooked Pipe Anchor
Drill a 1/4″ to 1/2″ diameter hole directly through the pipe about 7″ up from the ground. Insert a steel bolt or peg about 6″ to 14″ long. Using one or two pipe anchors (two people), force the pipe up and out of the ground.What about ground that has been backfilled?
If your ground has been backfilled with chunks of concrete, field stone or any other materials that can create air pockets under the ground, the WamBam system is not the way to go. Our system is ideally designed for virgin soil like clay. Underground pockets of air created by incongruous materials will not provide enough read moreWorking around a tree in your fence run
Sometimes it’s unavoidable to have an obstacle such as a tree in your fence line. Here is a tip showing what one customer did. However, we must caution that trees do grow. Please be really careful when attempting something like this, and leave room for the tree to grow. You would not want a growing read moreCan I make my post more solid when it’s against a wall?
Although not totally necessary, if you would like to create a solid connection between your post, wall, and fasteners, you can fill your post with expanding foam.Important Information About Fence Conforming to Pool Code
We have designed certain styles of our fence to be ICC code compliant, which is an industry standard that meets the safety requirements for most municipalities and HOAs. For swimming and other child safety gates, most safety standards specify: a) Your fence height needs to be between 4’ and 6’ high minimum b) Your gate read moreBefore you begin your fence project
1. Read your installation guides. We know you hate reading instructions- we do too! But please, make an exception for this project. We want you to have the best possible experience installing your WamBam Fence and reading the instructions will ensure this. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did! There’s a lot of great information read moreHow far do I drive my anchors into the ground?
You should drive your large anchor 42″ into the ground, leaving 42″ above the ground. You should drive your small anchor 36″ into the ground, leaving 24″ above the ground.What is the wall thickness of your vinyl?
The thickness of the extrusions (posts, rails and vertical pickets or boards) in your vinyl fence can become an important consideration in your purchase decision. We’re proud to provide this information below and more specifically in our detailed specification drawings which are included in our instructions. Professional Grade Vinyl Vinyl Posts (4 ½ x 4 read moreHow do I deal with angles in my aluminum fence line?
A. You will need to purchase a special bracket designed to angle your aluminum fence rails. Please call us at 1-877-778-5733 and we can help you out.How to trim down your aluminum fence panel for a custom fit.
A. Measure distance between posts, subtracting 1/4in. from total length for backet compensation. B. Measure both top and bottom rails to ensure both are the same length before cutting. D. The rail brackets are designed to allow for up to 1in. of extension beyond end of rails on each side for a total of 2in. E. Screw self tapping read moreTips on using 3-1/2in. screws
Use a ‘Bit & Screw Holder’ when using 3-1/2 inch screws. This handy little device comes in most drill sets, and really helps to set up and screw the 3-1/2 inch screws into place. It totally prevents you from dropping the screw and having to hold on to it at point of entry. If you read moreWhat saw blade should I use when cutting vinyl?
Vinyl fencing can be cut just like wood. Preferably use a circular saw with a PVC blade or a sharp and straight fine-tooth carbide blade. If your saw blade is designed for rough cutting lumber and dull, it could shatter the vinyl. This is especially true if the vinyl is cold.Tips on using a manual post pounder
1. You can either leave the leveling donut off or on during pounding. In the vast majority of installations, the top of your anchor will not mushroom enough to cause conflict when putting the donut back over the anchor. The only potential problem is really hard or dry ground where repeated blows with the pounder are read moreWarnings on using a manual post pounder
1. You’re gonna sweat! Getting something that’s about 20 or even 30lbs to move up and down repeatedly takes a lot of work. You can see this by watching the “Manual Post Drivers in Action Video” on our website. Even on a cool day you are going to sweat. Remember you will be sweating about read moreHow do I deal with angles in my vinyl fence line?
For angles greater or less than 90 degrees, we highly recommend you purchase our vinyl angle helper kits. These kits are designed to fit into the channels of our posts and convert the grooved post into a flat surface. Once the Angle Helper Kit is installed, the end of the rail can then be cut read moreHow do I deal with low hanging roof lines?
During your vinyl fence install, you may find that you are unable to sleeve your vinyl post over your anchor due to a low hanging roof line. You can work around this scenario in one of three ways. Option One If possible, continue to pound the anchor lower into the ground just enough to accommodate read moreHow do I extend my vinyl fence panel if necessary?
A. If your anchors inadvertently were spaced too far apart, you can extend your horizontal rails using wood blocking cut to fill the void in the extruded cavity. B-D. Sleeve over your wood blocking by using the same size extruded vinyl. If you do not have any left over waste, please call us at 1.877.778.5733 read moreHow to trim down your vinyl fence panel for a custom fit.
This article addresses how to trim down your vinyl fence panels. We recommend prior to doing this that you first read this article on equalizing your fence sections. A. Measure distance between vinyl posts and cut to the measured length. B. Measure both top and bottom rail to ensure both are the same length before read moreHow do I equalize my fence sections to fit my overall fence run?
Very rarely will your fence sections all fit perfectly into your fence line. You have three options. You must consider these three options before installing your first anchor. Please note that the illustrations below are of vinyl fence panels, but the same principles apply for ornamental aluminum fence panels. BEST Solution A: Trim all fence read moreHow do I compensate for anchors that have been pounded in severely crooked?
If your leveling donut will not allow for compensation of a severely crooked anchor, then you have at least three options. Option One: Drive the Anchor Deeper than Recommended B. Continue to pound the anchor deeper into the ground than what we typically recommend. This corrective ability of your leveling donut is amplified the closer read moreHow do I deal with loose or disturbed soil?
Your pipe anchors, even when driven to the recommended depths of 36 inches AND 48 inches, will have a wind load resistance problem if the ground around them is unstable. If your entire fence line is located in loose or extremely loamy conditions, you can install our fence system much like you would if you read moreHow do I deal with extremely hard or dry ground?
Option 1: Use water to loosen soil Outlined below are some additional things you can do if you still find pounding your anchor is going too slow. Option 2: Use concentrated water to loosen soil A. Pound anchor into ground as far as possible. B. Fill anchor to the top with water and let sit until water read moreHow do I deal with rocks and other underground obstructions?
By far the most frustrating part of installing a fence is running into unforeseen obstacles under the ground. It doesn’t matter if you go the WamBam way or the traditional way- a big rock or tree root is going to cause you grief. Large Rocks? If the rock is large and stable enough it may read moreHow do I determine if obstructions exist underground?
If you’re at all suspicious that you might run into some underground obstructions when installing your pipe anchors, we strongly encourage you to do some underground “investigating” prior to ordering your fence. It’s important to check your ground if you are concerned about rocks. There are some conditions that WamBam Fence won’t work in, such as read moreHow do I adjust the tension on the vinyl gate hinges?
How do I deal with sloping ground for my vinyl fence?
There are two ways to tackle a vinyl fence line with ground that slopes either up or down. You can either step them or slope them (sometimes referred as “racking”) Both are illustrated below. Because no other man-made vertical element in your backyard is generally installed with a noticeable slope, neither should your fence. That’s read moreHow do I determine the slope of my fence line?
Often the ground slope of your fence line will be much greater than you think it is. To understand how much of a fall your fence line has, run a level string line from the start to the finish of your fence line. You will need to compensate for this difference in height either equally read moreFree Shipping
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