How to Cut a Picket Fence
When you're installing a picket fence, you may need to cut some of the fence sections to better fit your yard. However, cutting a picket fence can be slightly more difficult than cutting other types of fence, especially if your pickets are staggered (different heights that lower gradually toward the middle). You need to cut the fence and arrange the pickets in a way that allows your cut section to blend with the rest of your fence. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Picket fence section
- Hacksaw or sawzall
- Tape measure
- Marker
- Screwdriver or hammer (depending on type of fence)
Instructions
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1
Use a tape measure to measure between your two fence posts to determine the distance of the section span. Mark the measurement on all rails of your section of picket fence.
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2
Remove all of the pickets from the section. Vinyl fence pickets should pull free from the rails with a good tug. Wood or other types of picket fences may require that you remove a screw or nail to free the pickets from the rails. Separate the pickets into piles by their size and arrange the piles according to length.
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3
Cut your rails to length with a hacksaw or sawzall.
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4
For a picket fence that staggers down toward the middle (longest pickets on the ends, shortest pickets in the middle), take your longest two pickets first and insert them into the cut rails. Insert a picket at each end of the rails. Take your shortest pickets and insert them into the exact center of the rails. If your fence staggers up toward the middle (shortest pickets on the end, longest in the middle) simply reverse "longest" and "shortest" in this step. Having the longest and shortest pickets in place will give you the effect of an even flow between your cut section and the rest of your fence.
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5
Fill the spaces in between your longest and shortest pickets with some of the remaining ones. Not all pickets will be used, so choose your remaining pickets carefully. You want to create a section of fence that is even and flows nicely with the rest of your fence. The pickets should stagger, either upward or downward, toward the center evenly from each end of the rails.
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Tips & Warnings
If all the pickets of your fence are the same size (tops of pickets are all even), it is not necessary to remove the pickets from the rails. Simply measure the distance for your section and cut it to size.
