Can You Build a Fence Out of Alder?

Working With Alder

• Alder has a straight grain and even texture, which makes it an ideal choice for constructing furniture, cabinets and doors. According to the American Hardwood Export Council, alder's uniform grain makes it easy to create consistent cuts and boards. You can use this uniformity to your advantage when constructing a fence for your home garden or backyard. The wood is also highly receptive to sanding and staining with minimal stability loss after drying. This allows you to create a fence to match your garden's overall color scheme.

Small Fence Projects

• If you have a large backyard, alder might not be the best choice as a wood for your fence. Alder is a hardwood with a middle grade in terms of density and has below average shock resistance, strength when bending and rigidity. This means the wood won't hold up well in a fence expected to endure constant pressure from the elements or abuse from children and family pets. Incorporating alder into a smaller fence project may be the smarter route if you have a strong desire to use the wood.

Creating Intricate Designs

• Creating a fence with intricate designs requires a wood with a high degree of elasticity and even texture through the wood grain. According to furniture supplier Front Gate, alder provides these essential qualities, enabling you to create a fence design that incorporates intricate carvings and patterns. A fence of this type can provide a pointed accent for a specialty garden, including an herb or Zen garden, that you don't expect to receive a high degree of foot traffic.

Protecting an Alder Fence

• Wood from an alder or other tree is vulnerable to damage from the elements and rot.
  According to the American Hardwood Export Council, alder is receptive to treatment from preserving agents designed to increase the wood's durability against inclement weather and protect it from damage that can lead to rot. Failure to properly treat wood used in creating your fence can lead to extensive damage requiring you to spend time and money replacing entire sections of the project.