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Shoutout to my old boss who told me to always use a 4-foot level for vinyl fence posts
Honestly, I thought he was just being picky when he said that 2-foot levels were for amateurs. Last summer on a big job in Tampa, I tried using my smaller level to save time setting 30 posts. Ngl, by the time we got to the last section, the whole line had a visible wave in it. Had to pull up and reset 8 posts, which cost me an extra day and about $400 in labor. So, is a 4-foot level really a must-have for vinyl, or was my technique just off that day? What's your go-to tool for keeping a long run straight?
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rowan_barnes14d ago
Nah, I'm with the original post. A string line is great in theory, but on a real job site things shift. You bump the string, the wind catches it, or the ground isn't level. A 4-foot level bridges across more of the post itself and the ground around it, so you catch a lean that a 2-footer might miss. That "wave" he described is exactly what happens. You can be perfect with a string and a short level on each post, but if each one is off by just a tiny bit in the same direction, it adds up over 30 posts. The longer level just gives you a bigger picture to work from.
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sarahpark14d ago
Yeah, that wave is the worst. My first fence looked like a rollercoaster because I trusted a wobbly string line and a tiny level. Ended up with three posts in a row that were each "just a hair" off, and from ten feet away it looked like they were all leaning into a strong wind. A longer level would have shown that whole section was cooked from the start. Sometimes you need the bigger tool to see the bigger mistake.
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torres.blair14d ago
Disagree with the idea that tool size is the main issue. Your technique was likely off that day. A two foot level is fine if you know how to use a string line properly. Set your end posts perfectly, run a tight line, and use that as your guide for every post in between. The level just checks plumb, the string keeps the whole run straight. I use a two footer with a solid string system and my lines are always perfect.
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