Advantages and disadvantages of a picket fence, the choice of materials for its manufacture, types of fences, their purpose, instructions for construction. A palisade is a fence made of sharpened logs, which are installed vertically in a solid array, without gaps. Depending on the wishes of the owner, he can perform both protective and decorative functions. We will talk about the rules for building this type of fence in this article.
Features of the picket fence
The palisade stands out among other types of fences for its unusual appearance. It is easy to use and easy to manufacture, looks great on summer cottages, estates, in combination with various types of fences.
The traditional design is based on cylindrical logs with pointed tops. Currently, supports with horizontals are used for fixing round timber. If the fence is necessary for decorative purposes, its modifications are used - low hedges with or without a sharp point for flower beds, wicker, etc.
There are two types of palisades - regular and false palisades. The first is a typical round timber construction. The second option involves the revision of the existing wooden fence. Usually a croaker with a pointed end is attached to it. Outwardly, the fence resembles a traditional palisade, but its protective functions are weakened.
Installation of a fence is no different from the construction of any other wooden structure, the only difference is the large weight of the building elements. It will take a lot of physical strength to set the logs. Due to the heavy construction, the supports must be concreted.
The best timber for the fence is considered to be lumber from coniferous trees - pine, spruce, cedar, etc. The resin that is present in the wood helps to resist decay and decay. In addition, such wood is inexpensive. If you are not planning to paint the fence, use cedar logs. After coating with clear varnish, it will look great with a natural pattern. However, cedar beams are very expensive. If strength is considered the main selection criterion, then the palisade can be made of oak, alder, aspen, but it is better to make racks of conifers, they are more durable.
The ideal material for this type of fence is dry logs with a diameter of at least 70 mm. You can cut the blanks yourself from dead wood in the forest, but it is better to purchase them at the construction market, where they are sold in customized sizes. In addition, the lumber from the store in most cases is already impregnated with antiseptics.
Rounds should be without protrusions and grooves. It should be noted that a structure made of thin logs with a diameter of 70 mm looks more interesting than a diameter of 250 mm, but the fence in this case loses its strength. Therefore, if it is intended not only for decoration, choose medium-sized round timber - 150 mm. In this case, the fence will not look too rough.
Advantages and disadvantages of a picket fence
A palisade fence has considerable advantages over other types of fences. Its advantages include the following qualities:
- It is considered a reliable fence that is difficult for uninvited guests to climb over. A picket fence or an ordinary wooden fence can hardly compete with it in this parameter. In the old days, the palisade was often used to defend settlements. In addition, it will hide the area from prying eyes.
- The fence reliably protects the area from wind, snow drifts, creates shade in hot weather.
- No foundation is required during installation.
- The fence does not need painting.
- It is able to withstand heavy mechanical loads and shocks.
- The construction is made from natural materials. Therefore, there is no need to worry about your own health and the health of your relatives.
- The cost of fence blanks is low, and the material can be found all over the place.
- The fence will become a support for climbing plants.
- The fence mounting technology is very simple and does not require special skills. The fence can be assembled in no time.
- The design will stand out against the background of standard hedges for its originality. It looks good next to wooden buildings. If the site is located near a forest, you can use dry logs and make an old-style palisade.
- It can be combined with other types of fences, for example, the fence looks good in combination with white corrugated board with sections of dark-colored logs.
The owners should be aware of the disadvantages of the picket fence:
- Compared to a metal or concrete fence, a wooden palisade has a short service life. To protect it from adverse factors, it must be periodically covered with special means.
- The palisade is afraid of fire.
- It is easily damaged by cutting and stabbing blows.
- It is very strongly influenced by precipitation and temperature drops.
- Such a fence gives a lot of shade, so vegetables should not be planted next to it.
Preparatory work
Before starting construction, the following operations must be performed:
- If the logs were brought from the forest, peel them off to kill insects.
- Cut the tops on one side of the round timber at an angle of 30-40 degrees. When sharpened correctly, they should resemble the tip of a pencil.
- Determine the height of the stock for the picket fence. The length of the logs is chosen depending on the purpose of the fence. To protect the territory, the logs should protrude 2-2.5 m above the ground. If the territory of the site is outlined with the help of a fence or it is used for decorative purposes, the protrusion is much less - up to 1 m. An underground part should be added to this value, which usually is 1 / 3 of the total length of the workpiece. These proportions ensure the stability of the fence. With a round timber length of 2.4 m, the height of the fence will be 1.6 m.
- Before installation, the wood must be protected from decay and insects, which will increase its service life. The means used should not disturb the structure of the tree and reduce its strength. In the old days, the lower part of the log and the 20-25 cm protruding above the soil were charred for 30 minutes. A 15 cm layer of ash creates a reliable covering around the round timber. At present, the underground part is dipped into hot bitumen before being buried. Without a special covering, the logs will rot after 3 years, and the fence will collapse.
- In order not to overpay for excess material, determine the number of blanks in advance. To do this, divide the perimeter of the site by the diameter of the log.
Picket fence mounting technology
The fence can be built in two ways - traditional and modern. The traditional method has been used for a long time for reliable protection of the territory and requires great physical exertion during construction. Modern technology presupposes the manufacture of structures with predominantly decorative functions. If you plan to build a palisade with your own hands, use our recommendations.
Construction of a traditional palisade
A traditional palisade, in which part of the structure is buried at 1/3 of its length, can be installed in two ways: old and modern.
The work of installing the fence in an old-fashioned way is carried out as follows:
- Draw a line for the location of the fence around the perimeter of the site.
- Dig a hole around the diameter of the log.
- Pour water into it.
- Stick the round timber with the pointed end into the hole and twist it several times.
- Take out the workpiece, add water and repeat the operation. You can also hit it with a heavy object. To avoid damaging the end, put a plastic cap on it.
- Repeat the procedure for all logs. Fasten all the elements of the fence together with wire by creating a loop. This installation option is suitable for summer cottages with seasonal living. It will last 5-6 years.
- After the log goes to the specified depth, proceed to the decorative finish. You can coat the lumber with clear varnish or wood stain, which will give the fence a juicy honey-yellow or chocolate brown hue.
The modern technology for assembling a picket fence is as follows:
- Dig a trench of a certain depth around the entire perimeter of the fenced area. Its size is influenced by the length of the log and the size of the gravel pad.
- Place a 15 cm layer of gravel on the bottom of the trench and compact it. If the soil is clay, increase the layer thickness to 30 cm.
- Place the logs vertically in the pit. A prerequisite is that there should be no gaps between them.
- Fill the hole with soil and compact it thoroughly.
- From the inside of the fence, nail the crossbeams horizontally in 2 rows - at a distance of 20 cm from the top of the logs and also 20 cm above the ground.
- Cover the fence with rot and insect repellent.
Do-it-yourself palisade on supports
A fence of this type involves digging racks into the ground with a step of 2.5 m, on which the structure will be held. This distance is considered standard for wooden fences. It is recommended to make supports from metal pipes. They are more durable than wooden stakes. Before digging in, the pipes must be covered with an anti-corrosion compound, and the stakes must be protected against decay.
Perform the following operations:
- Dig a hole at least 50 cm deep. If it is shallow, the ground will sag and the fence will tilt.
- Install the support in the pit and concreted it with a cement-sand mortar with the addition of rubble. Take the components in a 1: 2: 2 ratio.
- After the concrete has hardened, fasten the horizontal beams to the supports, which are made of small diameter beams. The upper board should be located at a distance of 30 cm from the edge of the fence, the lower one - at a distance of 20 cm from the soil or foundation. The vertical working surfaces of the planks should be located in the same vertical plane. This design will evenly distribute the load on the rungs and supports.
- Nail the logs to the rungs, keeping them vertical. Leave small gaps between adjacent elements to prevent deformation of the wood after swelling in rainy weather.
- To maintain the height of the fence, pull the cord horizontally at a specified distance from the soil. Fasten the picket fence with nails, 3 pcs. into one log - two on top and one on the bottom.
Some techniques can help extend the life of the fence. For example, before making a palisade, build a foundation and cover it with decorative stone on top. Use cement or clay mortar to bond the foundation elements.
Decorative palisade for a flower garden or flower beds
For fencing very small areas and paths, you can build a low palisade, reminiscent of the main structure. It looks good with decorative tiles and stone. For work, you will need stakes up to 5 cm in diameter.
The work is performed in the following sequence:
- Cut blanks from even branches 25-30 cm long.
- Remove the bark that serves as a shelter for insects. Sharpen or round off the ends of the peg, all options look good.
- Heat the drying oil and treat the hemp to protect it from moisture.
- Dig a 15 cm deep trench around the perimeter of the flower bed.
- Line the ditch with clay, cover with plastic wrap.
- Place the stumps vertically in the ditch and pour concrete.
- Cover the ditch with plastic wrap on top to form a bowl. Cut off the protruding parts of the film.
- Fill the ditch with soil to the top.
Wicker palisade
To build a fence, cut thin, 1-3 cm in diameter, willow, hazel, vines and thicker branches of oak and pine. It is better to harvest the material in the fall, when the movement of the juice stops. The sequence of work on the construction of a wicker palisade is as follows:
- Dig a trench 10-15 cm deep around the perimeter of the site.
- Fill the hole with sand to slow down the decay of the wood and act as a drain.
- Soak the sticks in warm water for a few days to increase their flexibility.
- Cover all branches and stakes with anti-rotting agents.
- Drive the stakes into the ground in increments of 0.5 m.
- Weave the fence. Work starts from the bottom. To do this, wind the rods on opposite sides of the stakes and stretch them along the entire length. Shorten the vine if necessary. The transparency of the fence depends on the density of the branches. She is able to serve for 5 years.
How to make a palisade - look at the video:
The fence made of sharpened logs has not lost its attractiveness for the owners, it has only changed its appearance. Modern designs no longer look rude, but are an original and stylish product that performs both protective and decorative functions.
