Lowering and tightening chain link fence

[Randyjr.]

We just moved into a house with a chain link fence. Our dog never escaped from the fence that we did have (never seemed to want to), but within the first few minutes she found a way out of this one. In some spots the gap between ground and the bottom of the fence is about 4 inches and the fence is pretty loose. Is there a way for me to lower and tighten the fence so I don't have to have someone do it for me?

[Tom7227]

Lowering the fence probably will require that you cut off the posts as the horizontal bars go through them or are attached to clips that are attached to the caps on top of the posts. That pretty much means that you're going to have to take the entire thing down, cut the posts, and hang it all up again. Good chance that you'll misplace some bolts or something and have a trip or two to the store to get new ones, and then have the hassle of trying to match up what you need. You will also need a fence tightener which is a metal bar with hooks on it. You use a pulley system and the bar just grabs onto the fence and you hook it to a post, tighten it up and then attach the fence to the posts. probably could rent one of these things.

An easier solution may be to get a roll of wire fencing and put it along your current fence and then just wire it in place. I've read where some folks bury it a bit to keep critters from digging under it but that sounds like a lot of work and not worth the effort if you don't have the problem.

[RuKiddingMe]

If the fencing is loose as you stated you are in business, this will give you the ability to go to each vertical post individually and lift the top rail and guide off the post and with the saw of your choice just take out as much as needed.

Another thing I had to do to keep the neighbors dog in his own yard was to buy a spool of tention wire and thread it through the bottom of the fencing and tighten it up on both ends nice and tight, can't kick the bottom out more then an inch now.

Be careful to keep the height as even as possible or the top will look like a big old wave.

When you have the fencing at the height you want get the tension bar (rent or buy it from menards) and tighten up the mesh. You and a friend or family member working on it and you'll be drinking beers by noon.

RU

[Randyjr.]

Both, really good info. I appreciate the time you took to write and I am going to give this a go.

[echo2010]

If the fencing is loose as you stated you are in business, this will give you the ability to go to each vertical post individually and lift the top rail and guide off the post and with the saw of your choice just take out as much as needed.

Another thing I had to do to keep the neighbors dog in his own yard was to buy a spool of tention wire and thread it through the bottom of the fencing and tighten it up on both ends nice and tight, can't kick the bottom out more then an inch now.

Be careful to keep the height as even as possible or the top will look like a big old wave.

When you have the fencing at the height you want get the tension bar (rent or buy it from menards) and tighten up the mesh. You and a friend or family member working on it and you'll be drinking beers by noon.

RU

we were unable to find a tension bar and ended up using a steel rod and a come along.....