Changed my mind about using a string line for long runs

Always thought it was overkill for a simple straight fence. Then I had a 150-foot run in Bakersfield that drifted almost 8 inches by the end. Tried a laser level instead, but the sun washed it out. Anyone have a better method for super long stretches?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.olivia7d ago

That line level trick is solid, but pulling the string too tight can actually make it snap or stretch. I keep mine just taut enough to hold a level.

wells.christopher7d ago

Used to skip the string line too, figured I could eyeball it. Had a 200 foot run that ended up looking like a shallow S-curve. Now I run a tight string and check it every few posts with a 4 foot level. Takes more time but saves a ton of frustration.

nina_taylor7d ago

Forget the laser, that thing is useless in daylight. When you ran your string line on that 150 foot job, did you check for sag in the middle? Even a tight string can dip and throw you off over that distance. I use a line level on the string itself and pull it extra tight, then walk the line and tap it up every twenty feet or so with a stick to keep it from drooping.