Fencing & Decking

Split rail fences. Because they were traditionally made from split logs found on the property, many ranches use split-rail fences. Cedar split rail fences are highly decorative and work well for defining property lines.
Picket Fences. Wood picket fences were once considered the American standard. Although picket fences are still popular, many homeowners now choose to build them out of vinyl rather than wood to avoid maintenance.
Post-and-Rail Fences. Easy to build, and fairly easy to maintain, this is one of the most popular fence styles, especially for horse owners.
Privacy Fences. Cedar is an especially wonderful wood for privacy fences, as it blocks out nearly as much noise as concrete.
Lattice. Whenever you want to maintain a degree of visibility, consider building a wood lattice fence. Despite being fairly inexpensive, lattice is beautiful, so it’s great for masking unattractive features on your property, such as utility tanks. Lattice is most often used as a decorative touch on the top of another fence style, such as a privacy fence.

You are not required to refinish your fence. It’s up to you to decide whether you want a rustic, weathered, silvery fence, or an up-to-date, warm, refinished fence.

Many experts, however, caution against leaving a wood fence unfinished, as it will deteriorate more quickly. If you prefer the weathered look, it’s best to use a semi-transparent, gray-toned stain to protect the wood.

As the world goes “green,” many people are turning to natural oils for refinishing fences. Linseed oil is a wonderful choice for this purpose. It is totally natural, which makes it environmentally friendly. Additionally, linseed oil takes to wood more easily than other stains. Most semi-transparent stains use linseed oil as a base. Overall, cedar is a great wood to refinish, mainly because it takes in sealants better than other woods.

The type of wood you choose for your fence will affect not only how it looks, but how well it will hold up over time. The species of the tree, the quality of the lumber and whether or not the wood is pressure-treated are all considerations to take into account.
Cedar vs. Other Woods
Cedar is one of the most popular fencing woods, for many reasons. First, it has great dimensional stability, meaning it is less likely to warp and twist than other woods. Second, cedar heartwood naturally contains oils that repel insects and preserve strength. Cedar’s rich, honey-red tone and fresh smell are also enjoyable. Learn more about what makes cedar so great for fences.
Western Red cedar is especially coveted by fencing contractors. There are many reasons for this. For one thing, it has even better dimensional stability than other types of cedar—Western Red cedar is quite strong. Additionally, Western Red cedar is perfect for damp environments such as the Northwest. Thuja plicata, as Western Red cedar is known to biologists, is native to the whole West Coast, so it has developed special mechanisms for handling changes in humidity. You will still have to finish and refinish a Western Red cedar fence if you want it to keep its bright color, but overall, this is the wood that does best in the wettest parts of the country. Finally, Western Red cedar is light, making it easy to work with.
Pressure-Treated Lumber
For extra resilience against the elements, some wood fences are built with pressure-treated lumber. During the pressure-treating process, chemicals such as chromated copper arsenate are forced into the wood. For this purpose, manufacturers select wood species with large quantities of sapwood, such as Southern pine, spruce, Doug fir or hemlock. This is because sapwood more readily sucks up the chemicals used in the pressure-treating process.
To avoid the danger of pressure-treating chemicals seeping into surrounding soil, many gardeners avoid this type of wood altogether. Another concern for homeowners is that a splinter from a pressure-treated fence may become infected due to the chemicals.
Different pressure-treated woods have different retention levels. A low retention rating means the wood shouldn’t be in contact with the earth.

Wood is one of the most popular materials for fencing, and for good reason—it’s attractive, long-lasting (assuming it’s properly maintained) and easy to work with. If you have a saw, free time, basic carpentry skills and a vision, you can build a wood fence yourself.

On the other hand, because wood is organic, it decomposes quickly without the proper care. Pines, spruces, poplars, maples and willows make poor fences because they are prone to decay, especially if in direct contact with the ground. To protect a wood fence from the elements, a homeowner must refinish it every few years. Insects and fungi are also a problem. To combat this, you can purchase a finish that includes mildewcide or insecticide.

Another problem with wood is that it bends, twists and splinters due to ultraviolet exposure and changes in temperature and humidity. Refinishing takes care of this, but you can also head off issues down the road by building your fence with wood from a slow-growing tree. Slow-growing trees have narrower growth rings, making their wood stronger and better to build with. In general, the longest-lasting wood fences are made from cedar boards and pressure-treated posts. Another way to extend the life of your wood fence is to choose strong, galvanized fasteners.

• Use galvanized fasteners. Hot-dipped galvanized nails work well, whereas screws add a lot of cost and are rarely used. If you are having the fence built for you, be sure to inquire after the type of fasteners your contractor will use.
• Use pressure-treated posts  set in concrete. As water destroys wood over the long term, any wood that comes in contact with the ground requires extra protection.
• Protect against insects, fungi  and ultraviolet rays. Finish your fence right away, and repeat every three or four years once it’s erected. If you anticipate a lot of bugs and mold, it’s a good idea to apply a finish that contains a mildewcide or insecticide. Likewise, if you live in an especially toasty area and you expect the fence to get plenty of sun, you should apply a finish that includes ultraviolet protection. Semi-transparent stains provide good protection against the sun’s rays.

Wood fences are prone to three types of disrepair:

Rotting posts
Moisture from the soil can cause posts to rot and fall away, which can lead the rest of the fence to sag and become unstable.
The fix: Use pressure-treated posts set in concrete.

Sagging fence
In addition to unmoored fence posts, fences can sag if the posts aren’t deep enough in the soil.
The fix: This is a difficult problem to correct later in the life of a fence, so make sure your fence posts are deep enough—the standard depth in most areas is 2 feet.

Loose rails and boards
The rail is the part of the fence that runs horizontally, parallel to the earth. The boards are the “face” of the fence—they are placed vertically between the posts.
The fix: Loose boards may be put back into place with galvanized screws or nails. Rails that have come loose may be fixed in a similar way using galvanized fence clips.