Update: A guy at the supply yard said he never uses a level on long runs anymore

I was picking up some 6-foot cedar pickets in Springfield last Tuesday, and an older contractor was telling the counter guy about his method. He said for runs over 50 feet, he just uses a string line and measures down from it every 8 feet instead of trusting a level. He claimed a level can be off over that distance and you get a wavy top line. I tried it yesterday on a backyard privacy fence job. I set my line tight and checked every post. It was faster and the top rail looks perfectly straight to my eye. I'm thinking this might save me a bunch of time on big commercial jobs. Has anyone else switched to a string-only method for long stretches?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan_ellis2mo ago

Yeah, string lines are the only way I trust for long fences now.

joel_hall172mo ago

Honestly my string line skills are so bad I could probably set a fence post using a bowl of spaghetti. I mean the last time I tried, I spent more time fixing the string than actually building anything. Maybe it's just me but I always end up tripping over it or a breeze comes along and ruins the whole thing. Lasers sound great but I'd probably lose the receiver or point it at the wrong wall. So I guess I'm stuck with my wavy string lines and slightly crooked fences forever.

matthew1662mo ago

Come on, @logan_ellis, you ever tried a good laser level? For a long run, I set the laser and my kid can hold the post while I check it. A string sags or gets bumped way too easy. The laser gives a perfect straight line every single time without all that fuss.