Do-it-yourself wooden picket fence. A fence made of a wooden picket fence: photos of beautiful options, prices, installation What to make a picket fence for a fence

Solid or through fence made of wooden slats widely used for fencing houses and summer cottages. Fence from wooden picket fence has many advantages: its production requires a minimum of costs, and if repair is necessary, it can be done as quickly as possible.

Required materials and tools:

tape measure, building level, strong twine;
shovel or drill;
metal pipes or wooden logs for making supports;
transverse logs (veins) made of metal or solid coniferous timber 50x100 mm (for every 30 m of the fence, 10 supports and 20 three-meter veins will be needed);
fence;

Wooden picket fence

Sand, cement, crushed stone for pouring metal support pillars;
hacksaw with medium teeth;
ax, hammer;
chisel with a wide blade;
plane;
screwdriver;
fastening brackets and bolts for attaching the cross members to the uprights;
self-tapping screws or galvanized nails;
sandpaper for sanding wood;
drying oil, paint and paint brush.

Installation of support pillars

To make the fence even, the ground should be carefully leveled. Before leveling, the area where the fence is planned to be built is cleared and trees and shrubs are uprooted. The roots of many plants (poplar, willow, dog rose, etc.) are quite tenacious, so even small layers should be removed. Otherwise, after a couple of years, the remaining roots can give abundant growth and damage the hedge.
1. Along the perimeter of the site, in place of future supports, gates and wickets, small pegs, between which the twine is stretched. In order for the fence to be perfectly level, before starting the installation of the support pillars, you should measure their location several times using the building level.

A scourge is stretched along the perimeter of the fence

Council.When wet, the wood becomes heavier, which significantly increases the load on the supports and joists, so they must be made of sufficiently strong wood or metal.

2. The standard spacing between supports is 2.5-3 m. This distance will be enough to support the whole span. The distance between the supports should be equal to the length of the transverse lags, taking into account the indentation for the mount.

3. At the location of the supports, pits 70-100 cm deep are made with a shovel or a drill (this figure depends on the type of soil). Broken brick, stones or gravel are poured into the bottom of the pit with a layer of 20 cm, then sand. This "pillow" is thoroughly spilled with water and compacted.

4. Wooden logs are cleaned of bark and knots. To protect against dampness and insects, the part that will be underground should be burned over a fire or treated with a blowtorch. Wood can also be impregnated with bitumen.

5. Do not fill wooden supports with mortar - they will rot very quickly in concrete. They are installed in pre-prepared pits, covered with rubble and sand. Moreover, each layer of such a backfill is spilled with water and compacted.

Council. Since the main load will fall on the pillars and veins, it is better to make them out of metal. They should be thoroughly cleaned of rust and covered with any anti-corrosion solution. Places that will be in the ground should be especially carefully processed.

Arrangement of metal supports

6. Support posts must be installed strictly vertically. For this, use the building level.

Support alignment

7. After aligning the supports, secure them with spacers. Then it is poured concrete mortar with the addition of rubble. Its proportions depend on the brand of cement.

Important!All subsequent work is carried out only after the mortar has set (at least 1-2 days).

8. So that the height of the fence is the same along the entire perimeter, after the installation of the first and last pillars, it is hammered on top of them with a nail, and a string is stretched between them, which will serve as a reference point for other supports.

A string is pulled between the supports

Fastening the picket fence

1. Grooves are prepared in wooden posts (two for each post) with a depth of 30 cm. Their location is measured out by the building level.

2. A vein is inserted into each groove and fixed to the post using self-tapping screws (a more durable version) or nails. Thus, all pillars are strapped.

Mount lag

Council. When using metal supports in the welding places, veins (lag) to the posts can quickly rust, so it is better to fasten them with mounting brackets and bolts... Using staples purchased from a store or made yourself from metal strips, you can also attach wooden logs.

Fastening the support to a wood vein with a bracket

3. Standard length picket fence 1.25 m... When using boards of non-standard sizes, they are cut to the desired length.

4. The end pickets are attached first, and they should be located exactly 90 под relative to the vein. To protect the boards from decay, their lower end should be located at a distance 5 cm from the ground... Next, the rest of the boards are attached.

Fastening the picket fence

Council. To avoid splitting the picket fence, screws or nails should not be placed along the same line. To prevent the ends from sticking out, do not fasten them too close to the edge.

5. Distance between pickets can be arbitrary. They can be fastened either with a solid sheet or with a slight offset from each other. However, in order for the fence to look aesthetically pleasing, these indents should be the same along the entire length of the fence.

Council. When installing a solid fence to prevent deformation during changes in humidity, the boards should be fastened with a small gap.

Boards are fastened with a small gap

Fence painting and decoration

To prevent the wood from absorbing too much paint, it is covered with linseed oil before painting and allowed to dry. For painting, use any frost-resistant paints, wood stain or decorative varnishes.

Decorating a picket fence is not difficult. For example, you can cut off its upper part at a certain angle, make it semicircular, or, by combining the length of the picket fence, arrange the top of the fence with a zigzag or ladder. The cut ends are smoothed with sandpaper or looped. The pickets cut at a certain angle not only look more original, but absorb less moisture: it rolls off its surface.

Any decorative elements of the fence are cut out by pattern made of plywood using jigsaw... They can be made separately and then attached to individual sections of the fence.

Types of picket fences

Options for decorating a picket fence

Video: Installing a fence from a picket fence with your own hands

With a variety of options for creating fences for land plots, building a fence from a wooden picket fence is the easiest and convenient way quickly install the fence. There are many varieties of these designs - from budget to expensive designer ones. It is possible to cope with the installation of simple classic options even without experience, it is better to entrust more complex work to specialists.

Types of fences made of wooden picket fence

Despite the fact that now there are new types of these products made of metal, plastic, wooden picket fence is still more preferred because of its many advantages. Thanks to new technologies for wood processing, many varieties of neat high-quality blanks are produced, from which you can create a beautiful decorative fence.

Without painting

Types of wooden fences:

1. The budget option - this fence, made of unplaned or unedged boards, is sometimes used to temporarily designate a site. Such a wooden picket fence is often not painted (of course, it is better to paint). And the final cost of the fence is not always low. In some cases, this material is even used in expensive design landscape projects.
2. The classic picket fence is made of edged boards. A cheaper option is from a non-planed board, more expensive - from a planed one. Produced different sizes the width of the slats. Besides standard view, the picket fence can be of a different shape: triangular, semicircular. The height of the fence is also different - due to this, a wide variety of options is obtained to decorate even a simple plank structure.
3. Design option. The pickets can, after processing by carving or in other ways, have different decorative forms... In addition, they can be positioned not only vertically, but also horizontally (for example, resembling blinds), create designs in the form of rhombuses, "Christmas trees" or other shapes. For such hedges, a drawing is preliminarily developed, and detailed diagram placement of all elements. Wood materials allow you to create many different options, including different color combinations.
4. The method of placing the picket fence "chess". This fence has both sides - front, because the picket fence is first nailed on one side with intervals equal to its width, and then the same is done on the other. The result is a closed, but well-ventilated structure.
5. Combined. Combines brick (reinforced concrete, stone) pillars, grillage, sections from a wooden picket fence. It is the strongest and most durable construction. It is especially suitable for regions with snowy winters: the grillage located below serves as a good protection of the tree from decay. Such a fence looks solid and rich, unlike those made only of wood.

Fence options

Advantages of picket fence

Compared to other types of fences, a wooden picket fence in summer cottages or in private buildings prevails, because it is easy to install and unpretentious in further operation.

Front garden

Benefits:

1. The ability to build beautiful fences using cheap, affordable, practical, easy-to-handle materials and tools.
2. The best eco-friendly option that creates an atmosphere of coziness, a feeling of comfort.
3. Universal, allowing you to build various structures, embody design ideas.
4. Blanks are easy to make, quickly installed. Even a beginner can handle such work.
5. Easy to care for: just periodically renew the protective paint and varnish layer.
6. In case of damage, it is not necessary to change the entire fragment of the fence; it is enough to replace a few strips.
7. Treated with antiseptics can have a fairly long lifespan in good condition.

Decorative fences

Preparation of materials

First of all, you need to know how to correctly calculate how much and what consumable will need. The compiled price list will allow more rational use of all funds. Fencing posts can be made of logs, metal pipes, reinforced concrete, brick. For an accurate calculation, calculations are performed after measuring the entire perimeter of the fence.

Read also: Beautiful fences for giving with forging elements

The photo shows a beautiful fence for a private house.

A private house

Wood (posts, picket fence) must be well dried so that it does not deform in the future. You can buy ready-made planks or even whole sections.

It will be cheaper to prepare them yourself from raw materials.

Having calculated the consumption of materials, you can already determine the approximate cost of a fence made of a wooden picket fence, if the work will be done independently. The price can be much different if you place an order, especially if it is an original design project.

Fence installation diagram

What tools are needed for a wooden fence:

• pencil, tape measure;
• pliers, screwdrivers;
• level (or cord) for aligning the planks;
• a bar or other object for measuring the same spans between the planks;
• fastening screws for mounting to the posts of the crossbars;
• small stone, concrete to strengthen the pillars;
• a hammer;
• hacksaw for wood;
• drill;
• shovel.

Installation drawing

DIY fence installation

Preparatory work is carried out in the same way as when installing other types of fences:

• the areas where the hedge will be located are cleaned of vegetation, debris, and aligned;
• install beacons, pull along the contour of the thread;
• we make markings for future pillars at a distance of 2-3 meters;
• we dig holes for pillars with a depth of at least 1.3 meters (it is most convenient to use a hole drill).

Wiring diagram

Installation of pillars

If the pillars are wooden, then they must be impregnated with an antiseptic, and those parts that will be in the ground should be covered bituminous mastic... Metal poles are stronger and more durable, but they should also have a good anti-corrosion coating. To do this, they need to be cleaned of rust, if necessary, and then covered with frost-resistant paint so that the support will last longer.

The photo shows a fence for a summer residence.

In front of the house

For wooden supports of a picket fence, columns with a section of 100x100 mm are used. For metal racks use shaped tube section 75x75 mm.

It is important to take care of how to make the picket fence more stable in advance. Before installing the support pillars, fine crushed stone 20 cm thick is poured onto the bottom of the pit so that they do not move when the soil freezes.

Before the pillars are buried, their bases are fixed for strength with a mixture of cement and gravel. If the supports are metal, brick or reinforced concrete, then special corners or other fasteners are mounted to them to install transverse veins on which the strips will be attached.

A photo of the fence of a private house is presented below.

Bright colors

Set of picket sections

The next stage of building a fence can be done in two ways:

1. Horizontal veins are attached to the supports, onto which the planks are then stuffed using a template (for the same span widths) and a level, or a cord, so that a hedge is even in height. It is not recommended to use nails for this, fastening on screws or self-tapping screws will be stronger. It is more expensive but more durable.
2. You can install ready-made sections - purchased or prepared independently in advance. Then they only need to be mounted to the posts with the fastening screws.

Diagram of a wooden vertical fence

Installation of veins

So, if the fence supports are metal, corners of 50x50 mm and a length of 7.5 cm are welded to them.The distance between them should be determined according to the height of the fence span, stepping back from the edges of the section above and below 100 mm to the center of the post.

Item names

Then, as for wooden fence supports, 2 horizontal logs of 50x100 mm timber, pretreated with an antiseptic, are installed in the spans. You can also use a 40x100 mm edged board as a lag (vein). The veins are fastened to wooden fence posts or corners on the posts using self-tapping screws.

Read also: At what distance from the fence can a greenhouse be placed: SNiP norm and law

Fastening the picket fence

An antiseptic board with a section of 100x25 or 150x25 mm is used as vertical pickets. The length of the wooden planks is selected individually in each case, based on the height of the future fence. When determining this size, it is necessary to take into account that after installation, the strips should not come into contact with the ground. For example, if a fence is planned with a height of 2.1 meters, then a picket fence 2 m long is used.

Drawing of a fence made of wood

The fastening of a wooden picket fence to the veins is carried out along a rope stretched horizontally between the posts. The step of the slats is not regulated and is selected based on the desired transparency of the fence. Standard Option - gap 30-50 mm.

To better secure the picket fence, you need to add drying oil to the screw thread before screwing it in, then the connection will be even stronger and more durable.

The video tells how to build a fence with your own hands.

How to make a fence from a Euroshtaketnik with your own hands, read the link.

Sectional fence installation

The fastest way to install such a fence is to use ready-made structures. You can buy sections from planks that are already painted with durable high-quality paints and varnishes, and poles with suitable fasteners.

It is enough to measure how many meters of the fence are required. Everything has already been calculated in size, makes up a complete set, which you just have to assemble as a designer. It is more expensive, but very convenient and fast.

The photo shows a beautiful hedge.

The cost

You can calculate how much it will cost to install a fence from an ordinary wooden picket fence on a site on your own or with the help of specialists. Such services with the help of a fence calculator are provided in many large hardware stores, as well as firms that supply materials and perform construction work.

Employees engaged in the selection and calculation of materials are well versed in their quality characteristics, cost and can quickly select suitable option in the price-quality ratio. This saves clients from mistakes and wasting time.

Average cost for 1 running meter fences with a gap on 2 logs with materials and work:

• with a section height of 1.5 m - from 1090 rubles;
• with a section height of 2 m - from 1129 rubles.

Section sketches

Average cost for 1 running meter of solid fence on 2 logs with materials and work:

• with a section height of 1.5 m - from 1336 rubles;
• with a section height of 2 m - from 1375 rubles.

Over the past fifty years, the manufacturing industry building materials literally flooded users with a huge number of new methods and technologies for the construction of buildings, arrangement adjoining territory and the landscape of the site.

Surprisingly, with such an abundance and choice, the owners of private houses and summer cottages often prefer old options for buildings, for example, instead of fashionable fences made of plastic and metal, they install a classic picket fence on the site.

Why is a picket fence so good

The choice of a wooden fence is usually not a whim or a desire to remember the old days; there are many positive aspects in the design of the fence, which is already almost a hundred years old. Traditionally, the three most important are called:

• Ease of construction of a picket fence, such a fence does not require special materials or skills in handling tools;
• A wooden picket fence only marked the border of the site, enough sun and air penetrated through the fence, therefore flowers and shrubs of the front garden always grow well along the fence;
• The uncomplicated design of the fence made of wooden picket fence allowed to show imagination and to design the fence in its own way, while modern materials practically depersonalize the building.

Sometimes environmental friendliness and low cost of construction are called as positive aspects of the fence. The disadvantages of the picket fence include low durability and strength. If you adhere to traditional methods of protecting wood, then a picket fence can stand for at least 15-20 years.

Important! Admittedly, a picket fence remains the prettiest and most inexpensive fence design.

In any case, wooden picket fence goes well with metal, natural stone, brick and all types of vegetation that can only be planted on a lawn or front garden near the house.

Fence construction

The classic design of a picket fence is well known to everyone, even to those who have never seen such a fence live in their lives. Depending on the preferences of the owners, the fence can be carried out in a "measure" height, it is about 160 cm, "in the waist" - about 100-110 cm.

Fencing

In various versions of the fence device, the fence may differ in the design of the heads, the height and width of the picket fence, but the main elements remain unchanged:

• Support posts or posts hold the entire structure of the fence at a height of 5-7 cm above ground level. A correctly assembled fence should not touch the ground or grass with the lower edge of the fences;
• Crossbars or veins are long horizontal slats or logs. The crossbars are nailed at a height of 1 / 5-1 / 6 from the top and bottom end of the support;
• Picket fence - short flat strips made of wood, plastic or metal, stuffed onto horizontal crossbars with the same pitch.

Sometimes picket fences were supplemented with X-shaped struts, which were installed between the veins. The spacers were packed from the inside of the fence and did not affect appearance picket fence and the entire fence. Thus, it was possible to make the structure as strong and rigid as possible. This was done in cases where the span between the fence supports was removable. In order not to install a gate for the entrance from the side or back of the site fence, one could simply remove one span.

If the step of installing the strips of the picket fence was chosen correctly, then the fence looked like one monotonous canvas, while the gaps between the strips provided enough light for the greenery growing around.

The secret of the popularity of the picket fence

Why is a picket fence still at its peak? The structure of the fence has been polished over the years, it is difficult to come up with a simpler fence. The size of the picket strips and the veins ensures that in any position of the sun in the sky, the space around the fence will be dry, even the fattest chernozem and clay after rain quickly dry out due to sun rays and a draft.

It makes no sense to make the gaps between the picket strips too large. Firstly, the strength and rigidity of the fence is significantly reduced, and secondly, the appearance of the fence clearly loses its expressiveness, thirdly, it is still a fence, and its task is to protect the territory from stray cats, dogs and neighboring chickens.

For comparison, look at the bottom from the inside of the solid fences. It doesn't matter if they are knocked down from lining, plastic panels or built of stone. If the fence is assembled into a solid panel without gaps, then a wet stagnant zone forms at the base of the fence, wooden pillars and plants in the front garden rot, moss and mold grow.

For the same reason, the bottom of a wooden picket fence is never lowered to the ground. On contact with wet soil, wooden planks quickly swell with moisture, warp and quickly deteriorate.

We build a fence from a wooden picket fence

To build a picket fence, first of all, you need to choose the right material for veins and pillars. Owners country houses and summer cottages built of timber or rounded logs, they prefer a completely wooden fence made of picket fences. The owners of stone houses choose more durable plastic and metal constructions fences.

Traditional materials

Earlier, oak or walnut beams with a section of 50x50 and 50x70 mm were used for crossbeams. The material should be free from defects, knots or pronounced fiber structure. When assembling the fence, a large number of nails were hammered into the vein body, so the defective wood could be easily split.

It makes no sense to use soft wood for veins, the crossbars quickly sagged under the weight of the picket fence, and after 4-5 years, individual planks began to fall out of the fence along with the nails. To avoid pricking when driving a nail into hard wood, craftsmen nailed the slats through a piece of soap or a piece of leather soaked in turpentine.

Application of metal and stone

It is not necessary to blindly follow the old traditions of building fences. If your house is sheathed with siding or panels under natural stone, lined with brick or lined with any other stone, when building a fence, you can and should use stone and metal. The secret of the wooden picket fence is that it goes well with the metal and stone details of the fence, with the exception of plastic and metal nets. But sometimes you have to hem the bottom edge of the picket fence with a thin painting net to protect the front garden.

For example, you can not hide the pillars behind the fence, as is done in a traditional wooden fence, but, on the contrary, highlight them in the form of load-bearing pillars, lay them out of stone. A huge advantage in using a picket fence is that the fence made of wooden or metal strips has a relatively low weight, about 10-15 kg per span, which means that the number of posts can be minimized. The maximum span increases to 6-7 m, it makes no sense to do more, since the stiffness of the crossbars decreases, and when strong wind the picket fence will hum and sway.

In addition, stone pillars make it possible to use metal profile pipes instead of wooden veins. As a result, in addition to the stylish appearance, it is possible to significantly increase the service life of the picket fence, since the main cause and disease of all fences is eliminated - rotting of supports in wet soil. A fence on stone posts with a wooden picket fence, if properly assembled and maintained annually, will easily last 15-20 years. And even if the wooden picket fence becomes unusable, it will not be difficult to replace it with a new wooden or metal strip.

Preparation and installation of supports

The classic version of a picket fence involves the use of wooden posts, especially if the picket fence on the fence is not just a bar, but has a figured head with carving elements. It is irrational and ugly to install such a picket fence on metal posts and crossbars.

A wooden post for a standard fence, up to one and a half meters high, can be made from ordinary pine or spruce timber with a section of 90x90 mm or even 100x100 mm. The cross-section of a wooden post is usually chosen based on the design of the fence. If the supports are hidden behind a fence made of a picket fence, then you can use any section and even a package of two forty boards. In this case, the boards are knocked down with nails - weaving at an angle, and the gap must be filled with molten bitumen or rubbed with liquid rubber.

If the pillars stand out as one of the main elements of a picket fence, then the supports have to be made of an artificially enlarged section and supplemented with decorative trim.

Almost any type of wood can be used for the support leg, you just need to carefully treat it with anti-decay solutions and soak it with protective oil or varnish. The material is preliminarily dried, the lower end of the pillar is fired with a blowtorch until it is dark brown. Before installation, the buried part of the support is treated with a primer for gluing bituminous waterproofing.

The number of pillars is calculated based on the size of the fence and the height of the picket fence, the heavier the picket fence, the smaller the span and the more posts. The average span is 2-2.5 m. For a one and a half meter fence, you will need a post 220 cm long.

When using a square shaped tube, the preparation of the supports is even easier. With a height of the picket slats of 150 cm, the column section is 60x60 mm and the wall thickness is 3 mm. It is necessary to cut the workpieces of a given length and seal the holes in the bottom and top of the pipe, you can weld or clog up with a concrete plug. To prevent the metal from rusting, the profile pipe is cleaned with a bronze brush and treated with phosphoric acid. After a day, wipe the surface with a damp cloth and dry. The part of the support that goes into the ground can be treated with bitumen mastic to protect car bodies, it dries within half an hour.

To install the support, a well is drilled with a depth of at least 70 cm and a diameter of 200-250 mm, crushed stone with sand is poured onto the bottom. After installing and leveling the support, the space is filled with large rubble and broken brick, after which it is poured with liquid, like sour cream, concrete. The concreting procedure must be carried out in several layers to allow the mixture to settle and push out the accumulated air.

Picket padding device

You need to work with a wooden picket fence slowly and only in warm sunny weather. The strips for the fence must be pre-dried and sanded with an emery wheel, splinters and wood dust must be removed. Before stuffing, the picket strips are taken out into the street for a day so that the material “takes” its moisture level. If a picket fence has to be assembled in spring or autumn, then the strips are covered with acrylic varnish and dried indoors.

In order for a fence made of a picket fence to turn out beautiful, two conditions must be met when assembling the structure:

• Install poles or supports in one line with minimal deviation from the vertical position. The smoother the supports are, the better the entire fence looks;
• Lay the picket strips on the horizontal crossbars so that the upper edges are level.

This is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. You have to work almost by weight, so any careless movement can shift the point of installation of the fence bar. To simplify the task, a template or gauge is used for filling. In fact, this is a T-shaped joinery square. Each of the sides, vertical and horizontal, is cut with the same width as the pitch of the picket fence. The right angle between the legs of the square is reinforced with a pair of metal plates tightened with two bolts.

With the adaptation, the packing of the picket strips onto the veins of the fence is simplified so much that it can be entrusted even to those who are completely unfamiliar with joinery.

Stuffing picket strips on veins

The first five strips of the picket fence will have to be fixed on the cross-member of the fence using a building level and a plumb line. First, you need to pull the cord or steel wire to the level of the upper edge of the fence. The ends of the marking cord are attached to the extreme posts, and pads are installed on the intermediate supports to avoid sagging.

If the planks are correctly calibrated in width and length, then the first elements can be aligned along the plumb line and lateral line. If a purchased lining is used for a picket fence, then a center line is applied to the first planks with a pencil and the vertical position is verified along it.

After alignment, the bar is fixed on the vein with a clamp, holes are drilled for self-tapping screws on both crossbars and fastened with a screwdriver. If there is no clamp, then a couple of nails can be used to temporarily fix the fence bar. We do this:

• Having aligned the plank along the plumb line and the cord, gently press it against the crossbars with your hand;
• Using a screwdriver, we drill one hole in the lower and upper veins, insert nails into the holes, which serve as temporary centering pins;
• We drill two holes for self-tapping screws in the bar of the remaining two, we carry out fastening. Next, remove the nails and wrap a couple of screws into the remaining holes with a "shura".

Note! The fastening scheme for the picket strips can be changed at your discretion, but the installation points must be chosen as shown in the diagram.

Picket strips can also be fastened with ordinary nails, forty or fifty. In this case, all the nails are driven in with different inclinations so that under the load the picket strips do not pull the nails out of the vein.

The remaining planks are nailed using a fixture. The square is laid on the head of the slats and pressed tightly, it remains to install a new picket fence and fix it on the veins.

In the old days, nails were worth their weight in gold, picket strips were attached to wooden pins or corks. A hole with a diameter of 10-15 mm was drilled in each plank with a drill. A piece of 20-30 mm was cut off from a previously prepared round rail, cut into a wedge, moistened with tar and hammered into the hole. In some villages, you can still find oak picket fences on traffic jams, which have been standing for 50 years.

Features of the design of a fence from a wooden picket fence

The method described above reveals only the details of the assembly of the structure, but this does not mean that you need to limit yourself to boring rectangular slats and a fence that is even like a table. The use of wood for the manufacture of a fence with a picket fence makes it possible to make the fence of the site bright and individual, both in design and in style.

For example, the heads of the planks can be cut according to a special template and must be numbered. After installing the planks on the crossbars, a wavy edge is formed, which looks much more interesting than a straight line.

If you have enough time and patience, the picket strips can be decorated with carvings, notches and decorative holes. This option is perfect for a front garden fence.

If you need an unusual fence that attracts the attention of guests and neighbors, use not a flat bar, but a round slab, rounded on a machine. Instead of hiding the posts behind the fence, you can make them a classic rectangular shape with an edged head. This option of the fence will perfectly decorate any house, regardless of the style of the building.

A prerequisite for the construction of a fence is the use of protective enamels and paints. The picket fence will have to be painted or varnished every year.

Assembling a fence from a metal picket fence

The process of building a fence from wooden slats, pillars and crossbars takes a lot of time. It takes two or three full working days only to stuff a picket fence, so the assembly of wooden fences is usually done by people for whom joinery is a hobby and a way of active recreation.

If there is no time to erect a fence made of wood, or there is no desire to tinker with lumber, you can collect a very beautiful fence of metal picket fence.

The invention of modern building technology

The popularity of picket fences is indirectly confirmed by the fact that manufacturers of building materials have long mastered the production of similar structures of fences made of thin sheet stamped metal.

In appearance, a metal picket fence is very difficult to distinguish from a wooden product. The only detail that the metal railing gives out is the rounded head of each plank. In wooden fences, the head of the planks can be of various shapes and sizes, usually an acute-angled gash or a flat end edge. In a metal picket fence, all strips have the same heads.

Cross posts and pillars are also made by stamping from sheet metal, a profile is obtained that is very similar in appearance to the galvanized profiled material used for fastening gypsum plasterboards.

The metal picket fence has a polymer protective coating made of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, so you have to handle it very carefully. The metal for the fence must undergo protective phosphating and galvanizing. Manufacturers claim that a metal picket fence will last at least 20 years without repair.

In practice, only the picket strips themselves, covered with a layer of protective polymer, can withstand such a period. Exposed galvanized parts are subject to severe abrasive wear, especially if the area is dominated by sandy soils... It is even worse if the house, around which a metal picket fence is installed, is heated with coal with a high sulfur content. The combustion products of the "chicken" settle on the metal, and after 5-7 years the open surface is actively eroded by acid corrosion.

Therefore, metal fences made of picket fence must be painted with alkyd and polyurethane enamels.

Assembling a fence from metal parts

Most difficult stage in the installation of a fence made of metal strips, it is the assembly of the supporting frame, namely, pillars and crossbars. The fence posts are made in two versions:

1. By connecting two strips of an Ω-profile with a metal thickness of 0.7-1.0 mm. Two profile rulers are connected with self-tapping screws every 50 cm of length;
2. Twisting two rulers of a U-profile, with a section of 40x60 mm. It is assembled in the same way as the omega profile.

Collected pillars are installed in pre-drilled wells. The recommended borehole dimensions are 20 cm in diameter and 70 cm in depth.This is quite enough to keep very light fence from sheet metal stamped.

Before concreting, each pillar must be aligned vertically in two planes. The support for the fence is very light, therefore, after pouring the concrete, struts or struts to fix the post are usually not used.

Cross members can be installed after three days. Each cross member is an Ω-profile, self-tapping screws are screwed into the side shelves, resulting in a very strong and rigid connection. It is recommended to install the crossbars at a distance of 35 cm from the head and the ground. To install the steel cross members, align them at the recommended height and secure on one side to the post. After leveling with the horizon, the second edge of the plank is grabbed using the bubble level. If there are no comments, all fasteners are installed.

You can proceed to installing the picket fence. The first bar is installed along the support line. To mount the next one, you will need to retreat, as the manufacturer recommends, 45 mm and mark on each of the crossbars. The picket strips are fixed to the crossbar with four self-tapping screws.

Given the high precision in the manufacture of all parts of the fence, you can immediately make the markings and apply risks to the transverse logs. It remains only to apply the next bar, level it and fasten it with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.

In practice, the installation of a picket fence is usually done the old fashioned way. After installing the starting bar, a template is applied to the side surface of the slats, you can use the same building level, then a new bar is installed and fixed with self-tapping screws on the fence frame. What's the Difference? In this case, the possibility of error is essentially excluded, and all gaps between the fence bars will automatically be of the same size.

Despite the fact that when assembling the fence, none of the parts was cut, the manufacturer recommends that the joints and screwing points of the screws be treated with a protective aerosol. As standard, the picket strips are sold with a surface sealed with a foil, which must be removed at the end of assembly operations.

An interesting feature of the metal picket strips is the possibility of two-sided assembly. An additional row of planks can be installed on the inside of the fence, if desired, they can be displaced and obtain a complete overlap of the fence.

Conclusion

A metal picket fence combines very well with stone details. For example, you can use crossbars and planks to fill the span of a stone fence, or make a solid fence with a long span. In this case, you will need to use a massive metal channel or brick columns as pillars. There are a huge number of design options for a metal fence.

The history of the use of wood by the Slavs for the construction of houses, outbuildings, fences and fences is rooted in the distant past. Even then, our ancestors understood all the advantages of using this unpretentious natural material for construction. Houses, windows, roof, floor and household items were built from it. And, despite the modern variety of building materials, wood still holds a leading position as a reliable environmentally friendly building material.

Today we will talk about a wooden picket fence. Such a fence performs several functions at once: it limits the territory of our site, and at the same time adds comfort and tranquility, decorating our house.

In addition, this fence has several more advantages. Firstly, a wooden fence is very versatile in terms of combination with the design of the house; it looks great next to a house made of stone, brick, next to concrete and metal elements of the facade and decoration. The next advantage of such a fence is its ease of installation, because any summer resident who has no construction experience can build a fence from a picket fence. Finally, such a fence is very easy to maintain and operate; all care is reduced only to periodic coloring of its surface.
First, you should prepare the materials necessary for the construction wooden fence... Amy will be: pillars for support (metal or wooden), picket, transverse wooden planks... In addition, we need the following tools: a drill or a shovel, a drill, self-tapping screws and a screwdriver with a saw.

Picket fences - ready-made from the store or handmade? Whichever option you choose, each has its own pros and cons. In the case of buying ready-made pickets, the process of building a fence is noticeably simplified and accelerated, because all we need to do is just install them. However, when buying shtaketin, there is a risk of running into a low-quality raw wood, which will eventually lead. In the case of preparing material for the fence with your own hands, you should be prepared that it will take a little longer to build the fence than in the first option. The advantages in this case, of course, will be that you will be 100% sure of the quality of the materials used, and that such a fence is guaranteed to serve you for more than a dozen years.

Having decided on a picket fence, you should understand exactly how much you need. To do this, measure the total length of the fence, its height, consider the planned distance between the pickets, the number of support posts.

Now you can proceed directly to the construction of the fence. To do this, at the place where the fence is planned to be installed, clearing is performed, all debris and foreign objects are removed. Next, a reference thread is pulled along which we will build the fence.

It's time to deal with the support pillars. For this, pits of about 1 meter each are dug with a drill or a shovel, with a step between the pits of no more than three meters. Why exactly three meters? Everything is very simple - if the pillars are located with a step of more than three meters, sagging and deformation of the cross beams, and with them the entire fence, is possible. We don't want that, right?

By digging holes and installing supports there, you can start strengthening them. We recommend installing pillars with subsequent pouring of their base with concrete, for greater strength and stability.

Having installed the pillars, we proceed to the installation of the cross beams - veins. And here we have two options: either install the veins first, and then reinforce the picket fence on them, or assemble one span of the picket fence with veins and attach them between the supporting posts with such "sets".
Whichever method of installing the fence you choose, the principle of fastening the pickets is always the same. Each shtaketin with a pitch of about five to seven centimeters is attached to the transverse veins using self-tapping screws or even ordinary nails. If your support pillars are made of iron, make sure in advance that special corners are welded onto the pillars for attaching crossbars. To these corners you will attach the veins with a picket fence.

And now, the fence is installed and you are one step away from the end of construction. It remains only to process the fence with wood stain and varnish, or paint it. This will not only protect it from moisture and the sun, from microorganisms and insects, but also give the fence a complete, original view.
Please note that the stain and varnish do not fit well on freshly planed pickets, so the pickets should be slightly “roughened up” with sandpaper.

After processing and opening with varnish, our fence is ready.

Just 50 years ago, wooden picket fences could be seen around most country houses. But, these were the same type of vertical structures. Now a reliable and durable picket fence can be erected in various configurations and even in combination with other materials. It is quite easy to erect fences with the correct calculation and preparation of the material. He will serve reliable protection site, and decorate it with your appearance.

Advantages

Everyone wants to make their home beautiful, and the fence is that element suburban area, which is paid attention to first. Therefore, it is important to give this element maximum aesthetics. One of the materials that fall into the category of aesthetic and malleable for unique buildings can be considered wood. If you have the skills to work with wood and the desire to independently build a fence around the site, then the question of how to make a fence from a picket fence will be solved by itself.

A picket fence installed with your own hands, with applied imagination and a little skill, will look great on any terrain and against the background of any building.

The reliability of a wooden fence depends on the selected type of wood for its manufacture, as well as on the size of one picket fence. If you do right choicethen the fence will last for many years.

To lead proper care it is not at all difficult for him. All the owner has to do is apply protective substances to the surface in a timely manner. It is also important that a picket fence almost does not shade the area and has excellent air throughput. Near it, you can plant any plants that need sunlight.

Basic types of styling

Vertically and horizontally

Traditionally, in the manufacture of a wooden fence, the pickets are installed vertically. But horizontal installation is also possible. This design is made from several planks or poles. In another way, this type of fencing is called "ranch". It works well for creating a rustic look.

You can even tilt the slats to one side, and then you get an even more unusual fence. And given that the angle of inclination can be different, there are countless options for creating unusual designs.

Staggered

The fence "chess" also has an attractive appearance. It looks beautiful not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Location feature wooden parts consists in the fact that the pickets are installed on both sides, but are displaced in relation to each other. The gap, on the one hand, is closed by the rail on the other, and vice versa.

Preparation and calculation of material

A wooden picket fence is so easy to install that you don't even need a lot of tools to install it.

To make the picket fence itself, in addition to wood, you will need:

• fasteners - nails or screws;
• hand saw or jigsaw;
• screwdriver;
• protective agent for application to the surface. These products include water-repellent and antiseptic impregnations, as well as varnish, stain and paint;
• shovel for digging a hole under the support pillars;
• hammer if nails were selected as fasteners;
• building level so that all elements of the fence are set evenly.

You can buy wood and make a picket fence yourself, or you can buy a picket fence ready-made. In the latter case, you will have to pay more, but there will be less work.

Note! Before making a picket fence, it is important to perform the correct calculation of the wood material. Based on the perimeter of the territory, as well as the width of the shtakentin and the gaps between them, the required number of wooden elements is calculated. For example, if the width of one picket fence is 4 cm, and the width of the gap is 6 cm, and at the same time it is planned to make a fence with a length of 30 m, then to calculate the amount, 30 m must be divided by 10 cm, that is, by the total width of one gap and one shtakentina.

How much picket fence is needed depends on the chosen design. For example, if the fence will be erected with gaps, then it will need less materialthan for a blind structure of the same length.

It is important to remember to calculate everything in the same unit of measurement. It is easier to express meters in centimeters, and then 3000 will need to be divided by 10. After the calculation, it turns out that such a fence will require 300 pieces of pickets. In addition to the material for the manufacture of the picket fence itself, beams for the supports will also be needed. These posts must be long enough and strong enough. It must be remembered that they will submerge at least half a meter.

Stacking the picket fence in a checkerboard pattern

You can install a picket fence by working in the following order:

1. Markup. It is necessary to determine where the support posts will be located. A strong rope stretched around the perimeter can help in this matter. The optimal distance between the supports is 2-3 meters. Given this, it is necessary to make marks on the ground in those places where holes will be dug.
2. Digging grooves. Their diameter should be greater than the diameter of the support post. The calculation of the depth of the pit depends on how much the height of the future fence will be. Most often, it exceeds 1 meter.
3. Installation of pillars in prepared recesses. If they are wooden, you can simply do with applying protective agents to the surface. It is possible to lay a wooden picket fence and, using metal pillars, in this case, you will have to lay a concrete mixture in the recess.
4. After the supports are installed, you can begin to attach veins or slugs to them - thicker boards that should be located parallel to the ground surface, that is, perpendicular to the support posts. At least two veins are required. Their number depends on the total height of the building.
5. The calculation of the distance between them can also vary. It depends both on the height of the mounted fence and on the method of fastening the pickets to them. The main thing is not to bring the lower sledge closer to the ground by less than 25 cm, and the upper one should not be raised too high so that the edges of the hammered pickets rise above it by at least 25 cm.
6. When the installation of the veins is complete, you can start attaching the picket fence itself. When installing the very first picket fence, it is better to use a building level so that the entire fence does not turn out to be crooked. If there is no level, you can use a plumb line instead, which is easy to make yourself using a heavy weight and thread. To attach all the other pickets, it will be enough just to determine the width of the gap. You can make it equal to the width of the pickets and easily measure the required distance by applying one of the rails. But you can specially make a rail of the required width, so that it can then be used only to make gaps.
7. When slats are nailed along the entire length of the fence, you can be content with the work already done, since, in essence, the classic fence is already ready.

To make a "checkerboard", you will need to go to the other side to install another row of pickets. In order to avoid distortions and inaccuracies, it is necessary to correctly install the first rail. It should be located strictly opposite the gap between two adjacent pickets on the other side. After installing this rail, all that remains is to nail down all the others, measuring the length of the gaps using a template.

Painting secrets

Painting the finished structure

It is not difficult to paint a picket fence with your own hands, but nevertheless, you need to be careful about the details. The durability of not only the paint layer, but also the entire structure depends on the quality of this work. For a high-quality coating, you need to clean the wood from dirt, and then prime it with a substance that can deeply penetrate the structure.

Multiple coats can be applied. Wait until the previous coat is dry before applying the next one. Many manufacturers can assure that there is no need to prime the surface before painting. But, nevertheless, it is better not to pay attention to this statement, and carry out a primer. This will have a positive effect on the durability of the wood and on the economy of the base coat.

It is also better to paint in several layers. After applying the first layer, it is better to sand with sandpaper after drying. For painting, it is better to use a brush rather than a roller, as it will allow you to get to hard-to-reach places. But if there is a desire to speed up the process, you can take a roller, but only in this case it is necessary to bear in mind that then you will still have to paint many places with a brush.