How do you raise a fence?

[schiperno]

I have been on this darn computer for some time now google-ing different ways to ask: How do you raise a fence once it is already built?

My husband thinks that he is going to have to take each fence board down and trim them in order to do this. I thought he could use a saw and he's telling me his circular saw is what you would use, but that he's going to ruin our fence attempting to do it that way.....

I called on quotes for someone else to do this and they have either not responded or said they'd charge me more than the fence cost us to build in the first place. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Night Owl]

Don't cut the fence. Unscrew each board and raise it up about 3-4 inches and rescrew it. Should take less than half a day. If it was put up with nails then remove the nails and reattach with screws. Never use nails, they have a tendicy to pop out when the weather changes and the boards expand or contract. 2 1/2 inch screws work best.

[Rick]

Good idea if he is going to take them off to cut them, skip the cutting and just raise them!

It'll be hard to cut them straight if they are still on the fence.

[kantwin]

2 1/2 inch screws may work good for screwing the 2x4 into the fence post, but the pickets should be attached with 1 1/2 inch screws at most, I would think.

[schiperno]

Thank you for the suggestions.

[schiperno]

Another question....Would like 'insight'. If the city suggests you raise a fence and the fence is not yours to raise but your neighbors, what do you do?? I can contact the nieghbors, which I have done, but I cannot redo their fence. What now?

[Voice-of-Reason]

Because I'm lazy I would level and screw a 2x4 running the length of the fence. Position the blade of the circular saw under the 2x4 and let it rip (slow and controlled).