How to Build a Post and Rail Fence

Mr GGF and I have had a love affair with traditional post and rail fences since forever. I remember going on our regular country drives and swooning over such fences. A post and rail fence has the ability to lift the facade of even the daggiest house. As long as it’s done properly. Our post and rail fence is constructed in a simple way. Instead of notching out the holes, we used joist hangers to insert the rails. Read on to find out how.

What is a Post and Rail Fence?

Post and rail fencing is the perfect farm fencing style. Especially if you are after a traditional look. This fence is sturdy and strong. A post and rail fence is super versatile. The fence can be used as a front fence, an animal enclosure, or as a divider between sections of the property. Basically, a post and rail fence, like the one we built, consists of thick upright and horizontal timber posts. There are a number of ways the rails can be fastened. The most popular way to build a post and rail fence is with three rails but there are variations using two and four horizontal rails. Our fence has three horizontal rails as this is the most aesthetically pleasing.

Pros + Cons of this Fence Style

Cons:

• This type of fencing can be expensive as it’s made of solid timber. We’ve always wanted one but could not justify the cost but Mr GGF found a guy who mills wood cheaply. He was able to cut the post sizes we wanted for a fraction of the hardware stores.
• The posts are VERY heavy. You may need two people to construct the fence. One person can construct typical farm fencing quite quickly.
• The timber will need to be treated to protect it and extend its life. (Unless you are using treated pine) This could add to the cost and will take more time. We painted ours with sump oil (used oil drained from cars and trucks) which is more sustainable and was free from a friend. It was a dirty process. Don’t expect your clothes to be wearable after painting and carrying the treated timber.
• You will need some kind of wire behind the fence if you have small animals or sheep. If you choose a four-rail fence this might not be needed but that will cost more. We have put rows of barbed wire between the rails of our fence. This stops the sheep and can’t be seen.

Pros:

• The fence looks PRETTIER than normal farm fencing.
• The fence will never need to be replaced (not in our lifetime anyway).
• The cows can’t ruin it when they stick their noses over the top
• You can paint the fence to match the house
• Did I mention it looks super cute? 🙂

How to Build a Post and Rail Fence

For an eight metre length of fence you will need:

• 4 posts
• 9 rails
• 4 bags of quick-set concrete (one for each post)
• 18 metal brackets or nails. We used floor joist hangers.
• sump oil or your choice of finish
• wheelbarrow and water to mix the concrete
• circular saw to cut the timber to size
• black spray paint

• Measure the length of fence you want and calculate the number of posts you need. Our fence length is 8.3m. We have four posts with a 2.1m space between each. The spacing of your posts will depend on the length and thickness of your rails. If the rails are thin, you will need to put the posts around 1.5m apart to prevent warping. We purposely cut our rails at 50mm thickness. You will need three rails for the space between each post. Altogether, we have nine rails on this section. Ours will fit snugly BETWEEN the posts.

Consructing Your Fence

• Once you have all your posts and rails cut to size treat them however you intend the finished fence to look. It’s easier to paint them all before you construct the fence. We used sump oil to paint ours. The spray gun would have been very handy and quick, too. We covered the silver colour of the metal joist hangers with matt black spray paint.

• Make a string line to ensure your fence is straight and even. Dig a hole for each post. Make sure the posts are the correct distance apart.
• Position the post. Make sure it is straight and level. Concrete the post in place using quick-set concrete. We used a bag of quick-set for each post.
• Measure and mark the distance you want between the rails. Make sure the rails are level. Set the posts in place.
• To secure you can nail them in place or use metal brackets between the posts as we did. The rails slot into these. If you are nailing them on with a nail gun, simply line them up on the edge of the post and nail away!

Some people like to cut a hole and slide the rail through the post, as in the picture at the top of the page. This is very time consuming and takes a lot of effort to make sure the holes are in the right place. It is the most traditional way to build this fence. The method of construction you choose depends on how much time you have and the look you are going fo. We wanted our construction to be easy and quick.