Wooden fence: as easy as shelling pears. Wooden fence with your own hands: step by step we make a beautiful wooden fence A beautiful fence made of boards

In recent years, the fashion for wooden buildings has led to the fact that more and more developers are thinking that a metal fence may not be the best solution. In terms of durability, maybe yes, but in terms of aesthetics, it is inferior to wood. The wooden fence has somewhat lost its popularity due to its short life: wood, with constant exposure to the sun and water, quickly collapses. To increase the service life, the protective coating in the form of paint has to be constantly updated. With a large length, it takes a lot of time and requires a considerable amount of paint. This problem has become less acute, since the new antiseptics that have recently appeared can extend the life of the fence, and also guarantee the durability of staining for several years. The term is different - from 2-3 years, to 5-7. It depends on the type of antiseptic impregnation and the manufacturer, but finding "long-playing" ones is not difficult: in any more or less large store.

Moreover, these impregnations do not paint over the texture of the tree: all the veins are visible. They just change color, usually to a darker one. Such a fence made of wood looks solid and rich. Even a simple picket fence, and even a difficult one, even more so.

What is important is that you can put up a wooden fence with your own hands alone, if necessary, even without the involvement of assistants. Another important thing: a significant part of the work - the preparation of wood - can be carried out not on the spot, but, say, in a garage or workshop. And start it long before the start of construction. For example, from autumn to spring, and the construction itself should be started already when the weather is warm.

Wood is a very plastic material and the simplest thing can be done so that it looks like a work of art. This is true for fences as well. If you wish, you can make such a “candy”, which is a pleasure to look at. There are several designs of wooden fences.

Fence

The simplest is the picket fence. This is a set of edged boards or strips of the same, as a rule, width, which are nailed vertically to two or more transverse rails.

Scheme of a wooden fence made of vertically nailed boards - picket fence

The shape of the top may differ. A 90° floor cut is the easiest option, but far from the best, and not only in terms of aesthetics. The top of such a fence, even painted, is exposed to intense moisture, as a result, the coating in this place is destroyed first. And the wood pores in the perpendicular cut remain open. Rain, fog, melting snow / ice are absorbed by them, which leads to the destruction of wood. To avoid this, cut the tops not at 90 degrees, but at 45 degrees. If you look at such a board in profile, then the top will be beveled (see the figure below).

The distance between two adjacent fences is chosen according to your desire. You can make a solid fence, fitting one close to the other, you can make it translucent, leaving a gap of 1-2 cm, or you can make it completely transparent - with a large distance equal to the width of the boards or even more. Such options are popular for internal fences, which are more designed to separate zones and mark boundaries than to protect from something. For outdoor fences facing the street, they usually choose a solid installation, maybe with a very small distance so that the boards do not “swell” in wet weather.

Sawn tops add variety. They can be sharpened in different ways - with a rounded top, in the form of peaks, triangles, trapezoids. All this in different versions and combinations.

Rounded top - the most popular This is more of an openwork fence, but decorative - for sure Tops in the form of lilies - the fence will be beautiful Peaks and triangles - in combination and independently

Some even make truly works of art: a carved fence requires a lot of perseverance. The work is painstaking, but the result is worth it.

Carved fence slats - beauty Beauty - carved wooden fence

Make curly tops faster and easier with a template. Cut out a sample from a sheet of plywood, bring it to perfect condition. Then cut out all the rest according to this pattern. You can cut with a jigsaw or on a milling machine.

A jigsaw for such a case can be bought. All the same, even taking into account this expense item, it will turn out cheaper than buying ready-made carved pickets. The downside here is that it takes a lot of time, and the pickets turn out to be unequal: either the file will go a little to the right, then a little to the left. The edges then still have to be processed with sandpaper.

Buying a milling machine, if you don’t plan to use it later, is unprofitable. And those who already have one can buy cutters with a floating head and make a figured picket fence with it. The height of the cutting part of the cutter is equal to the thickness of the board that you will be processing, and the head rests against the template.

In both cases, you will have to somehow fix the template on the workpiece. This can be done with thin nails or by sticking double-sided tape on the template.

But if you approach the process creatively, then even from even thin planks you can make a beautiful wooden fence: nailing it at different angles.

The authors of this wooden fence made it even simpler: they only made the height non-linear, emphasizing the relief with a plank nailed on top. This, by the way, is the second way to significantly increase the life of a wooden fence - the plank blocks access for water to the most vulnerable open cross sections). Also, non-linearity is given by planks nailed to the surface in the form of frames, and the wood inside is painted in a lighter color. Agree, original.

Wooden fence "checkerboard" or "chess"

In fact, this is one of the subspecies of the picket fence. The boards are stuffed alternately on one side, then on the other side of the crossbar. It turns out an interesting three-dimensional view.

The principle of installing shtaketin in the fence "checkerboard" or "chess"

If you look at such a fence exactly opposite, it looks like a deaf one, if to the side, then at a certain angle some part of the yard will be visible through the gap. The degree of transparency is regulated by the entry of one bar after another. You can make it so that the visibility will be zero. For example, with a plank width of 10 cm, make the distance between them no more than 6 cm. Here, no matter how you look, nothing is visible. The disadvantage is the high consumption of wood. But the fences are very beautiful, especially in combination with brick or stone pillars and figuratively made tops.

Checkerboard on the plinth - such a fence looks gorgeous

They make horizontal fences from chessboards. But here you need to keep in mind that it is very convenient to climb on such a fence: boards are like steps. True, any fence is not such a serious obstacle. Rather, it is a protection from prying eyes than from serious assassination attempts.

Wooden fence - horizontal checkerboard

Such "chess" looks decent and solid. Pillars can be anything: metal, wood, stone, concrete. If metal poles are installed, they are made from a profiled thick-walled pipe (3 mm). Above ground level, from the front and back, they are sewn up with boards (to the pillars with bolts or self-tapping screws), which are larger than the width of the profile: they should protrude on the sides by 3-6 cm. Thus, we get guides into which the boards are inserted. The boards are then fastened from the inside to the sheathing of the pillars.

Fence "Herringbone"

Another type of horizontal fence is called a herringbone. It is named so because the boards are stacked close to one another, and with an overlap on the one below. In profile, it looks like a Christmas tree, as children draw it.

Wooden fences "herringbone" create a continuous covering

It is more difficult to climb up such a fence. Please note that there is a protective visor on top. It protects the most vulnerable part of the fence, greatly extending its life, as well as pushing back the time for the next painting. After all, usually the top and bottom of the coating is the most damaged. From below, this fence is protected by a plinth, from above - by a visor.

Wooden fences "blinds"

They differ from those described above in that the boards do not adjoin one another. They are fixed at an angle, but with some clearance. This type of fence does not create a solid wall and the yard can be viewed, although this will require you to sit down or even lie down - depending on the angle of inclination.

A fence called "blinds" - looking at its device, you will understand why

This type of fence is very uneconomical - wood consumption is usually high. The assembly is also difficult: fasten a bar (corner) under each board or cut a notch in the post.

But with this construction, good ventilation of the site is ensured. This is important if the climate or terrain is humid. You can’t install a solid fence: there will be a puddle under it and the dirt in the yard will never dry out.

Wicker from the board - a beautiful fence

The fence made of boards bent between the pillars looks unusual. They are intertwined between the pillars like a traditional wattle fence. They only make it from long boards.

Fence "braid" from the board

Most often they are found in a horizontal version. There are fewer joints and bending long spans is easier.

There are also vertical braids. To give them a finished look, planks are nailed at the top and bottom - they both hold the edges of the boards and protect them from bad weather.

How to make such beauty, see the video. It's really easy, but it takes a lot of strength.

lattice fences

A wide variety of gratings are made from thin, and not very thin, slats: with different angles, frequency of slats, etc. These fences play a rather decorative role and are used either for indoor fencing - the waters of the thief, in the garden - or for the main entrance - to mark the borders, but not cover the beauty.

Fence made of wooden planks lattice “in a cage” Lattice fence made of boards - looks serious Double planks - such a lattice fence looks interesting

Photo of beautiful fences

You just wonder what beauty people can make from a piece of wood. Really beautiful. And some, while not very complex.

Maybe someone will be inspired by these photos of old wooden fences, they can be repeated ...

Disappearing beauty...

The hut is strong with constipation, and the yard with a fence. It's good when the neighbor is close and the fence is low. Without a fence and constipation, you will not be protected from a thief. There is no fence without poles. The higher the fences, the better the neighbors.

Only a few proverbs testify to the fact that since ancient times a lot of attention has been paid to fences. Time passes, technologies and building materials change, but the desire to protect your site with wooden material does not go away. What is the reason for such love for wooden fences, how to make a beautiful wooden fence with your own hands - let's try to figure it out.

Peculiarities

In central Russia, wood has always been considered the most popular building material. Its accessibility made it possible to build huts and baths, make furniture and utensils even for very poor people. Another thing is places where wood is a luxury. In this case, a wooden fence is a sign of the wealth of the owner of the house:

  • Thus, the first feature of the use of wood in the creation of a fence can be called a tradition based on accessibility.
  • The second feature is a demonstration of wealth or one's own skills and abilities.
  • An important circumstance in the use of such fences is practicality: for example, you can put up the simplest fence to protect livestock, and if necessary, dismantle it and transfer it to a new pasture.
  • Environmental friendliness is another feature. A bench placed under the fence will allow you to enjoy the aroma of essential oils emitted by boards or slats. Wood will never be hot or cold like metal. It will perfectly absorb, unlike stone, most of the street sounds.
  • If necessary, in most cases, you can replace a fragment of the fence or repair the existing one.
  • Limiting a large perimeter (for example, a private house with a garden) is a costly business if you put up a stone or metal fence. But a do-it-yourself braid can do for free.

Summarizing all of the above, we can name two main functions of a wooden fence:

  • protection of the territory and households;
  • decorative design.

At the same time, it can protect:

  • the house and the entire household plot;
  • only courtyard buildings with a corral for animals;
  • only a front garden;
  • flower bed or flower garden.

According to the degree of penetration of the gaze, a wooden fence can be:

  • deaf;
  • translucent;
  • transparent.

Advantages and disadvantages

Indeed, such a fence has a lot of advantages compared to other materials:

  • comfortable temperature of wooden elements at any time of the year and day;
  • the possibility of self-manufacturing and installation without invited craftsmen and complex tools;
  • huge scope for decoration;
  • the choice of color depends solely on the desire of the owner, not the manufacturer;
  • the ability to apply unusual geometry and shape in general;
  • goes well with stone and brick, metal and concrete, mesh and waste material.

It would seem that there are no shortcomings. But this is not so: a wooden fence requires constant care. But if this is done regularly, then he will delight with his beauty for many years.

The service life will depend on the climatic zone and soil quality.

Kinds

Before starting the construction of the fence of the required site, the owner must answer several questions:

  • what function should the fence perform;
  • what will be its height?
  • it will be deaf or transparent;
  • How will it open?
  • whether additional materials will be used (brick, stone, etc.);
  • what will the pillars be made of (metal, logs, bricks);
  • what type of wood will be used for pillars and spans;
  • whether the help of specialists is required;
  • what costs can be expected.

After analyzing all the answers, you can choose one of the types (or combine them):

  • Herringbone. Also, such a fence is called a ladder or an American. From afar, the surface resembles deaf siding. Upon closer inspection, you can see that there are gaps between the boards located at an angle. This kind of custom design will protect the site from roadside dust, but will let air flow through. Strong wind will not damage the fence.

  • Classic variant- this is a vertical or horizontal tightly fitted canvas. It can be based on a brick or stone foundation, or only on wooden, metal, brick or stone pillars. Such a fence is suitable both for a private house or a cottage, and for a summer residence, that is, for those who want to leave their privacy as such.

  • Wattle- the most emotionally warm type of fence. It was invented so long ago that now I can’t remember exactly when. It is still considered commonplace among the Slavic peoples. But recently it is often used as a decorative element for low fences. At the same time, blind high fences are made - wickerwork, which look amazing in combination with other materials.

  • barrage ranch style has long ceased to be only American. Style is another matter. In the usual design, such a fence also serves to create a barrier for animals. But there are also beautiful options for fencing the adjacent territories.

You need to be prepared for the fact that this fence will not hide from prying eyes. Yes, and it is suitable for a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fence, possibly a front garden.

  • Lattice was once considered an unusual fence. Crossed at an angle of 45 degrees, the slats make the design very airy. Liana-like plants, grapes will perfectly curl along it. Over time, a transparent lattice can turn into a living opaque hedge. Such sections, interspersed with wickerwork or a blank fence, look even more unusual.

  • Palisade appeared, perhaps, at the same time as the wattle fence, but it was used to protect the entire village. The strong and strong deaf protection will reliably protect from uninvited guests. Especially if the vertical stakes or logs have a pointed top edge. The durability of such a fence will give the foundation and brick (stone) pillars. But there is also an easier version of the picket fence - bamboo. It does not last as long, but it is much easier to mount it. Moreover, modern manufacturers offer a rolled ready-made fence.

  • Fence- one of the most popular types. So much so that they now produce a metal picket fence. This is a universal fence of different heights and widths of pickets. They are easy and quick to attach to wooden veins. If wooden canvases are placed close to each other, then passers-by will be visible from the site, but from the street you can only see what is happening in the yard by stopping. For decorative design of such a fence use paint, varnish. It is made carved and multi-level, combined with other materials.

The picket fence without supporting pillars and crossbars looks completely unusual. Such a fence is also called a palisade, but still the essence is not in the name, but in the aesthetic and functional appeal. Recently, a horizontal picket fence is gaining popularity, as it is more economical and easy to install.

  • checkerboard- a mixture of a picket fence, a palisade and a classic fence. In fact, this is a picket fence, but nailed in two rows (from the street and the yard) in such a way that there are no gaps between the boards and the fence becomes deaf. In this case, both sides are front. In order to protect personal space from sight and encroachment, they make it from wider shtaketins.

Color solutions

Once upon a time, wooden fences were not painted at all. And even now, a rustic picket fence, enclosing an ordinary garden “on the back”, is hardly exposed to paints and varnishes. Nevertheless, they always try to ennoble the fence in front of the house, the front garden.

Color solutions for this choose a variety. Starting from varnishing, so as not to deprive the tree of the pattern given by nature. This method can give larch the color of cedar, and pine - the color of walnut. For the same purpose, as well as for protection against insects, various stains and other impregnating substances are used. This option will bring the color of the fence closer to the color of the pillars, foundation, gate, house.

The wooden picket fence, the lattice and even the palisade are covered with multi-colored paints. Particularly interesting is the palisade in the form of colored pencils. Such a playground fence will protect from road dust, street debris and strong winds.

If the house was painted, then it is logical to cover the fence with paint, creating a single ensemble of the entire estate. To do this, you can use the patterns of flowers, animals, floral ornaments. Sometimes two colors are used for this: for the background and for the template. Moreover, template drawings are most often painted white. In other cases, they draw real pictures on the facade of the house and the fence.

But still, often the tree is left with its appearance. After all, it is for naturalness, warmth and naturalness it is appreciated.

Decor

In addition to paints and varnishes, there are many other ways to decorate wooden fences. Before dwelling on any decor option, you can look at 3D samples on the Internet to see the fence “live” from different angles and in different materials:

  • Some types of fencing are fence decor in themselves. For example, a lattice or wickerwork, a checkerboard or a log palisade.
  • Shtaketins, burned at the stake or using a burner, will not only get rid of insects and their larvae, but will also become a real designer find in the design of a Russian estate, a robber harbor or Berendey's kingdom.
  • The use of stone and brick will give solidity and durability to the entire structure. But it is also a wonderful decorating technique, as such fences look very beautiful.

  • Metal is not only a reliable protection for the fence itself, but also a beautiful decorative element. Forged elements will give an aesthetically attractive appearance and reliability to a wooden canvas.
  • An old fence can be updated in a non-standard way. If it has not been varnished for a long time, then it will be difficult to do this: it will absorb an incredible amount of paints and varnishes, but at the same time it will no longer have the proper appearance. You can hide this significant drawback by using overhead decorative elements: flower pots, climbing vertical greenery, birdhouses, old waste materials in the form of flat toys, pictures, etc. The fence itself, of course, will not save it, but it will move it away for some time its dismantling and installation of a new fence.
  • A photo grid will also help transform an old fence. This modern decorative material will help hide the flaws of any fence. You just need to choose the right material and pattern of the photo grid.

  • Log saw cuts are a very beautiful decor option. With it, you can turn a transparent fence into a deaf one, hide holes in the place of damaged pickets.
  • Wattle can zone a place of rest in the country. If climbing plants or artificial sunflowers are woven into it, then such a place is stylized as a Ukrainian welcoming hut.

Design style

Looking at photos of various types of fences, you can see that modern design gravitates towards minimalism and urban style. Whether it is worth applying this to a wooden fence is the decision of the owner. But, of course, it is worth paying attention to new trends:

  • For example, a combination of wood and gabions with pergons. Metal cages 25-30 cm wide filled with stones and pebbles are pergons. Such cages can act as a support for a tree, a foundation, or a full-fledged section of a fence. Gabion - the same metal mesh with stone, but may have the shape of a larger parallelepiped than pergon. Or maybe, in general, be any other form. Figures - gabions can be sections of the fence or perform a decorative (and at the same time protective) function at the gate or gate.

  • A modern palisade is not at all colored pencils made of slabs, but a monumental structure made of timber, made in an urban style. The combination of granite and marble with this type of wood creates a feeling of power and strength.
  • Perhaps the mixture of wood, metal and bottle glass can be attributed to eclecticism. This fence has a minimum of wood and a maximum of transparency. A vintage door reminds the owner of the time when this material was collected for their fence. The unusual way of combining wood and glass made this fence exclusive.

  • If you want to have a solid wooden fence, then you can think about combining wood with stone or brick. A rustic-style fence is naturalness, massiveness, and reliability. American country style is less rough, but no less robust. A solid fence using brick pillars will serve its owners for a long time.
  • The combination of metal and wood will make the fence durable. Such a modern fence can only perform a protective function or be a real product.

Wood is such a comfortable material that it can be combined with any material. The main thing is to turn on the fantasy and choose the style of the future fence.

How to do it yourself?

The quality of the fence depends, among other things, on the type of tree. Pine due to the emitted resins is less exposed to climatic influences. And Siberian larch is a hard material that can withstand heavy loads. In addition, from contact with water, it improves its qualities.

Also use oak, aspen, ash, alder, mulberry. It is not recommended to make birch fences: it is short-lived and quickly cracks. There are also original tree species designed for a large pocket or a reliable bank card. To name just a few: abashi, akazhu, bangkirai, kasai, kekatong, merbau, tiger tree.

The next step after choosing the style and type of wood will be the calculation of the material. It is clear that for this need to accurately represent the project according to the drawing. But still, let's try to calculate the number of pickets for a deaf or translucent fence.

For this:

  1. Measure the length of the future fence. For example, 50 m (5000 cm) when using boards 10 cm wide.
  2. Calculate the amount of picket fence for a blind fence: 5000 cm / 10 cm = 500 boards.
  3. Calculation for a translucent fence: the width of the gap between the boards is added to the width of the fence. For example: 10 cm (shtaketin) + 10 cm (gap) = 20 cm. Therefore, for such a fence you will need: 5000 cm / 20 cm = 250 boards.

If the price is indicated in the store per cubic meter, then in this case the thickness of one board is multiplied by the length and width. The result is multiplied by the number of boards. This will be the number of cubic meters.

For example, the thickness of the fence is 2 cm, length - 200 cm, width - 10 cm. It is necessary to convert the dimensions to meters: 0.02x2x0.10 \u003d 0.004. Multiply the result obtained by the number of boards that are needed for the fence: 0.004x500 = 2 cubic meters of picket fence must be purchased for such a fence.

The number of boards in a cubic meter is counted in reverse order. At the same time, in all cases of calculation, it is necessary to provide a margin for an unforeseen event.

For crossbars and pillars, the material must be selected very carefully. If the fence is translucent, then the distance between the posts is 2 m. For a blind fence, a distance of 1.5 m is determined. The digging depth depends on the soil, usually it is 1-1.5 m.

As a rule, the fence has 2 crossbars. Therefore, the length of the fence must be multiplied by 2 plus up to 5 m of stock - this will be the need for crossbars for a picket fence.

All other options for installing a wooden fence are so individual that they need to be calculated independently. Having decided on the total amount of all building material, you need to take care of the tools. Depending on the type of fence, this set will also be different. You will most likely need the following tools:

  • saw, hacksaw;
  • jigsaw;
  • axe;
  • shovel;
  • roulette;
  • a hammer;
  • level;
  • rope, twine;
  • earth drill;
  • screwdriver;
  • electric drill;

In addition, you will need building materials:

  • picket fence, boards (it is better to impregnate them with a protective compound before installation);
  • transverse bars, crossbars;
  • supporting pillars;
  • pegs for marking;
  • sand, gravel;
  • cement;
  • galvanized fasteners (nails, self-tapping screws, hinges are also covered with drying oil before installation).

The whole sequence of work will consist of several stages:

  • support installation;
  • fastening crossbars (if the fence is vertical);
  • frame sheathing.

Mounting

There are 2 fundamentally different installation options: with and without foundation installation. The first option is more laborious, but more durable. The fence according to the second option is much faster and easier to do. Let's take a look at it:

  • Territory preparation. Since the bottom edge of the boards will touch the ground, the area must be cleared of grass, stones and bumps.
  • With the help of pointed wooden pegs 60 cm long, the territory is marked out according to a pre-drawn plan. The distance between the pegs is the distance between the future supports. The pegs are looped with a rope, which is pulled tight enough. At this point, you need to check how smoothly the markup is made.
  • The pegs are taken out one at a time, and in their place, wells are drilled for supports with a depth of 50 cm (for a flower bed or a low picket fence) to 1.5 m (for a solid massive fence).
  • The supports are driven into the ground. There are several installation methods: clogging, backfilling, concreting. But before using any, you need to take care of a wooden support, namely: treat it with a special compound, wrap it with roofing material, cement it into a metal cylinder. All this will save the post from rotting. Install supports with a plumb bob. Usually, the bottom of the pit is sprinkled with sand and compacted tightly, then a post is installed, covered with gravel and compacted again. The sequence is repeated, with each layer of sand wetted with water.

  • A nail is driven into the top of each post, after which all the nails are pulled together with a rope. In this way, the pillars are aligned.
  • The veins are nailed to the supports. Mounting height may vary. Most often done as follows: the height of the fence is conventionally divided into 3 parts. The lower crossbar is nailed at a height of 1/3, the top - at a height of 2/3. It is important to choose the right nails: too short will not hold the crossbar, too large a diameter will lead to cracking of the wood.
  • Fastening the picket fence in a deaf or translucent way. Top edge alignment. Giving it a decorative design with a saw and a jigsaw.
  • Protection of support posts with caps (plastic, metal, wood, glass).
  • Impregnation and painting. If the boards were installed without pre-treatment, then they should be impregnated with drying oil or a protective compound. You need to do this in 2 layers.

Then the fence is painted.

Paint should be chosen for outdoor work. Or, to preserve the naturalness of the wood, prefer varnish.

Fastening methods

If conventional fastening methods do not suit you, then you can find more interesting solutions:

  • Instead of shtaketin use croaker. Such material will decorate the fence in a rustic antique style. A rounded log, on the contrary, looks very modern.
  • You can bend the boards in such a way that you get an Austrian braid - a double-sided fence with minimal gaps.
  • You can use planken. This is a kind of larch facade boards, in which all corners are beveled or rounded. Due to this, the boards are not fastened close to each other, but with a micro-distance. This method of fastening the planken does not allow the boards to swell from moisture and deform.

  • Building wood siding. To do this, the boards are fixed horizontally, starting from the bottom, overlapping by about 25 mm.
  • Creation of horizontal blinds. To do this, notches are made in the supports, into which the boards are inserted at a slight angle. This method will practically close the review, but will significantly save the amount of material. In addition, it is ideal for places with strong winds, as the fence will not be subject to wind loads.
  • The fence can be mounted diagonally. The complexity of this method lies in the constant measurement of the angle at the beginning of the installation. But such a fence will look great, especially if its upper edge is left in the form of a palisade. With the diagonal method, the fence can also be deaf or translucent.

  • You can use the checkerboard method, which has already been mentioned above. Such a fence can be vertical or horizontal. In this case, the length of the shtaketin can be the same or different (a more complicated option, but also more interesting).

If thin untreated birch branches and trunks are passed very tightly through the crossbars, then such a wattle fence will be cheap, but it will protect no worse.

In addition, there are fastening methods when the boards are fastened between the support posts or hiding the posts. The first case will require more time and accuracy.

If the pillars are brick or stone, then other methods are used. Sectional installation of spans between columns is possible here. This work is done with an assistant. It is more time consuming, but the fence will last for a long time.

In order for a wooden fence to please with its appearance for a long time, you need:

  • before installation, impregnate the wood with an antiseptic;
  • check the absence of anthills at the site of the future fence;
  • install a protective visor not only on the support poles, but also above the spans (if this does not fit into the chosen style, then you can try to secure the fence with a glass or polycarbonate visor);
  • get rid of grass along the fence in a timely manner, this will reduce the level of humidity;
  • after installation, cover the entire tree with a primer, this is done only in dry weather on dry wood;
  • once every 2-3 years to carry out its painting.

It is good to protect the wooden fence from fungus and cracking with Swedish paint or yacht varnish.

Many people water the boards with hot drying oil before installation.

Since the untreated board loses moisture under the action of ultraviolet rays, it is the impregnation that neutralizes this drawback. Many use special UV hardeners, which are sold in hardware stores, as an impregnation. They process the boards several times with a primer so that the impregnation penetrates as deep as possible into the wood. After that, the tree is covered with paint or varnish.

Unlike drying oil and varnish, Swedish paint is a homemade composition of:

  • 250 g of copper sulfate;
  • 250 g iron minium;
  • 250 g of table salt;
  • 230 ml of drying oil or linseed oil;
  • 570 g rye flour;
  • 4.5 liters of water.

According to these proportions, you can prepare any amount of paint, but remember: the paint thickens very quickly, so you need to either cook in small portions or paint in several hands. Mixture consumption: 210-270 ml per square meter.

This recipe will give the wood a golden color. To obtain a different color, red lead is replaced with ocher, hydrogen peroxide or another color component.

Prepare the paint in this way:

  • cook a paste from flour and 3 liters of water;
  • to remove lumps, the substance is passed through a sieve;
  • strained glue is again put on fire, adding salt and vitriol;
  • you need to constantly stir the mixture, waiting for the vitriol to completely dissolve;
  • while continuing to stir, gradually add drying oil, then water (a liquid composition of a homogeneous consistency should be obtained).

The paint is applied in two layers. Do not forget about fasteners metal elements. They also need to be coated with special solutions from rust. Loose metal parts are reinforced with dowels.

But during operation, the fence may require not only preventive painting, but also repair. If preventive work against rye did not help, then the metal parts are simply changed. If we are talking about wooden elements, then it is necessary to determine the degree of deterioration.

If the pillar-support is loosened, but not rotted, then it is carefully dug up about 20 cm deep and the same width. Aligning the support vertically, the pit is covered with broken bricks and poured with cement. For a few days they put props. The reason for such a game of support is the insufficient depth of the pit during installation and a violation of the installation technology.

If the post is rotten in its lower part, then the entire post or its lower part can be replaced. It's probably easier to replace the entire pole. But if this is not possible, proceed as follows: the pillar is dug out from the side and the rotten part is sawn off. A concrete support is prepared in advance instead of the rotten part. Holes for bolts are drilled in its upper part.

A concrete pile is installed in a pit, galvanized bolts are inserted into the holes. The entire structure is coated with an antiseptic. A wooden pole is put on the bolts, leveled along the slope and fixed with spacers. Crushed stone or broken brick is poured into the pit, and all this is tightly compacted. After a few days, the spacers are removed.

If the pickets have rotted or become unusable, then they need to be replaced. After dismantling, the repair site is treated with an antiseptic and dried, only after that a new board is installed.

The climate of any region of the world will affect wooden fences: somewhere there is too much precipitation, which causes the wood to rot; the hot sun dries it out and causes cracking. Dust storms peel off the paint.

All this warns the owners of wooden fences: only timely care will extend its service life.

Beautiful examples

Above, many examples were given of how, with the help of various types of wooden fence, you can decorate a summer cottage or a country house, a front garden or a flower bed. But there are so many beautiful examples that It is worth paying attention to at least a few more:

  • To put up such a wonderful fence, you do not need a lot of money. Only a jigsaw, sandpaper, a carving knife, and the desire of the master to make a real masterpiece out of a simple fence. And even though the fence seems shabby by time, only a true craftsman knows that a fairy tale lives behind it.

  • The croaker is a substandard board, and therefore it costs quite a bit. The more valuable such a fence. After sanding and processing, the usual croaker turned not only into a place of rest, but also into a kind of entrance to another interesting and unusual world.

  • Such a fence will require painstaking work. A board that, at first glance, does not seem to be edged, is unlikely to be. Careful work with a jigsaw, grinder, coupled with the work of a bricklayer, makes this fence an exclusive, worthy of the highest praise.

  • A wooden fence, combined with a stone-metal gabion, makes you stop not only to consider this unusual sight, but also to think about deep philosophical topics. In our life, everything coexists in a strange way: warm wood with cold metal, soft board with hard stone.

  • This fence, like the house on the site, is protected from all misfortunes for a long time: strong stone supports, stone foundation, Swedish paint on a checkerboard. A very caring owner took care not only of his property, but also of his own time. After all, such a fence will not need repair for a long time.

  • But if the previous option is very expensive, then this one is very budgetary. Such a fence cannot be fully called wooden, rather, combined. And it is subject to every non-lazy owner. With a large number of inserted branches, you can achieve good protection for your site.

  • The article mentioned many different options for wattle, but this one is special. So organically, softly, it looks on the site. At the same time, it perfectly zones the entire territory. Here you can drink tea with the company or hide from everyone and sit in silence. The unusual shape of the spiral makes the desire to get to the center even greater.

  • To make such a horizontal non-standard checkerboard, you need to think completely outside the box. Different widths and lengths of boards, gaps where they, it would seem, should not be. Beautiful, unexpected, interesting.

  • Even if you look very carefully, it is still difficult for a simple viewer to understand how this fence was made. It is convex, as if woven. The transverse beam seems to let the boards through itself. Moreover, the appearance of the burnt wood makes the fence completely unusual.

  • And this combined fence again breaks stereotypes: a rounded habitual top and a completely unusual form of connection of two materials. Certainly beautiful. Also such interesting colors.

  • The value of this fence is that it decorates not an elite cottage settlement on Rublyovka, but an ordinary rural street. And if the owners of this non-standard house and the Austrian wickerwork created such beauty in an ordinary village, it means that men on Russian land have not yet died out.

Making and installing a wooden fence with your own hands allows you not only to save effort and money, but also to logically complete the site design ensemble. As a result, here, under the reliable protection of an attractive and durable fence, an atmosphere of genuine home peace, warmth and comfort will immediately settle down. But building a fence made of wood - a very capricious material - requires thorough preparation. And it is best to start it with a fascinating acquaintance with a variety of constructive and design solutions. After all, after making a choice it will not be difficult at all.

Wood in the construction of fences: advantages and disadvantages

Wood is an inexpensive and convenient material for technical processing and decoration, which is traditionally used in the construction of fences for private areas.

Despite the availability of more durable and practical material solutions - euro fence, metal, corrugated board, brick or stone - the demand for wooden fences will always be high.

The reason for this is the tree's list of virtues, which includes:

  • environmental friendliness;
  • unique decorative qualities;
  • a wide selection of textures and shades of wood species;
  • ease of processing;
  • ease of installation;
  • simple replacement of structural elements of the fence during operation;
  • low cost.

Wood is an environmentally friendly natural material that is perfectly combined with other building materials and is able to harmoniously fit into any decision on the design of the fenced area. For the construction of a wooden fence, one, maximum two pairs of working hands is enough and no special knowledge, skills and tools are required. It is noteworthy that wooden fences are much cheaper than brick or metal ones, and their construction takes much less effort and time. And most importantly: a wide variety of wood species, as well as design and decoration methods, open up the widest scope for design ideas not only during construction, but also directly during the operation of the fence.

Along with the advantages, the tree has a number of disadvantages, which must be taken into account when choosing this material.

The disadvantages of wooden fences include:

  1. Fire hazard.
  2. Low resistance to climatic factors.
  3. Attractiveness to pests.
  4. susceptibility to decay.
  5. Short service life (about 10 years).

To partially compensate for these shortcomings, the wood used in construction must be treated with flame retardant, antiseptic and pest repellents. In addition, the material must be reliably protected from moisture, dampness and sudden changes in temperature. All this entails additional costs of money and time both at the construction stage and during the operation of the fence.

Good to know: In practice, various methods are used to increase the service life of wooden fences. So, in order to prevent soaking and rotting of the support poles (if they are made of wood) and the picket fence, their upper ends are closed with plastic plugs or other suitable material. For the same purpose, the lower edge of the fence canvas is placed at a height of at least 15 cm from the soil level. Finally, during the operation of the fence, it is necessary to regularly mow the grass growing nearby, not forgetting to carefully monitor the condition of the transverse logs and their attachment points to the supports.

Variety, types

So, the construction of the fence can be performed in order to:

  • designation of the boundaries of the territory;
  • ensuring privacy (protection of what is happening inside the perimeter from prying eyes and ears);
  • protection against unauthorized entry;
  • reducing the intensity of external noise or wind load;
  • fencing of potentially dangerous areas (roads, cliffs along the banks of rivers and reservoirs, steep slopes, etc.);
  • decorative design of the site.

In accordance with the purpose of the fence, its design is selected, which can be:

  1. Deaf.
  2. Trellised (with gaps).
  3. Combined.

When choosing the type of fence construction, one should not forget about its design. The fence should fit into the existing landscape and be in harmony with the design of the objects located in the fenced area.

The most widely used are the following options for the design of wooden fences:

  • "classic";

It is a simple solid or ventilated structure with metal or wooden supports installed in bottles or on concrete, wooden beam crossbeams and sheathing from standard edged boards.

  • fence (vertical or horizontal);

As a sheathing for such a fence, a picket fence is used - a thin plank with a straight or beveled upper end. Sheathing can be installed both vertically and horizontally with or without clearance.

  • lattice;

The sheathing of the lattice fence is equal-wide strips (slats) installed crosswise vertically, horizontally or at an angle of 45 °. Laths are mounted with a gap or close at the same distance from each other or in groups, which allows you to create a decorative pattern of the fence canvas.

  • "chess" (deaf or with clearance);

A complicated version of the picket fence with a deaf or blown staggered arrangement of the skin on both sides of the fence. The elements of the staggered cladding are installed with a slight offset in a vertical, horizontal position or diagonally across the canvas.

  • ladder (herringbone);

The cladding elements of such a fence are mounted with clearance or overlapped at a certain angle along the longitudinal axis (vertically or horizontally). The rotation of the fence boards is provided with the help of calibrated gaskets.

  • network;

The canvas of a wicker fence is thin strips or branches of a vine, braiding the vertical or horizontal edges of the supporting frame. Braid is quite difficult to manufacture, but provides high resistance to force and has bright decorative qualities.

  • palisade;

The palisade fence is a solid canvas made of logs with pointed ends. Such fences are difficult to overcome and, moreover, to break, besides, they provide complete privacy of the territory inside the perimeter of the fence, as well as excellent sound and wind insulation.

  • log paving;

The log fence is mounted from tightly fitting horizontally located logs. The latter can be solid or sawn along the longitudinal axis. Log paving is a serious barrier for intruders and provides reliable concealment of what is happening inside the perimeter of the fence from prying eyes and ears.

  • "ranch";

An open-type fencing, the canvas of which consists of several crossbars, additionally fastened with lags located diagonally. Ranch fences serve to mark the boundaries of a private area or protect against the entry of large animals, although they can also serve as decorative functions.

  • "cross".

The supports of such a fence, which are installed in most cases on a separate or strip concrete base, are equipped with side grooves into which longitudinal sheathing elements are inserted - fence boards or beams of appropriate thickness. Another version of the cross-style fence has a horizontal sheathing, which is mounted on vertical crossbars, based on support pillars and a concrete foundation.

This is not the whole classification. So, fences of the “vertical picket fence” group are found in such varieties as:

  • solid palisade;
  • palisade with gaps;
  • cat or dog ears;
  • private;
  • peak;
  • concave or convex, etc.

Good to know: In practice, combinations of different types of structures are often used, which gives the fence an original appearance, and in some cases additional resistance to force.

Original designs in the photo: decorating a summer house or a private house

Wooden fence along the road Deaf wooden fence with the functions of protection and ensuring the privacy of the territory Wooden fence with combined cladding Decorative vertical picket fence Concave vertical fence A solid canvas of a fence from a horizontal picket fence Combined style horizontal log fence Rounded wooden picket fence as part of a convex canvas of a wooden fence Fence in the style of "cross" with brick pillars Fence in the style of "ranch" for the protection of the suburban area Wooden fence with a horizontal log crate Wooden fence in the style of "solid palisade" Wooden fence with woven fabric construction

Preparation for construction

The construction of a wooden fence, like any other object, begins with the design. To solve this problem, you will need a cadastral plan of the fenced area, where the perimeter of the latter is indicated. If there is no plan at hand, the measurements will have to be performed independently.

The perimeter value is the basis for further design, so it must be calculated with maximum accuracy. The data obtained should be transferred to a pre-drawn diagram of the site on a scale. In the future, this will facilitate the task of calculating the size and number of sections of the fence, as well as creating a working sketch of the latter.

Territory marking

To mark the site for the future fence, you will need wooden or metal pegs about 60 cm long, twine (or linen rope) and a hammer. First of all, by driving a peg into the ground, you need to set the corner marks.

The next step is to determine the location of the gate and the entrance gate. As a rule, they are placed together. The standard width of the gate is 1–1.5 m, and the size of the gate is taken in the range of 2–2.5 m, but in practice it all depends on the needs of the site owner.

Please note: When marking the territory, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the supports, and if they are planned to be installed on the foundation, then its width. To do this, you need to use 2 rows of marks - along the outer and inner edges of the supporting posts or foundation.

At the end of the design survey, the results obtained should be transferred to the plan of the fenced area. This will allow you to see the big picture and quickly eliminate errors made during planning.

What materials to choose?

The next step after the development of the main plan is the selection and calculation of materials for the construction of the fence. For this you need:

  • decide what material the support pillars will be made of;
  • accept the method of mounting supports;
  • calculate the main parameters of the fence (number of supports, section sizes and the number of transverse logs);
  • determine the material from which the skin will be made;
  • calculate the volume of sheathing (the number of fence boards 1.8 m long);
  • determine the method of installing transverse logs and cladding, as well as select the type and calculate the number of fasteners.

The choice of material for the support pillars is not difficult: the most preferred option is a metal profile pipe with a cross section of 60 * 60 mm (for corner supports) and 50 * 50 (for intermediate columns). Proper preparation for operation and competent installation will ensure the service life of such supports for at least 30 years.

If the soil in the fenced area belongs to the category of inactive, i.e. when the seasons change, its layers practically do not move, and groundwater occurs at great depths (below 1.5 m), the supporting pillars of a wooden fence can be installed by backfilling or partial concreting.

Finally, as a transverse log for a fence with a section length of 2.5 m and a web height of 1.8 m, it is advisable to use wooden bars with a cross section of at least 40 * 40 mm.

Calculation

When designing, a number of design requirements that apply to wooden fences should be taken into account. Strict observance of these requirements will allow you to create a truly reliable, strong and durable fence.

Basic design requirements:

  1. The size of the section should not exceed 2.5 m in order to avoid sagging of the transverse logs under the weight of the skin.
  2. Support posts are installed in the soil to a depth equal to the freezing depth of the latter (80–120 cm), but not less than a quarter of their total length. When choosing a method for mounting supports, it is necessary to take into account the level of groundwater, as well as the soil composition that affects the behavior of the soil during the change of seasons.
  3. To give the fence the necessary reliability and stability, the corner supports, as well as the side posts of the gates and gates, must be thicker than the intermediate ones.
  4. The bottom line of the fence canvas should be at least 15 cm above the soil level.
  5. Support posts should be at least 10 cm higher than the fence canvas.

Good to know: If there are irregularities or a slight slope on the site, it is advisable to level the soil. This will greatly simplify the task of installing the fence structure.

The calculation of the fence parameters is carried out in several stages:

  • Let's assume that the plot has the shape of a trapezoid with bases 29 and 40 m long and sides measuring 25 and 20 m. The perimeter value is calculated by summing all sides of the figure:

P \u003d 29 + 40 + 20 + 25 \u003d 114 m;

  • If the gate and the gate are installed side by side on the line of the small base of the trapezoid, the length of the fence on this side of the site will be the difference between the total length of the segment and the total width of the gate and the entrance:

l 1 \u003d 29 - (1.5 + 2.5) \u003d 25 m;

  • In this case, the total length of the fence will be:

L \u003d 25 + 40 + 20 + 25 \u003d 110 m;

  • Now you can count the number of fence sections, each of which is 2.5 m long:

n sections \u003d L / l sections \u003d 110 / 2.5 \u003d 44;

  • Having the exact number of sections, we calculate the number of supporting pillars using the formula:

N supports = n + 1 = 44+ 1 = 45;

Please note: Corner supports and posts on the sides of the gate and wicket must be thicker than the intermediate ones. Their number is 6 pieces - 4 at the corners of the site and 2 at the entrance and gate. Accordingly, the number of intermediate supports will be equal to: 45 - 6 = 39 pcs.

  • Next, you need to calculate the height of the support pillars. With a soil freezing depth of 80 cm, a fence height of 1.8 m, and also taking into account the requirements for the height of the supports, it turns out that the total length of each of them will be:

L supports \u003d 1.8 + 0.1 + 0.15 + 0.8 \u003d 2.85 m;

  • The last step in the preliminary calculations is to determine the number of transverse lags of the fence. If we take the height of the latter equal to 1.8 m, 2 crossbars will be needed for each of the sections. Thus, the total number of lags will be:

n lag = n sections * 2 = 44 * 2 = 88;

As a result of the calculations, we get the exact number of structural elements of the fence:

  • 39 intermediate supports;
  • 6 corner supports;
  • 88 transverse logs.

On this, the main calculations within the framework of the fencing project can be considered completed. To start the practical implementation of the project, it remains to choose the skin material and calculate its volume.

What boards to choose for sheathing?

The choice of fence sheathing depends on the style of the latter, as well as on the method of protecting the wood. As a rule, conifers are chosen for outdoor fences with a predominantly protective function - pine, spruce or cedar.

If the priority in designing the appearance of the fence was given to its decorative qualities, hardwoods - oak, beech, ash and birch are much better suited for sheathing. The strength indicators of such a fence will be low, but with proper processing it will look very expressive.

Cedar belongs to expensive and rare conifers. It is distinguished by the presence of a bright and beautiful texture, as well as high wear resistance.

As for oak fences, they are not common - their construction is too expensive.

Other types of deciduous and coniferous trees, although they have good flexibility and fracture strength, are poorly resistant to moisture, so they are practically not used in the construction of fences.

The most affordable and cheapest wood is pine and spruce. It is densely saturated with resin, which is an excellent protection against dampness, mold and decay, and has an optimal humidity for outdoor use (15-20% when dried properly). Spruce wood is softer than pine, so it is easier to cut. But in terms of knotty material, spruce species are certainly in the lead: in pine, knots begin at a considerable height, while in spruce - almost immediately from the ground.

Please note: If spruce or pine is chosen for cladding a wooden fence, you should prepare in advance for the fact that these species show an increased tendency to crack. This spruce and pine wood is due to the nature of the fibers and the abundance of knots. This means that the material must be bought with some margin, since part of it will inevitably go to waste.

Fence sheathing calculation

The last step before going to the building materials store is to calculate the number of fence boards needed to create the canvas of the fence under construction. This value is calculated as follows:

  1. First you need to take the amount of clearance between the fences. Suppose it will be equal to 4 cm.
  2. We measure the width of one fence board. Let it be equal to 15 cm.
  3. The length of one section of the fence is known - it is 2.5 m, i.e. 250 cm. If the boards were installed closely, 16 units could go to the section. But with a 4 cm clearance, this number can be safely reduced to 13.
  4. We check the correctness of our choice. The total width of the boards will be: 13 * 15 \u003d 195 cm. Then the width of the gaps between the boards (taking into account the fact that there will be 1 more gaps than the picket) will be equal to: (13 + 1) * 4 \u003d 52 cm. Together it will come out: 195 + 56 = 251 cm, which differs by only 1 cm from the value of the length of the fence section, and this value can be easily compensated by increasing the size of the extreme gaps by 0.5 cm.
  5. We calculate the number of boards required for sheathing the entire fence (without the gate leaf and wicket): 13 * 44 \u003d 572 pcs.

Good to know: A standard wooden fence has a thickness of 1.5 - 2.5 cm. This value is important when calculating the volume of boards required for fence sheathing. So, with a fence height of 180 cm, a board width of 15 cm and a thickness of 2 cm, the sheathing volume will be: 180 * 15 * 2 * 572 \u003d 3,088,800 cm 3 or almost 3.1 cubic meters.

construction tool

Preparation for the construction of a wooden fence includes the collection of tools that will greatly simplify and greatly speed up the work. This list should include:

  • jigsaw;
  • circular saw with discs for metal;
  • welding machine;
  • wood saw;
  • electric drill with a set of drills for wood and metal;
  • shovel and crowbar;
  • garden earth drill;
  • hammer and pliers;
  • a set of screwdrivers and wrenches;
  • electric planer;
  • emery on wood;
  • brushes for processing wood with a protective compound and paint;
  • building level and plumb;
  • measuring cord (twine);
  • construction tape.

Please note: In the process of building a fence, you will definitely need fasteners. For a simple fence, galvanized nails can be used, but self-tapping screws or bolted connections are much more durable. It is noteworthy that for the latter, you will have to prepare through holes in the picket fence and transverse lags in advance.

How to make a wooden fence with your own hands: step by step instructions

The construction of a wooden fence can be divided into three stages:

  1. Installation of supporting pillars.
  2. Installation of crossbars.
  3. Frame sheathing.

Each of them deserves a more detailed description.

Installation of supports

Let's assume that the soil in the fenced area allows the installation of supporting fence posts using the backfilling method. Consider how this is done using the example of one of the supports:

  1. Using a garden drill, a crowbar and a shovel, in one of the corners of the site we make a hole 1–1.2 m deep and 40–50 cm in diameter.
  2. At the bottom of the pit we lay and carefully tamp a sand cushion 10–15 cm thick.
  3. Place a support in the center of the hole. This is a profile pipe of square section, the outer edges of which must be parallel to both sleeves of the fence.
  4. At a height of 20–25 cm, at the bottom of the pit, we pour a mixture of crushed stone with sand and carefully tamp it down.
  5. We check the vertical of the support and the parallelism of its faces to the sleeves of the fence.
  6. We fall asleep the next portion of the pillow of sand and gravel, tamp it down and again check the position of the support. And so to the very top of the pit.

Good to know: The sand-stone pillow will lie more densely during the backfilling process if it is abundantly moistened with water, while not forgetting to add sand.

Installation of transverse logs

Fence crossbars made of wooden beams are most conveniently mounted using homemade brackets. They are made of a metal corner 35*35 mm. But in order to save time and materials, ready-made brackets can simply be bought at the store.

Installing the lag is done as follows:


Please note: The distance between the lags can be reduced if necessary, but this will adversely affect the strength of the fence along the upper and lower edges of the web. The support should be at least 5-10 cm above the sheathing, and the bottom of the latter should be at least 10-15 cm from the soil line.

Frame sheathing

Before proceeding with the installation of fence boards, we note that there are at least two ways to solve this problem. One is that the fence is mounted on the logs before the latter are installed on the supports:

  1. First of all, you need to set the crossbars at the right distance from each other, observing a single plane. This can be done using pre-prepared coasters from improvised materials.
  2. It does not hurt to make templates in advance, with which it is convenient to lay out the gaps between the boards.
  3. The lower (or upper) edge of the canvas also does not hurt to put under the ruler. As such, you can use any of the remaining crossbars, set at the desired distance from the mounted one.
  4. Using self-tapping screws or bolts, we mount the fence boards on the transverse logs. In this case, care must be taken not to cause deflection or any other stress in the web structure.
  5. We raise the finished canvas of the fence and fix it with bolts on the previously welded brackets. This will require at least two pairs of working hands. In addition, you will have to prepare stands 10–15 cm high. With their help, it will be much easier to fix the canvas with lags on the brackets, which is necessary for a successful landing of the structure on the bolts.
  6. If the fence boards were installed without deforming the crossbars, and the latter were set exactly, their ends will easily fit on the brackets.

Please note: The second way to install the sheathing is to install each board separately. With this approach, it becomes more difficult to place the fence boards in a strictly vertical position and at an equal distance from each other, and tension is also created in the web structure due to the deflection of the crossbars under the weight of the skin.

Protection and finishing: how to cover and paint

The wooden fence is operated in the open air all year round. And this means that all structural elements need reliable protection from moisture, temperature fluctuations, pests, rust and fire.

Good to know: The metal elements of the fence frame, especially in areas with welded and bolted joints, must be primed and coated with paint before installation. Before starting the main work, it also does not hurt to remember that the legs of the supporting pillars installed in the ground need additional waterproofing. It can be done with roofing felt or bitumen. But first, to isolate the internal space of the profile pipe, it is necessary to weld plugs on its lower and upper ends.

In addition to moisture, harmful microorganisms and pests, ultraviolet radiation leads to a decrease in the life of a wooden fence. It accelerates the oxidation of wood fibers and evaporates the moisture contained in it. As a result, wooden fencing elements lose not only their external attractiveness, but also their bearing capacity. To exclude premature wear of the structure, when applying the impregnation, it is recommended to use special additives - UV hardeners.

The impregnating composition is laid in several layers on a deep penetration primer. Primed and impregnated wooden surfaces are covered with moisture-resistant varnish or paint, which serve as the finishing touch in protecting the fence from aggressive operating factors.

Please note: Primers and impregnations change the color of wood, which must be taken into account when designing a wooden fence design.

The condition of the wooden fence must be closely monitored throughout the entire period of operation. Any damage or material wear should be repaired immediately, which will significantly increase the service life of the structure. As for the choice of how to design a wooden fence, it depends on many factors, the main ones being the aesthetic preferences of the site owner and his financial capabilities. For example, a finished fence can be decorated or even reinforced with forging, give it an original color by experimenting with impregnations and finishes, decorate with glass or stone inserts, etc. At the same time, you can decorate the fence gradually, the main thing is to reliably protect it from destruction by moisture, pests and fading in the sun at the very beginning.

Video: We build a wooden fence on our own

Building a wooden fence with your own hands requires careful preparation. Even at the design stage, you need to carefully study the building materials market and try to determine the conditions under which the fence will be operated. With careful attention to the basic design requirements, as well as the vagaries of the main material, self-construction of the fence will take a minimum of effort and bring maximum pleasure and benefit.

Increasingly, instead of massive and monumental brick and stone fences, the townsfolk are choosing wooden ones. fences and fences for the house: photos of successful examples make it possible to verify the exceptional attractiveness of such a solution. It is wood that is considered the material that can not only guarantee protection from encroachment, but also look not too intimidating.

Wooden fence: a practical decoration for the site

Fences and railings made of wood can be considered a traditional option for our society. The abundance of wood and its cheapness allow even not very wealthy people to use this material. But in Western countries, a tree, on the contrary, is considered a sign of the wealth and success of the owners of a house or plot. Such a fence today is not only status, but also elegance, environmental friendliness and modernity of the overall style solution.

The choice in favor of a wooden fence is often based on one of the following factors:

  • Environmental friendliness. In the modern age of technology, artificial materials and a polluted environment, each person seeks to surround himself with the safest materials. Wood becomes the optimal solution for those who care about the health of their family members.
  • Ease of maintenance. A wooden fence is that part of the household that will not only not require special attention, but will also make you feel like a creator in the process of caring for it. Carpentry skills will help you replace the plank if necessary, and the ability to hold a brush in your hands will allow you to update the color of the fence and make it more elegant.
  • Beautiful wooden fences for the house are also practical. Serving as reliable protection from the weather and from prying eyes, such fences, with proper care, will last for more than one year. Wood is the most versatile material that can be useful in any situation: for example, as a fence for a yard, as a border between summer cottages, as a garden divider into zones.

FACT! In order for the fence to last as long as possible, you should choose the most durable and reliable types of wood: for example, oak, ash, larch. It is also important to take into account the characteristics of moisture and soil composition.

  • Harmony is the main thing that distinguishes a wooden fence from a metal or stone one. A lively and pleasant material fits perfectly into the environment, and with the right skills, a fence made of it can be turned into a work of art.

No less important factors that should also be taken into account are its relatively low cost (for example, in comparison with a similar metal or brick product) and ease of installation. It is possible to protect the site with such a fence in a short time, even without the involvement of experienced craftsmen.

Types and features of wooden fences

When choosing a wooden fence for a private house, each responsible owner draws up a complete picture for himself: which fences are customary to build, which of them are the most reliable, what is the cost of building one or another type of fence. Experts distinguish the following types of wooden fences suitable for use as a fence:

  • A classic fence is a solid canvas consisting of tightly fitted boards that can be placed both vertically and horizontally. The classic version of the fence can be strengthened with a foundation of bricks and stone, and you can also use posts made of wood, metal or stone as its base.
  • The palisade consists of vertically installed and tightly fitted logs. To ensure maximum strength and longevity, logs are recommended to be installed on a foundation and not in the ground. This type of fencing looks quite aggressive and is suitable for actively protecting property from encroachment, which is especially facilitated by sharply sharpened tops of logs.

ADVICE! The picket fence can be an extremely original and attractive fence, as it allows you to choose the optimal pattern, the distance between the planks and the shape of the top edge.

  • Herringbone or ladder. Fencing boards are mounted horizontally on top of each other, and the use of special spacers provides excellent ventilation with full opacity of the canvas.
  • Lattice is considered the most decorative type of fence. Crossed, 45-degree, or interlaced planks in a classic wicker frame look almost like a work of art. This type of fence is often used as a support for weaving and climbing plants.

ADVICE! To give such a fence a more expressive appearance, designers recommend using a combination of several options for arranging planks in one canvas.

  • A cowboy ranch-style wooden fence is a rather specific type of fence that is more suitable for delimiting an area or controlling access to a certain part of the site for people or animals. The horizontal bars look exotic and are suitable for use in large areas.

Installation and maintenance of a wooden fence: the subtleties of the process

Among the inhabitants there is an opinion about the complexity of building a wooden fence on the site. That is why owners often do not think about how to do it themselves, but prefer to turn to specialists. However, with a competent approach to the choice of technology and compliance with all construction standards, the construction of a fence on your site is not such a difficult process.

In the process of caring for a wooden fence, the most important step is the pre-treatment of wood. To preserve the natural natural color of the wood, it must be varnished: in this case, the boards will not darken from moisture. Special impregnations guarantee the protection of the fence from pests and rain, since they usually include insecticides and antifungal agents.

Special impregnations for wood will not allow it to lose color, as well as protect it from mold, pests and weather conditions.

A wooden fence for a suburban area should be considered not only a way to protect the territory, but also a stylish decorative detail. The natural beauty of the material, emphasized by the stylish form, will make the site even more spectacular, will allow you to more rationally approach the solution of landscape problems and rationally organize the space.

It is a mistake to assume that modern wooden fences do not find a second life and do not gain wide popularity. Since wood is a practical and relatively inexpensive material, the decision to enclose residential buildings and summer cottages with it has always been quite common. There are many options for such fences, and most of them you can build yourself from commercially available timber.

Beautiful wooden fence made of horizontally installed planks

Varieties of wooden fences

All wooden fences used for the area around a private house or cottage are built from two parts - supports (otherwise - pillars) and spans (sections) installed between them. When they talk about some kind of fencing, they mean exactly the way the spans are filled, because the supports can be made from different materials.

To choose the right design, and then build a wooden fence with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the most popular options:

  1. A regular or figured picket fence, assembled from planks on two crossbars attached to the uprights.
  2. A traditional wattle fence that came to us from time immemorial.
  3. A solid wooden fence made from small logs with ends pointed at 45° (palisade).
  4. The so-called checkerboard, where boards are nailed to both sides of the crossbars in a checkerboard pattern so that there are no openings.
  5. Sections of planks nailed vertically or horizontally, overlapping each other. The design is reminiscent of blinds.
  6. Fences from a tree like "ranch". They are a fence of horizontal poles nailed to racks at a great distance.

In addition to the listed types of fences for the house, which have to be assembled from separate parts, ready-made ones are used in the form of frames with various fillings - gratings, planks, wickerwork.

When choosing a type of fence, you should consider what role a wooden fence should play and where it is planned to be installed. In practice, for the front side of a private house, a decorative, solid palisade and "blinds" are most often used, less often - "" and wattle. Ranch pole fences, originally designed for pet pens, are used to fence land or gardens from the back.

Preparation of materials for the fence

Before you make a wooden fence, you need to pick up and purchase timber for it. If you are planning to build a picket fence, then the following wood products will fit for its installation:

  • edged boards of the same width;
  • slabs;
  • curly pickets cut on the machine;
  • logs of small diameter.

The dimensions of the shtaketins in height do not have to be the same. Planks of different lengths are selected in such an order that the lower ends are on the same horizontal line, and the upper ends form bulges or depressions, creating a wave effect. During the flight, you can make several such waves.


Wave-shaped wooden picket fence

For a palisade, long trunks with a diameter of up to 150 mm, completely cleared of bark, are suitable. The measure is extremely necessary, because various tree pests live in the bark, which will quickly bring your new fence to a state of rottenness. In the case when the bottom of the palisade rests on the ground, the lower ends of the logs should be treated with bitumen.


Palisade fence on a stone foundation

On a double-sided fence for a private house (checkerboard), wide boards will go, you can uncut. It is advisable to pick them up approximately the same width and completely remove the bark. From the same timber, hedges are made that resemble vertical or horizontal blinds.


Fence checkerboard with a horizontal arrangement of boards

You need to make wattle from a vine or flexible rods of small diameter (up to 4 cm). It is not necessary to clean them from the bark, this is too laborious an operation. The rods are harvested by cutting during the cold season, when the movement of juices inside the tree has not yet begun.


Wooden fence - wattle fence

For a fence on metal poles, you need to select rolled steel of the appropriate size in advance. It is most convenient to work with profile pipes with a section of 60x60 mm, it makes no sense to take more. Ordinary round pipes purchased at the nearest scrap metal collection point are also used.

The choice of wood species and its processing

What is not recommended to build wooden fences is from birch. This breed, under the influence of weather conditions, quickly begins to rot, which is why the fence around the house will not last even 10 years. Of the most common and affordable breeds for hedges, it is used:

  • pine;
  • aspen;
  • alder;
  • larch.

Coniferous trees have a high resin content, which successfully resist moisture, provided proper processing and constant care. The best option is to build a fence made of larch, which is not afraid of either rain or cold weather. If desired, and the availability of funds, you can make a fence from valuable species of wood - oak or ash, their dense structure also tolerates precipitation well.

On wicker fences made of wood, flexible rods and branches of various species, including fruit ones, go:

  • nut;
  • willow, willow;
  • maple, poplar;
  • mulberry;
  • Apple tree;
  • cherry.

When buying wood for building a fence, you should make sure that it is well dried, otherwise your structure will lose its appearance after 2-3 cold seasons. Drying naturally, timber will crack, warp and deform. Drying the forest can be done at home under a canopy, which will take at least 1 year. This condition does not apply to wicker fences, where, on the contrary, good flexibility of the branches is required.

In addition to drying, timber requires antiseptic treatment from decay and destruction by various pests. A great way is to apply a continuous layer of resin or special bituminous impregnation to the wood. But you can’t cover the entire fence with bitumen, which is why the technique is used only to protect the underground parts of wooden poles.

For antiseptic treatment, colorless formulations are used that are commercially available (Biosept, Novotex), as well as Swedish paint, made at home according to this algorithm:

  1. Cook a paste from 550 g of flour dissolved in 3 liters of water.
  2. Strain the paste so that there are no lumps left, put on a slow fire.
  3. Add 240 g of copper sulphate and salt, mix thoroughly.
  4. While stirring, pour 220 ml of drying oil and 230 g of iron minium into the solution.
  5. Bring the volume of water to 4.5 liters and allow the paint to cool.

The device of the supporting part of the fence

The first thing to do is to mark the area under the wooden fence with your own hands. Having retreated the required distance from the house, you should stretch the cord along the installation line of the future fence. Then, in the places where the pillars are installed, stakes must be driven into the ground with the following calculation:

  • the optimal distance between the supports is 2.5 m with a fence height of up to 200 cm;
  • if you plan to put a fence above 200 cm, then to contain the high wind load on the poles, it is better to reduce the distance between them to 2 m;
  • columns of low fences (up to 120 cm) can be spaced up to 3 m.

If you are not using ready-made sections of a standard size, then break the entire length into equal intervals, taking into account the recommendations listed. Then proceed to the installation of the supporting part made of wood or using metal elements (pipes, channels, corners). You can combine wood with metal by fixing a steel pipe in the ground and attaching a pole of 100x100 mm timber to it.

There are 4 ways to install support posts in the ground:

  1. Driving a column into the ground to a depth of at least 0.8 m, followed by compaction of the soil around it.
  2. Digging or drilling a hole 40 cm deep and driving a post another 40 cm below its level. After tamping the bottom, the pit is filled with concrete. The name of the technique is the device of a concrete collar.
  3. Zabutovka. The pit is dug to the full depth (0.8 m), after which tamping is carried out, the rack is installed and backfilled with stones with compaction. The gaps between them are filled with a liquid solution of clay.
  4. Complete concreting. The same pit with the support installed is filled with concrete from top to bottom.

Methods for installing metal poles

Since wooden fences are not very heavy, but experience lateral wind loads, the most reliable methods are concreting and backfilling. Simple driving and columns with a concrete collar are appropriate for a small height of the fence or its low windage, when there are many gaps between the elements.

Frame assembly

At this stage, horizontal crossbars are installed that connect the pillars and serve as the basis for fastening the span filling elements. The frame is assembled in the following ways:

  1. A beam of 40x60 mm or larger is nailed directly to the wooden posts with nails. The joining points of adjacent bars should be in the center of the support.
  2. The same, only for a horizontal beam in a column, sampling is performed, and fastening is carried out both with nails and self-tapping screws.
  3. The easiest way to attach a jumper to an iron pipe is to drill a through hole in both parts and pass a bolt through them. The bar is securely attracted to the rack with a nut.
  4. Pieces of metal corners or strips are welded to steel pipes. Holes are drilled in them and the timber is again fastened with bolts.

If near a private house you decide to put a fence with horizontal elements in the form of unedged boards, planks or logs, then you will need one jumper - on top of the racks. To mount the picket fence, you need 2 crossbars, to mount the "checkerboard" - three. It is understood that the wooden fence has a standard height of 2 m, with other parameters, the number of crossbars may vary.

The construction of the fence with elements in the form of ajar blinds is somewhat different. The supports should be tied with one bar on top, then a visor will be attached to it. And for mounting wooden planks at an angle on the poles, you will have to vertically install 2 wide boards on each side.

Final installation of spans

This is the final stage of assembly, during which the installation of filling parts is carried out - shtaketin, palisade logs or checkerboard boards. Traditionally, 2 types of fasteners are used - nails and galvanized self-tapping screws. In order for a wooden fence near a private house to be reliable and last for many years, follow these recommendations when installing it:

  • fasten the picket fence strips to the lintels from the outside, hammering 2 nails at each point for rigidity;
  • when assembling a double-sided fence, nail the front boards first, and then the back boards;
  • use the building level, aligning each plank;
  • stockade logs should be nailed on the reverse side;
  • fasten the fencing strips in the form of ajar blinds from the ends through the boards fixed on the posts;
  • horizontally oriented boards must be attached directly to the posts.

Finished wooden fences are often protected from above with a visor, which simultaneously plays a decorative role. The easiest way to make it is from thin metal with a polymer coating or the remains of a metal tile. The construction of the fence is completed by painting all wooden parts in the desired color or varnishing.