Do it Yourself: Cedar Fence

Use stakes and twine to outline the straight border of the fence. Place a stake in the ground every 6 feet to designate where the fence posts need to be. The stakes will indicate the center point of the posts.

Use a post hole digger to excavate holes for the posts just in front of the stakes, using the stakes as a guide. The holes need to be about 1 foot across so that you can fill them easily with cement. The depth of the holes needs to be 1/3 the length of the posts, plus an additional 6 inches. For a 6-foot tall fence, the holes should be 3-1/2 feet deep.

Fill the holes with 6 inches of gravel and pack it down with a tamper.

Place the posts in their respective holes. Use stakes and twine to hold the posts upright. Tie three pieces of twine about a foot from the bottom of each post. Tap three stakes into the ground around each post and tie the other end of the twine pieces to the stakes. This is similar to how you would stake a newly planted tree to keep it from falling over.

Mix cement in a bucket or wheelbarrow, following the packaging directions. Pour it into the holes and let it set up for a couple of days.

Measure and cut 2-by-4 boards to 6 feet in length. You need enough to cover the top of each section of fence. To have fewer seams, use 12-foot boards instead. Place the boards on top of the posts and drill pilot holes through them to keep the wood from splitting. Drill 3-inch galvanized screws through the boards and into the tops of the posts.

Determine the space between the posts and cut 2-by-4s for the bottom of the fence sections. Use a level to ensure they remain horizontal. Attach the boards in between the posts about 6 inches from the ground. Pre-drill holes then anchor the boards to the posts with galvanized screws. Drill the screws in at an angle so that they go through the board and into the posts.

Measure and cut 1-by-1 inch wood strips to fit between the posts. Attach one to the top and one to the bottom rails. Pre-drill holes in the wood strips every 12 inches then attach the strips 5/8-inch from the edge of the rails. Do this for each section.

Determine the distance from the top to the bottom rails. It should be 5-1/2 feet. Cut 1-by-6 cedar planks to this measurement with a power saw.

Place the planks up against the 1-by-1 inch strips inside each fence section. Hammer nails at an angle through the ends of the planks and into the top and bottom rails. This is referred to as toenailing.

Cut more 1-by-1 inch strips to cover the other side of the slats. Drill these strips to the 2-by-4s on the other side of the planks.