How to Fix the Bottom of a Yard Fence

Repairs to the bottom improve the look of your fence,

Yard fences take a lot of abuse. Moisture, pets and lawn equipment all contribute to their deterioration. The bottom of the fence is typically one of the spots where abuse takes its toll first. Rot, digging dogs and weed trimmers are the biggest culprits. The repair technique depends on the style of the fence construction. Spaced pickets must be dealt with individually, while stockade and other privacy fences, with little or no space between boards, can be repaired with a quick rot board installation.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Treated deck screws
• Mason's line
• Drill
• Miter or chop saw
• 1-by-6 lumber

Instructions

Fixing Spaced Picket Fences

1. Measure the damaged area at the bottom of your fence pickets. Average out the worst spots to a measurement that will include most of the damage. You'll use this measurement to remove the damage from your pickets.

2. Run a line of mason's twine across the face of your fence to establish a new topline for your fence pickets. Place the line the average distance from Step 1 below the tops of the existing pickets. Drive a screw at that height in the face of the end picket at each end of the fence. Leave these pickets in place until the end of the process.

3. Remove the pickets one at a time from the fence. Remove nailed pickets by gently prying them away from the runners. Remove screwed-down pickets with a drill or impact driver.

4. Trim each picket at the bottom the average you determined in Step 1. Use a quick square to mark each picket. Use a miter or chop saw to cut the pickets quickly.

5. Reinstall the pickets using the mason's line as a reference for the new top height. Drill pilot holes in the pickets and use at least two screws in each rail on each picket. Remove the two outside pickets last, trim and replace.

Privacy or Stockade Fence

1. Attach a horizontal rot board at the bottom of the fence to repair damage to a privacy or stockade fence. Choose 1-by-6 lumber in the same material as your fence panels.

2. Start at one end and place a 1-by-6 along the ground standing on edge against the fence so that the board covers the bottom 6 inches of the pickets. Use full lengths, cutting the last piece to fit the remaining space.

3. Attach the rot board to the face of the fence with 1¼-inch treated deck screws. Drive one screw every 8 to 10 inches.

References

• "Building Fences and Gates;" Richard Freudenberger, Lark Books, 1997
• Ask the Builder: Building and Installing a Wood Picket Fence