How to: Build your own fence - Part 3
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Now that your concrete has cured and your posts are all plumb and ready to go, it's time to get your railings and palings in place. This is where accuracy and attention to detail really pays off, as railings that don't meet up can seriously mess up the look of your new fence.
1) Railing
Depending on your fence height you could have two or three horizontal rails. Rails attach to posts and are what your palings are fastened to.
Using a chalk line, mark out the top and bottom of each rail housing. Make sure that they are equidistant from the centre rail if there's three. It's time to use your circular saw from Kennards Hire and your hammer and chisel to check out the rail housings. If your fence will have a cap, your top rail should be at the top of your posts.
Cut your rails to length and use your chosen wood treatment to protect all sawn ends. Make sure that the rail joints are exactly in the middle of the housing. They should also be staggered to ensure maximum strength.
Before you attach either your rails or paling you should pilot your nail or screw holes with a drill bit that has a slightly smaller diameter - this will help to prevent wood from splitting.
2) Paling
You're almost there, and your fence is taking shape nicely. Before you start tacking palings on everywhere, run your plinth along the bottom, This will ensure your palings are level. Another way to do this is to fix your two end palings and run a stretched string line between the two.
Attach your paling using two nails per post to secure them properly, although an even better solution would be deck screws. While these are more expensive, they won't pop out when the wood expands in warmer weather.
3) Completing the job
It's time to either cap your fence or use a power saw to level off the top of your palings. An easy way to do this is to use a leftover piece of timber as a straightedge and either clamp or temporarily nail it at the desired height. You can then run your saw along it's length to get a nice and level fence top.
If your wood is treated and seasoned, you can now clean it up and get ready to apply your chosen timber treatment. If not, you should wait a few months to allow the wood to naturally shrink to its final size and coat it then.
