Wood Fence Installation

Wood covers more looks than any other material. The photos on this page are wood fences and gates our crew has built:

• Board-on-board and solid privacy fences
• Shadowbox fences, which look finished from both sides
• Horizontal board fences for a modern look
• Wood picket fences, including scalloped tops
• Split rail fences for property lines and open land
• Matching wood walk gates and driveway gates

Posts are where wood fences usually fail first. Wood decays fastest right at the ground line, where moisture and air meet, so the posts and how they're set matter more than anything else.

University extension research gives a sense of scale: untreated pine posts typically last about 3 to 7 years in the ground, while properly treated pine posts can last 20 to 35 years, and untreated cedar heartwood about 20 to 30. That's why fence posts should be lumber rated for ground contact.

Sources: University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, University of Wisconsin Extension

Treated wood can be left to weather naturally to a soft gray. If you'd rather keep the color, a finish helps: Purdue Extension puts a clear water-repellent sealer at about 1 to 2 years between coats, a semitransparent stain at about 2 to 4 years on new wood, and solid stain or paint longer, though film finishes can peel. A quick test: splash water on the boards. If it beads, the finish is still working.

Sources: Purdue Extension: Exterior Wood Finishes