Picket fences for unlevel grounds

Most Americans like picket fencing because it helps them for delineating and framing their property without standing tall. Building a picket fence on an unlevel ground can be a harder job than in the case of a level ground, but it’s not impossible.

Necessary tools and materials

Wooden stakes
Twine
Tape measure
Tape
Post hole digger
Posts
Circular saw
Deck screws
Drill
Level
Pickets
Paint color of choice
Paintbrush

Outline fence

First of all you have to decide where exactly will the fence line run your property.

The outline can be set up with the wooden stakes along with the twine. The stakes will be put one in each corner and they will be connected with the twine. With the measuring tape you’ll have to make some 8 feet measures and mark them on the twine. It’s very important to have 8 feet between each 2 markings because those are the places where the fencing posts will need to be installed.

The fence posts

The posts don’t have a pre-established height but they need to be 2 or 3 inches shorter than all the fence pickets. Also, around 24 inches need to be extra for the posts lengths because this part will be put in the ground.

Now, you need to go under each tape marking and make a post hole. It will need to be somewhere between 10 or 12 inches long and the width depends very much on the post. In order to be able to support the picket fence, the hole will need to be at least 24 inches deep. After you put the posts in their holes, you have to fill the empty space with soil.

Connecting the posts

For each empty space between every two posts, you have to make some runners, which are 2 wooden pieces of about 4 feet long. These wooden pieces will help you create a support for the fence pickets when they will need to be installed.

They will need to be installed horizontally and at a distance of 3 inches above the ground and below the top of the posts. They will need to be attached by the posts with deck screws. Every end of the runner will need to stop at the middle of the post so that the next one will have the necessary space.

This cycle of attaching runners will need to be repeated until every post will have four runners screwed by it. They will need to be positioned 2 pieces at 3 inches above the ground and 2 pieces at 3 inches below the top of the post.

Getting the pickets connected

The first picket is very important. You need to put it over both runners and in the end use the level to make sure that it is straight. The amount of space left between the picket and the post will need to be equal to a regular picket. The best way would be to use a picket as a space indicator to be sure you install the pickets as you should.

The first picket needs to be attached by both runners through some deck screws. After you have accomplished this, take a picket and mark the position of the rest of them. You will do this until the picket fence is over.

Finishing the entire fence

If you find pickets that are too high you will cut them with the circular saw. You need to arrange the pickets by verifying each time if they are no more than 3 inches taller than the fence. The last task for you is to paint the fence once it’s finished.