Picket Fence Construction Guidelines
- Recyled wooden pallets create cost-effective fences.
For durability and less maintenance, choose a rot-resistant wood of cypress, red or white cedar or pressure-treated pine. If cost is a concern, wood pallets can be procured for free from lumberyards, factories or furniture stores, dismantled and used for picket fencing. Ask the manager before you take them. - Trim the fence posts so they will shed rain.
It is much easier to paint, stain or preserve the wooden pickets and posts before assembly. For a longer-lasting paint job, use a primer first.
Make sure to trim the fence posts to a pyramidal point or a slant so that they will shed rain. Additionally, they may be rounded off or covered with decorative metal or copper caps. - Shovel gravel into the hole before placing the post hole.
If the ground is too hard for digging a post hole, try digging a shallow hole, fill it up with water, and let it sit overnight. The next day, the ground will be softer and significantly easier to dig.
Dig a hole for the first end post 30 inches deep and 12 inches in diameter. Shovel a couple of inches of gravel or stones into the hole and place the post, packing six inches of additional stone around it for stability. Check that it is level. Repeat for the other end post, then do the same for the remaining posts.
Add concrete in stages, tamping it down after each layer. Overfill the hole one inch high, and, using a trowel, slope the concrete away from the wood. Repeat with the other posts, and let the concrete cure for 24 to 48 hours. - Use wood screws to attach fence rails.
The pre-measured and cut fence rails should be flush with the end posts and meet in the center of the intermediate posts. Fasten the bottom rail with screws three inches off the ground, checking that it is level. Attach the top rail in the same manner. - Pickets can be cut in a number of decorative shapes.
Pickets can be pointed, rounded or squared off near the top of the points. Position a picket on each end post and in the center of each intermediate post, with the bottom about two inches off the ground. Measure the distance between two adjacent posts and space the pickets evenly in between. It is a good idea to use a spacer cut the correct width. Check that the pickets are all level before fastening them to both rails with wood screws. - Check for flaking paint annually.
After the fence has been up for a year, to keep out water which can lead to rot, caulk all spaces between the concrete footings and the posts. In addition, check for flaking paint and refinish before the wood becomes exposed.
