Installation is key to Silt Fencing

There are a variety of silt fencing products you can buy to prevent erosion and loss during your construction product. Keep in mind that installation is a very important part of having an effective silt fence.

A silt fence is key to sediment control. But if it is not put in right and maintained after installation, it will be basically useless. Made of a synthetic fabric, the silt fence is usually staked down at intervals with the bottom trenched in to the ground so that water can pass through while the sediment is retained. If the bottom of that fence is not put in deep enough or if it is run over by construction machinery, the silt fence is rendered useless because the sediment will push through.

The process has always been - trench the silt fence area, install the fence posts, then the synthetic fabric is laid down and then attached to those posts. Finally, the area is back-filled and compacted down manually with tools.

The best way to the silt fence to be installed is to have the area trenched. However, it's important to thoroughly clean the backfill material of debris. Any debris will lessen the compacting ability and could cause the silt fence to pull up.

Fence Contractors normally will also pull out the backfill and put it on both sides of the trench. Once the fence is up, it's next to impossible to move the extra backfill over to the other side. A change in the normal process may help this. Instead of installing the fence posts next, it's important to back fill the silt fence material. This allows the contractor to mechanically compact the fence down -- and it can be done mechanically because there is no fence posts to get in the way.

After the trenched backfill is put back down, from both sides, it is important to add extra backfill. What was taken out is generally not enough. After the extra backfill is added and the area compacted, then the posts can be driven down and the fencing material should be attached to the posts.

Maintenance is also important:

• Inspect the fence after each rainstorm.
• The bottom material should still be buried in the ground with no gaps
• Inspect the posts to make sure the fencing is still attached
• Repair or replace any problem sections or areas as needed before the next rainstorm

If you need to find a quality silt fencing installation company, post your request with ConstructionDeal.com. Our network of fencing contractors can help you install a quality silt fence and give you great erosion control. It's free to post your project and you'll save time by having companies call you instead of the other way around.