Picket Fences Review
Look at a picket fence
However, when it concerns the appeal of curbs, a picket fence is a traditional enchanter.
There are very few things that are as charming and appealing as a white picket fence.
A correctly constructed and mounted fence can enhance the appearance of a home, define land borders, and offer a basic level of safety. Constructing a fence completely new, even a short fence, can take a considerable amount of time and demands a full range of woodworking equipment.
The good news is that ready-made fence panels help to make it a lot simpler for the typical homeowner to put up his own fence. Ready-made fence boards are presented in a full line of sizes and shapes, along with picket fence, enclosure, and square spindle.
The toughest part of every fence construction is digging the post holes. The complexity of the job depends, not unexpectedly, on the size of the fence and the type of terrain. To construct a short fence, you may use a hand-held post hole drill. But if you have to dig about a dozen or even more holes, you might want to think about having a gas-powered post hole drill.
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Before buying supplies, begin by outlining the outline of your fence with posts and cords. This way you can take precise measurements before you buy fence panels that will help maintain future gaps in a line. When placing this fence in the front yard, be sure to determine the precise line of your land and the lawful recess distance from the street.
2. Dig the first post hole
At the first pole placement, dig a straight 10-inch diameter hole as deeply as you can with a shovel. Look for cables, pipes, sewers, and fire sprinklers.
Finish digging to 32 inches deep using a Gibbs post hole drill capable of retaining a 10-inch hole diameter over the full depth.
Use a digging stick to remove rocks and cut out roots; dispose of any stones bigger than a billiard ball.
Tip: Stretch out a canvas cover to collect any excavated soil.
3. Place the first post
Put a pole in the hole. If the post features, set the height of the post so that the post bottom is 2-5 inches above the ground. Add 8 inches of the ground in the hole. Using a spirit level placed against two neighboring surfaces, test the pole for the lead. When the post is upright, compress the ground surrounding the pole with a stuffing stick. Put a further 8 inches of the ground in the hole. Recheck the pole for lead and stamp the ground around the post. Continue doing this till the hole is full.
4. Dig the following post hole
Secure a mason’s line to the outer side of the pole, 5 inches from the ground. Take measurements from the pole to the point where the first edge of the fence is going to be. Hammer a post into the ground at that point. Wind the line around the post 5 inches from the ground; tighten. Starting from the pole, take the distance of the first panel and use a screw to indicate the location. Excavate an additional 10-inch diameter post hole at the location indicated. Move it so that the face of the pole contacts the line.
5. Adjust fence panel
Insert the rails of the plate into the post pivot holes. Use wooden chocks to brace the opposite side of the plate. Align these until the upper rail is level. On posts that do not have pivot holes, brace the panel so that the upper rail is level and the bottom of the pile closest to the pole is 2 to 5 inches from the ground. Secure the rails to the post. Once the pile bottoms are from 2 to 5 inches from the ground at the back end, proceed to step 7. If they are not within this range due to a sloped ground, proceed to step 6.
6. Setting up the panel
Lift the plate vertically and let the end of the lower rail drop slightly onto the floor or a wooden block. Turn the plate end by end and drop the end of the top rail at the same place. Repeat the process at both ends until the board “gives way”. Attach the rails back to the post, then place the board so that the pickets are vertical and their bottom is 2 to 5 inches above the ground. Support the free end with a wooden wedge.
7. Attaching the panels
Put the following pole into the hole in such a way that the front-side of the post contacts the mason’s line. Once the pole is driven in, set the height of the pole and insert the rails into the notches. Set the post sideways in such a way that the space between post and picket is the same as the gap between the posts. Fill the hole as described in step 3. Inspect posts and pickets for plumb line lead. Fasten every rail using 2 1/2-inch screws. Follow steps 4, 5, and 7 to complete the installation of the fence.
8. Adjustment of the gate posts
Place the first gatepost (follow steps 2 and 3) towards the end of the panel. Make a dimension of the gate width and add 1 1/2 inch. Excavate the hole for the second gate post at that point. Fit the second gate post. Stuff, pound, and test for plumb. Verify the space between the gate posts and verify that the tops of the gate posts are level. Fasten the next fence panel to hold the second gatepost securely.
9. Hang up the gate
Use wedges to support and level the gate between the posts. Align its posts with those of the adjacent panels. Leave 3/4 inch gp at each end between the gate and the posts. Screw hinges to post and gate. Remove the wedges, check gate travel, and secure the latch. Nail caps to the top of the post.
How to make a picket fence?
HINTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FENCE:
- You may use separate posts or ready-made fences. Make sure you know the length of the individual fence parts in order to find out where you need to put the posts.
- Remember to include a gate. Make one, or even look for an old vintage door or even a metal double bed header.
- You may paint or stain your fence. If you are going to stain your fence, you might want to go with cedar.
- When you get close to a corner, the pickets might not be equally distributed. So, begin by setting the pickets a bit wider apart to ensure that the corner pickets are properly spaced.
Preparing to Build a Fence
You have to understand how to get ready for the installation. The following information will provide you with 8 ways to prepare for a new fence installation.
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- Know your property line.
One of the options to get ready for a new fence is to mark your property. As a homeowner, you may be tempted to adjust your estimates regarding the location of the property boundaries. If you ignore where your property boundaries are on the municipal council map, you might run into difficulties.
Remember that you can be ordered to tear down your fence just because you have added 2 inches to your property. The most effective way is to contract a professional contractor for fencing.
The best fence companies make sure they know where to put your fence. Check your local building codes. The cost of these procedures is included in their estimates.
- Know your property line.
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- Talk to your neighbors.
You need to consult with your neighbors, for example, if you have a common border. The rules of your neighborhood may also dictate that fences must have a certain design and size.
In most neighborhoods, there are also clubs. When you are preparing for your new fence, make sure that you follow their rules.
One option is to build a fence that meets the building code and encloses your entire property. If you wish, you should then build an interior fence that surrounds your pool or house to protect your privacy.
- Talk to your neighbors.
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- Materials.
Preparing for a new fence installation also requires the choice of materials to be used in the installation.
Keep in mind that specific neighborhoods have distinct fencing tastes. It will also help you calculate your budget based on the kind of material you are going to use.
- Materials.
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- Remove obstacles.
Due to obstacles, even the best fence companies have difficulties in building a fence. These include tree stumps, large rocks and even hanging branches.
One must also pay attention to slopes. This is because these factors increase your budget, for example, fence panels.
A tip: Consider building an aluminum fence when building on slopes. The reason for this is that you can adjust the number of panels on the ground. This allows you to use the extra panels on slopes.
You have to create checklists. So you have all the materials and tools you need for the new fence system. You will also need additional funds, e.g. 15% of the total budget. This is the result of other emergencies that arise during the construction process. These emergencies could consist of choosing certain designs that suit your taste.
- Remove obstacles.
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- Check utilities.
As you prepare for the new fence, you must also make sure that you do not destroy the utilities. This includes sewers and water pipes.
You don’t want any disputes with your neighbors because of a disruption in the water supply or burst sewers while you are putting up your new fence.
One advantage of hiring the best fencing companies is that they perform inspections before starting the installation work.
- Check utilities.
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- Budget Planning.
When getting ready for the installation of your new fence, it is important to keep in mind that various building materials involve different maintenance expenses. For instance, if you decide on a wooden fence, you will add a natural appearance to your home.
But you will have to maintain it on a regular basis. This is due to the reason that a wooden fence must be regularly sealed with a waterproofing membrane. This will avoid rotting or warping.
A wooden fence also has to be stained. In this way, it can get a natural look or distinguish itself from others.
In contrast, an aluminum fence makes your fence look smart. In addition, it is durable and resistant to corrosion. Moreover, it is economical and enables you to satisfy other important demands.
- Budget Planning.
- Selection of the fence company.
Another tip when preparing to build a new fence is to know how to select the best fence companies. Choose those that offer written estimates after the physical inspections are completed.
You should also consider those who have a physical address within your town or city. Another way to find the best companies is to read online customer reviews on their websites.
If you follow these procedures, you can hire a fencing company that meets your needs.
How far apart should pickets be on a fence?
Traditionally, a picket fence is approximately three to four feet high (when it is higher than four feet, it resembles a barrier) with 1 × 3 or 1 × 4 posts. The fence poles may be up to eight feet from each other when using lighter standard poles. According to your wishes, the poles can either be visible features or concealed behind a solid line of pickets. The spacing between the pickets is a question of functionality and preference: you can decide on the spacing that looks right and meets your practical demands.
How to build a picket fence on a slope?
Constructing a fence on a hillside can be a challenge as the posts and pickets stay vertical no matter what the slope of the ground below. The way you tackle the problem will depend on whether you are constructing a fence from scratch or using prefabricated fence panels.
Construction of a fence with single pickets
When a fence is made up of separate pickets, every picket can be stacked or “staggered” to fit the outline of the site. Note that this approach only functions when you construct a fence entirely from scratch and mount every picket separately – it will not function with prefabricated fence boards.
A benefit of a picket fence is the fact that the length of the pickets and posts is constant irrespective of the slope. Since you construct the fence from scratch, it can be adjusted to the ground in a narrow bend so that there are no spaces under it.
Begin by placing the posts vertically and level from the ground. The horizontal tracks are then mounted between the posts parallel to the ground and not horizontally. Lastly, the poles are individually fastened to the tracks in such a way that every single one conforms to the outline of the slope.
Construction of a fence with pre-assembled panels
When constructing a fence on a hillside using prefabricated panels, the whole panel is graduated up or down to ensure it remains even. The posts are mounted vertically and every board goes up or down as the inclination is changed. This allows the entire line of the fence to move up and down the slope.
When constructing a stepped fence, the poles on the incline need to be longer to take the extra height of the fence board. Every post is mounted separately and is cut to size depending on the slope.
Conclusion
Like you can easily understand for yourself, there’s a lot more hidden behind the traditional white picket fence than you might see at first glance, much more diversity than we usually see, and a lot more than the place or the manner in which the fence is placed. You have a variety of designs and styles to pick from, and there are actually plenty of options for how you can emphasize your fence and give it that special look.
We hope you enjoyed learning about this DIY project! We would like to know how this fence project worked out for you, write us a comment at some point
