Wooden Privacy Fences & Gates

Regulations

• Before you begin your fencing project, contact your local building codes administrator for all the fencing regulations in your area. In most cases, you can only build wooden privacy fences and gates to a height of 6 feet. Unless you are sharing the fence with your neighbor and you are both sharing the costs of building and maintaining it, the fence should set well within your property's boundaries. Most municipalities require the "pretty" side of the fence face away from your property. That means the attachment superstructure is on your side of the fence.

Styles

• One of the most common styles of privacy fence is the solid panel style. All of the vertical boards on the privacy fence are spaced closely together. Some privacy fences have the vertical boards staggered on either side, creating a shadowbox effect, which looks good from both directions. A basket-weave fence is another option. Fence post caps and decorative tops can give your fence a more finished appearance. The vertical members of the privacy fence may have decorative tops, such as dog ears, or the fence may have lattice across the top. Your wooden gates should be a similar style to match the fence.

  If you prefer a more natural fence, consider planting trees to create a privacy screen around the perimeter of your property. Stagger evergreen bushes and trees planted closely together to create a natural wooden wall. If you want a taller fence than allowed by local building codes, this may be the way to go as there are few restrictions placed on tree height.

Wood Treatment

• Whether you paint or stain the fence, the wood needs special protection to help it last longer. It's much easier to coat the wood with paint or stain before you begin construction, and you can touch up the paint or stain when you finish building. If you opt not to paint or stain the fence, choose lumber that has a special moisture-resistant treatment. Assemble the fence and gate with stainless steel screws and gate hardware that won't rust or stain the wood.

Installation

• Fence posts need to be deep enough in the ground to support the weight of the privacy fence panels. In most cases they need to be at least 2 feet deep. Corner and gate posts support more weight so they need to be sturdier. Once the posts are set, it's a matter of building the panels. If you prefer, you may purchase pre-made privacy panels. The panels attach to the posts with panel hangers. Hang the wooden gates, which you may also purchase pre-made, and set the post caps in place to complete the privacy fence installation.