The additional room allows the fence panel to flex or rack.
Stair step fence panels.
Building a fence with preassembled panels.
Racking vinyl fence panels.
When building a fence on a slope using preassembled panels the entire panel is stepped up or down so it remains level.
Racking is the preferred method providing the grade change isn t too drastic.
Mounts are sold separately.
With stepped fencing you use rails that are perpendicular to the pickets.
If you have medium to steep slopes and you re using either of these 2 styles you ll need to stair step the fence panels.
Assuming you are trying to follow the grade you can either stair step the panels or rack the panels out of square.
In stair stepping you are connecting 2 fence panels to 1 post at different heights.
Both methods are described in better detail below.
Racking vinyl fence panels.
This allows the overall line of the fence to follow the slope in a stair step fashion.
If your slope is steep you will choose to stair step the fence panels.
The reason for this is that you can.
Styles including flat top with double pickets and spear top with double pickets will only allow for approximately 14 15 inches of racking when rackable is selected.
Stair stepping is a fence installation technique where each successive panel in your fence line is installed higher or lower than the last.
The posts are installed plumb and each panel steps lower or higher as the grade changes.