How to design a picket fence

A picket fence can be a nice improvement to your house. It can be used even for keeping small pets in a designated area or against wild animals. Next, you will find some useful tips on how to design your own picket fence.

The zoning laws

First you have to check out the zoning laws to see if you are allowed to build a picket fence. This way you can find how and where you can have a picket fence. Every piece of information can be found out at the local building and zoning department.

Drawing the fence

When you know exactly where the fence will be installed, take some graph paper and make a sketch of the fence. Very important are the measurements because based on them you will know how many pickets you will need. The drawing will help you figure it out the number of posts and the quantity of wood necessary for the entire fence.

Design and matching

The design of the fence should fit the look of your home. One case is that when you need a more modern looking fence for a modern house. On the other hand, a Victorian house would need a more detailed and intricate picket fence to look good. In the end, all that matters is to use the fence as a compliment of the house and not as a distraction.

Pickets’ size

You can choose from a large variety of widths. The widest are around 5 ½ inches and the smallest are 1 ½ inches wide. This size will help you a great deal for the design. For example, a standard white picket fence is made of pickets with a wide of 3 ½ inches.

The style

Also the tops of the fence pickets need to look good and you can choose varieties that include rounded tops, pointed tops, dog eared tops, gothic tops, French gothic tops or flat-tops. Another part of your attention must go through the panels. They can cut straight across, can rise and fall or can be simply concave panels.

Painting the fence

When the assembling part is done, you have to decide whether you want to paint the fence or just stain it. Before the finish is applied it’s better to pre-treat the wood as much as you can because otherwise you will have problems.