Installation of a Picket Fence
A picket fence installation on your property adds a touch of classic style to your landscaping. While fencing the entire yard is an option, you may decide to just add a short section of fence to use as a backdrop for flowerbeds. Many options are available, from a traditional white wooden fence to low-maintenance vinyl fencing. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Materials
-
A wooden picket fence requires fence posts and wood for the horizontal cross members on the picket fence sections, as well as wood for the upright pickets. The wood may be any type of lumber you prefer, but pine is a favorite choice because it is readily available and inexpensive. The lumber may be pressure-treated with special chemicals that resist insects and weather damage, or the wood may require priming and painting.
Vinyl fence materials are a polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, product that has natural resistance to insects. The vinyl product also undergoes a special treatment that makes it able to withstand the sun's rays without degrading. Vinyl posts are either hollowed-out pieces of PVC, or they are a sleeve that fits around a traditional wooden post.
Style
-
Typically, the style of a picket fence should match the style of a house. For example, the picket fence used with a Victorian house may have more elaborate posts and post caps than a Cape Code home with simple lines. Ultimately, the picket style for a picket fence is a matter of personal preference. The most common styles have either a scalloped or straight edge between posts. Individual pickets may be squared, pointed, rounded or dog-eared.
-
Installation
-
A do-it-yourselfer may install either a wooden or vinyl picket fence, but each involves a considerable amount of labor. Setting the fence posts requires digging holes and setting the posts in the exact location to fit the fence panels. It's possible to purchase ready-made wooden panels as well as vinyl ones. You can also make your own wooden fence panels. It's easier to paint all non-pressure-treated wood before assembling it into panels. Before installing any fence, building permits may be necessary. The fence should be well within your property line. In most communities, the "pretty" side, or the flat side, of the fence faces away from the house.
Hardware
-
Whether the fence is vinyl or wood, if the hardware rusts, it can ruin the appearance of the fence. All fasteners, nails, screws, and even the gate hardware should be stainless steel or some other rust-proof product.
-
References
- Photo Credit Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
