One point I didn't see covered plus a couple suggestions that have worked
very well for me.
First, wood fence has a lot of mass. By this I mean it is designed to be
quite visible as compared to a wire fence. If your property has a lot of
small swales or low ridges, you need to think in terms of the finished
look. I have seen DIYers carefully measure up from the ground so that the
top of each post is exactly the same height. Once they attach the stringers
and pickets, or rails, depending on the type of fence, they have a fence
that draws attention to every little change in elevation. This is not what
you want, so if the post is on a high spot, cheat the bottom stringer down
a little bit. If the post is at a low spot, cheat the stringers up a little
bit. But don't try for an arrow straight look; that often detracts as much
as following the lay of the land.
Now when installing posts, I throw a couple shovel fulls of gravel into the
bottom of the hole. Then pour concrete around the post to form a collar.
This holds the post firmly yet gives the water an escape route. Painting
the post with an asphalt emulsion all the way up to grade is also worth
considering.
Charlie
Wood Fencing
Summary: Wood fencing can add a lot to the appearance of your home. There are several considerations when planning on how to build a fence. Be sure to check for underground utilities when developing your privacy fence or other fence designs.
DEAR TIM: Wood fencing is my next project. My wife loves wood fences and I feel they are attractive. What are the top things I need to know to ensure this project is a success? What is a good wood fence post? Should I prebuild wood fence panels or construct the fence in place? Is it necessary to embed the fence posts in concrete? Barry L., Columbia, SC
DEAR BARRY: My wife and I are suckers for a wood fence as well. I've had wood fencing at every house I've ever owned, and the fence at my existing home still gets compliments to this day. This fence has a gentle convex curve between each of the fence posts. Each wood fence panel is made from two horizontal treated-pine 2x4s and vertical pickets made from rough-sawn cedar. Each picket has an arrow point to match the distinctive points on each of the treated-pine 4x4 fence posts.
There are many things you need to consider as you start this project, not the least of which is are you even allowed to build the fence in the first place? Many cities and towns have strict zoning laws that control wood fencing, it's location, height, design, etc. just to name a few. I used to live in a village that prohibited fences in front yards and strictly controlled the height of fences so that the vista across multiple properties was not blocked.
This wood fence is made from durable cedar lumber and treated pine posts. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter
To conserve natural resources, your time and money, I would recommend wood-fence designs that allow you to build your fence in a modular fashion. This means using wood materials in such a way that you have minimal or no waste. I did this with my own wood fence many years ago.
I've had fantastic success over the years with treated pine fence posts. My current fence has treated-pine 4x4 posts that are six-feet long. I was able to get two posts from each 12-foot-long 4x4 that I purchased. These posts are buried 2 feet in the ground so that the top of the fence is 4 feet out of the ground. This 2:1 above/below ground ratio is a good one to adopt to ensure your fence withstands strong wind gusts.
It's not a bad idea to pre-build your wood fence panels, but keep in mind the total weight of each panel and how you will connect each panel to your wood posts. If you intend to stain or paint your wood fence, you'll get the best long-term results if you pre-paint or stain each individual piece on all surfaces and cut edges before you assemble the parts. Paint that peels from wood fences often starts at locations where one piece of unpainted or unstained wood overlaps another one. Rain gets into this confined space and soaks into the wood.
There are two schools of thought on placing fence posts in concrete. Each argument is strong and has good points. In my own personal experience, I've never placed a fence post in concrete. I couldn't see any advantages, just disadvantages. The primary issue is that if the fence post needs to be replaced because of damage or rot, it's a major ordeal. With no concrete to deal with, the old post comes out in a jiffy.
An alternative to concrete is crushed gravel. The sharp edges of the stone interlock and the stone mass mimics that of concrete, especially if the crushed stone comes with rock dust that fills all of the voids in between the stone.
Clay soil does a magnificent job of holding fence posts. That's what I have had at my past homes, and the dense clay provides plenty of lateral support to my wood fences. My father-in-law grew up on a farm with livestock that used to bump the fences and he said that they never used concrete to set fence posts.
If you do feel the need to surround your fence posts with concrete and live in a cold climate where the soil freezes, you must dig your fence-post hole carefully. To prevent the frost from heaving the fence post and concrete out of the ground, you must ensure that the hole you dig is similar to an upside down ice-cream cone. The bottom of the hole needs to be larger than the top of the hole.
The final piece of advice is to pay for a site survey if you intend to build your fence on your property line. Many a homeowner has had to pay twice for a wood fence installation because the fence was erected on a neighbor's property. Wood fences make for great neighbors, but only if the fence is on the right parcel of land.
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Comments:
Charlie E 22 Dec 2008, 07:13
Pat 22 Dec 2008, 11:18
I have stick-built all of my fences because I need to keep the bottom very
close to the ground to keep the pets in. In order to do that and have a
nice looking fence, the trick is to measure all boards from the top
stringers. I try to run the stringers in a straight line for at least
three panels before changing the slope. For straight-topped fences, I
create a little template to rest on the top stringer. For spaced pickets,
the template also provides double duty by adding a "tail" that hangs down
on the outside of the stringer and is pushed against the previously placed
picket. For each picket, I turn it upside down, set it on the ground (or,
to avoid the fence bottom touching the ground, on a small piece of 1x4 or
2x4 laid flat), and mark at the template. This gives me a cutting mark, so
I am always cutting the bottom of the picket rather than the top. I then
turn the picket right end up, placing the top at the top of the template,
and nailing in place. The final result for straight-top fences is one that
has a top that follows the line of the stringers; it presents a very neat
appearance overall because people don't notice the slight variations
between the bottom stringer and the ground. A simlar method can be used
for convex and concave curved fences; however, you need to pre-determine
the height of each picket above the top stringer. You then add the
distance from the top stringer to the ground (or to the 2x4). You still
cut from the bottom. Turning the picket back upright, you make a mark on
the picket that represents the distance from the ground to the top
stringer. Align this mark with the stringer and nail in place. Again,
people won't notice the slight variation at the bottom, but your top is
perfectly aligned to create your convex/concave top.
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