How to Make an Arris Rail Fence

Set the Posts

• 1

  Lay out the fence line. Hammer a stake into the ground at one end and tie a string around the stake. Stretch the string to the other end of the fence line, hammer a stake into the ground, pull the string tight and tie it around the stake.

• 2

  Measure 8 feet from one end and place a piece of tape on the string to mark the location for a post hole. Repeat the process of taping the string every 8 feet until you reach the other end of the fence line.

• 3

  Hose down the ground at each hole location and allow the water to soak in to make excavating easier. Dig each hole 24 inches deep and 10 to 12 inches in diameter with a post hole digger.

• 4

  Follow the instructions on the bag and mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow. Start at one end and place a 4-by-4 inch post into the hole. Center the post and shovel the mix around it. When half the hole is filled, take a stake and push it into the mix in several places around the post to eliminate air pockets. Finish filling the hole.

• 5

  Place a carpenter's level against the post and make the necessary adjustments to ensure it is plumb. Use a trowel to smooth and slope the concrete away from the post. This keeps water from puddling up around the base. Repeat the process to set all the posts. Allow the posts to cure 48 hours.

Install the Rails and Pickets

• 6

  Hold a 1-by-6 inch treated board against the bottom of the first two posts at one end of the fence line. This is referred to as a gravel board and helps to keep the bottom of the pickets from rotting. Position its end flush with the end of the first post. At the second post make a cutting mark on the board so that when it is cut, the end will be at the center of the post.

• 7

  Cut the board and attach it to the posts with 3-inch galvanized nails. Measure from the cut end to the middle of the next post, cut the next section of gravel board to size and attach. Repeat the process for the length of the fence.

• 8

  Attach two arris rail brackets to the inside of the first post with 2-inch nails. The top bracket is 10 inches down from the top and the bottom in 12 inches above the ground. Position them so that when the rail is in place, the face side of the rail is flush with the front side of the post.

• 9

  Ask a helper to hold a rail in the bottom bracket while you hold the other end up against the second post. Make a cutting mark, check for level and mark the location for the bottom bracket. Attach the bracket and cut the rail to size. Do the same for the top bracket and rail. Attach both rails to the brackets with 2-inch nails. Repeat the process for all brackets and rails.

• 10

  Rest the first feather-edge picket on top of the gravel board at the first post. The thick edge of the picket is flush with the end of the post. Check it for plumb and attach it to the top and bottom of the post with 2-inch nails.

• 11

  Place the next picket on top of the gravel board with the thicker edge overlapping the first picket by 1 inch. Hammer a nail through the thicker edge of this picket, through the thinner edge of the first picket and into the top and bottom rail. Repeat this process for the length of the fence, checking every fifth picket for plumb.

• 12

  Reverse the last picket at the end post. Position the thicker edge flush with the end of the post and attach it to the post with nails.