| Fences are either open, to use as a trellis | | | | Set your fence posts deep enough in the |
| for roses or other plants, or they are closed | | | | ground to resist the prevailing winds, at |
| to serve as a wind, sun or privacy screen. | | | | least 2 feet and even deeper. Set heavy posts |
| | | | in concrete. Tamp firmly in place so the |
| The materials will depend largely upon the | | | | fence will not wiggle. Hardware used should |
| use to which the fence is to be put. The most | | | | be galvanized. |
| popular, and probably the most attractive, | | | | |
| fences are built of wood in various forms, | | | | Among the most popular types of fences are |
| but newer fences of asbestos-cement and | | | | the traditional picket, the post-and-rail |
| corrugated sheet metal are colourful and | | | | fence and the hurdle fence, but with |
| stand up against rot better. | | | | increased stress on privacy screening, the |
| | | | louvered and lattice types are ever more |
| Because they are heavier, they are usually | | | | popular. |
| erected in a zigzag design, the better to | | | | |
| stand up against prevailing winds. | | | | The post-and-rail fence is made of posts |
| | | | spaced at 10 foot intervals with large slots |
| The major problem in prolonging the life of a | | | | cut in them. The 11-foot-long rails are |
| fence stems from rot at the ground line, for | | | | tapered to flat ends, which are inserted in |
| here it is susceptible to alternating wet and | | | | the posts. The hurdle fence has split rails |
| dry conditions. | | | | built into a braced frame and nailed |
| | | | together, with the end pieces of each panel |
| Among the best woods for withstanding rot are | | | | becoming the posts. |
| California redwood and Southern cypress, | | | | |
| white cedar and red cedar, chestnut, locust | | | | The picket fence, traditionally white, has |
| and arbor vitae. While painting the wood with | | | | posts spaced from 8 to 12 feet apart, rails |
| preservatives often lengthens the life of | | | | 3x4 inches, and pickets 2 to 3 inches wide, |
| your fence, this will do no good unless the | | | | pointed at the top. |
| preservatives penetrate. | | | | |
| | | | The pickets should be 2 inches off the ground |
| That's why a post that has been | | | | at the bottom and extend well above the top |
| machine-creosoted will resist rot, while a | | | | rail. The spindle fence is a kind of picket |
| hand-creosoted post will not. However, if you | | | | fence with round spindles that pass through |
| use a good preservative on a clean, dry, | | | | holes in the rails. |
| unpainted wood, and give the wood two or | | | | |
| three coats, you can do a good job. | | | | There are many possible variations of board |
| | | | fences used for screening. A broad rail may |
| Among the commercial wood preservatives you | | | | be alternated with a narrow rail, or the |
| will find those of pentachlorophenol, copper | | | | boards may be applied vertically, like |
| napthenate (which has a green colour) and | | | | palings, with, perhaps, a staggering of the |
| zinc napthenate, a clear solution. | | | | boards on either side of the rail. Boards may |
| | | | be slanted in a louver effect to give privacy |
| In addition to the point where the post hits | | | | while admitting air and sunlight. |
| the ground, any place where two pieces are | | | | |
| nailed together on a wooden fence is subject | | | | A basket-weave fence can be constructed of |
| to rot. Therefore, it is wise to treat the | | | | thin, flexible boards and provides total |
| wood where the members are joined before you | | | | screening and a handsome background for |
| put up the fence. This will preserve it much | | | | planting. It is somewhat difficult to build |
| better than painting afterward. | | | | yourself, however. |
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