How to Align the Tops of Picket Fences
The white picket fence is an American icon. For more than two centuries it has represented the ideal of genteel living. A well-maintained painted picket fence can last for decades. Modern home centers carry a variety of pre-made picket fence sections for easy installation. For a truly custom fence, cut individual pickets and build it board by board. Aligning the tops of pickets is essential for the proper look. Running a straight top across a rolling landscape can be tricky, but with a little knowledge even a rookie fence builder can get excellent results. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Picket fence panels
- Fence posts
- Level
- Mason's line and flags
- Tape measure
- Plumb bob
- Drill and screws or hammer and nails
- Jigsaw
Instructions
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Aligining the Fence Top
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1
Dig your holes and set the two outside corner posts for one side of the property. Plumb the posts carefully. Tie a piece of mason's line tightly from one corner post to the opposite corner post at the desired fence height, running the full length of the fence. This represents the top line of your fence. This line will allow your fence to have a straight top line, no matter what variables in the landscape there may be.
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2
Tie a flag along the line at every fence post position. Use a plumb bob to mark each post directly below the flag for its position. Dig your post holes and install the posts along the run. Plumb each post from front to back and side to side with a post level. Leave your posts at their full length. They will be cut to the appropriate length once they are all in place. Mark each post where the mason's line indicates the top of the fence line. Use a circular saw to cut the posts to length.
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3
Attach the fencing to the posts level with the mason's line. Before installing each section of fence, use a jigsaw to trim the bottom of your fence pickets to match the contour of the landscape. Repeat the same procedure with each section of fence. This allows for a secure fence bottom to keep in dogs and the like while allowing the top line to be straight.
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4
Repeat the same process with each run of fence. Remember to use mason's line, which does not stretch as it hangs and can maintain its tautness. This method will give you a picket fence with a straight horizontal line along its top. It is not necessary that the line be level, only straight.
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