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    Home » DIY » outdoor living » DIY Picket Fence design | posts, rails and more

    DIY Picket Fence design | posts, rails and more

    Published by Gail | Published December 21, 2015 | Updated May 14, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    I’m back with another picket fence design update!

    home-depot-deliversDid you know that Home Depot delivers? I didn’t know that until my daughter Jamie filled me in on this little detail.

     

    lumber-deliveryThe material was put under the carport to keep it dry.

    Posts rails pickets for picket fence design

    picket-fence-lumber-suppliesI ordered 4x4’s and 1x4’s in 12 ft lengths, 2x4’s in 8 ft lengths., and a LOT of concrete.

    I liked the way the lumber was stacked for delivery. The 4x4’s were on top, with the 2x4’s next and the 1x4’s (pickets) on the bottom. Home Depot really considered the order of the build when they readied the lumber for delivery.

    Wood for Picket Fence

    diy-picketsI was able to get 3 pickets out of each of the 1x4’s.

     

    dog ear each picket board

    dog-eared-picketsAfter cutting each board into 4 ft lengths, I cut the corners off to give them a dog eared look. I did this to 498 boards!

    You may wonder why I did this. It’s because I didn’t want the standard gothic fence. I researched and googled all kinds of options. To get the specific look I wanted, this was my only option.

     

    Cover existing corner posts with wooden boxed post

    wrapped-fence-post

    I also ordered some 8 ft 1x4’s and 1x6’s in order to make a “box” to fit around some of the galvanized fence posts that we weren’t removing. In the area where one of the gates was originally located, it didn’t make sense to try to remove the post and install a new 4x4 post.

    Rodney (my neighbor) is very particular about his work, and took the time to router all of the 4x4 posts and these boxes we made. It really does make a difference in the overall look.

     

     

    box-in-poleRodney drilled holes in the posts and secured the boxes with screws.

     

    Set picket fence posts in concrete

    4x4-postsThe 12 ft 4x4’s were cut in half, routed and placed in the post holes with the quickcrete. Bracing the posts is necessary until the concrete sets up.

    Picket fence design includes front arbor

    arbor-picket-fence-entrance

    Four of the 12 ft 4x4 posts were used for the front gate area to make an arbor of sorts. The yard is taking a beating with all of the construction. I can’t wait till Spring!

     

    Next week, I’ll tell you all about the rails and maybe give you a sneak peek of the pickets and the template Rodney made!

    We’re getting closer!

    gail

    You can see more DIY picket fence details here

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    1. Amy

      March 12, 2017 at 10:07 am

      your fence looks amazing! My favorite part is the arbor! How did you sink the posts? Did you use a post hole digger or rent an auger? I am contemplating putting in a fence and this is giving me courage!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        March 12, 2017 at 11:03 pm

        Amy,

        Thank you! I still am in awe of it every time I go out in the yard. That old fence was such an eye sore. People still drive by, slow down and comment about it.

        The arbor is my favorite as well. I still plan to mimic it for a pergola for a porch swing... someday.

        We used post hole diggers on all of the posts for the diy picket fence. My neighbor Rodney dug them all with very sharp post hole diggers. There were a couple of problems with roots, but for the most part it was fairly simple.

        gail

    2. Mindi

      December 22, 2015 at 1:51 pm

      Gail it its looking amazing! I love how clever you were to cover the poles with a "box" of wood! Super smart. The routing looks amazing and all those dog ears!!!??? You are Wonder woman, if you haven't thrown away those scraps I see some pretty cool artwork potential in them! 🙂 I am so happy you are getting help on this huge projects, I am excited to see the end result!

      Reply
    3. girlfromwva

      December 21, 2015 at 11:31 pm

      thanks for sharing your progress with us! it is going to look fantastic when it is all done!

      Reply
    4. Catherine

      December 21, 2015 at 7:49 pm

      Luv that you guys put in the extra details with the router. It DOES make a difference in the final look and a lot of people don't care enough.... :' (
      It's all going to be beaUtiful Gail!
      Catherine

      Reply
    5. Serena - Thrift Diving

      December 21, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      I see success on the horizon! I bet you are going to be so excited to be done with that project! And what a great neighbor to help you! 🙂

      Serena

      Reply
    6. Julie @ follow your heart woodworking

      December 21, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Wow, it's going to be wonderful... I love the idea of an arbor at the front, too!

      Reply
    7. Becky

      December 21, 2015 at 10:49 am

      Wow, lots of work, but it will be worth it to get the look you want!

      Reply
    8. Betty Paulsen

      December 21, 2015 at 10:00 am

      I didn't understand what you meant by getting 3 pickets out of each 1x4? and also wondered what you routed on each? Enjoying your progress. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        December 21, 2015 at 10:51 am

        Betty,

        I'm sorry for the confusion. The 1x4's were 12 ft long, so I cut them in 4 ft lengths.
        Rodney routed with some kin of roundover bit to take the "edge" off of the 2x4's and 4x4's. He recently mentioned how nice the pickets would have looked if he had done those... 498? I don't think so! heheheeh

    9. Christina in FL

      December 21, 2015 at 8:30 am

      Gail, I hope you were able to do the dog-ear cuts on multiple pickets at once! That's a LOT of cutting and I know it is going to pay off in a beautiful fence. I am living vicariously through your project(s). 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to share all these great photos. Yay for Rodney's detail focus. 🙂

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.com

        December 21, 2015 at 10:52 am

        No, I did them one at a time. They were so incredibly heavy and wet that it seemed like the best way to do them.

      • Christina in FL

        December 21, 2015 at 11:03 am

        Holy carpe diem Gail!!! :::: blink blink blink ::::: I bet you dreamt of cutting wood after that!!!

    10. Anne

      December 21, 2015 at 8:04 am

      I'm already excited for you!!!!! Merry Christmas Gail! All my best wishes for a fabulous new year xox

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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