One of the all-time great spring and summer projects is building a fence.
Fences define your space, accent your home, and can do wonders to dress up the
exterior of your property. They are also relatively easy, offer a wide range of
design opportunities, and provide lots of personal satisfaction at the
end of the weekend.
If a new fence might be on your list of projects this year, there are a few
preliminary considerations to research prior to buying any lumber:
* If the fence will be on the dividing line between two properties, do you know
exactly where the property lines are? Research city or county property records,
talk with your neighbours, and even hire a surveyor if necessary.
* Are there any restrictions you need to know about? Some municipalities and
homeowner's associations have rules about heights, design, materials, and other
aspects of fence building, so check with all the local authorities first.
* Have you talked to your neighbours? There's an old adage that good fences
make good neighbours, so discuss your design ideas and intentions with adjacent
property owners prior to getting started.
Design Ideas Abound
There are literally hundreds of ways to design and construct a fence, so once
you have the preliminaries out of the way, the fun can really begin. With
so many possibilities out there, you might want to take the time to drive
around different neighbourhoods and get ideas, visit your local lumber yard or
home centre, and maybe grab a fencing book or two at your local library or book
store. Here are a few suggestions:
* Split rail: Split-rail fencing is easy to build and looks great even as it
weathers. In the traditional, Abe Lincoln style, 8-foot long rails simply
stack on top of one another, with the rows of rails laid out in slightly
alternating angles to give the fence stability. A more updated version uses
short,
predrilled posts set in the ground, with the rails then slipped into the holes.
Split-rail fences are especially well suited for low, decorative fences
up to about 3 feet in height.
* Open rail: Open-rail fencing is another easy and attractive fence. Use 4x4
square or 4-inch round pressure-treated posts set in the ground, and then
construct
the fence using 2x6 lumber nailed horizontally to the face of the posts, with
approximately 6 to 10 inches of space between the rails. Open-rail fencing
makes a nice decorative low fence, or can be built up to about 5 feet high for
horses and other animals. For dogs and other smaller animals, you can add
a wire mesh over the rails.
Open-rail fences look really great painted white, but they require periodic
maintenance. You might also consider using brown pressure-treated 2x6 rails,
which cost a little more initially but are more attractive and weather much
better then standard fir lumber. Another alternative is white or colored vinyl
fencing, which has the same open-rail look with virtually no maintenance.
* Picket Fences: Picket fences offer some wonderful design and decoration
possibilities for creating a low fence. Traditionally, narrow boards - called
pickets - with pointed, angled, or other decorative tops or cutouts, are
installed vertically over horizontal rails. The boards have a space between them
that is equal to approximately one-half to one full-board width, and the fence
is typically painted white. There are lots of pre-cut wood and vinyl pickets
available, or you can make your own out of any suitable lumber.
* Solid Fences: This is the traditional backyard fence, typically 5 feet in
height and with solid fencing to provide privacy. Ideas abound for this type
of fence, but the basic design includes round metal or 4x4 pressure-treated
wood posts set in concrete approximately 6 to 8 feet apart, horizontal rails
of cedar or pressure-treated 2x4 or 2x6 lumber, and vertical or diagonal cedar
or treated lumber fence boards. Many lumberyards carry pre-built fence sections,
which include the rails and fence boards and are simply attached to posts set
in the ground.
* Good-Neighbour Fences: A variation of the solid fence, good neighbour
fences are designed to be equally attractive from both sides - an especially
important
consideration if you're sharing the cost of the fence with a neighbouring
property owner. With the traditional style of solid fence board attached to
rails,
you can simply alternate the fence boards so that one section faces your
property, and the next section faces your neighbour's, etc. Another variation
utilizes
posts and rails that have a slot running down the centre. The fence boards fit
into the slots, locking them firmly in place and cantering them between
the posts so that the fence looks the same on both sides. Fences of this type,
with the slotted 2x4 rail, can have a tendency to sag between the posts,
so a short post extending down vertically from the centre of each rail will do
wonders to keep the fence sturdy and attractive over time.
