Build Zig Zag Split Rail Fence

Simply follow the steps on this page.

Build zig zag split rail fence.

This was a simple way to build a fence because no digging was required for post holes. My simple ranch style home was in desperate need of discipline. There are two different forms which have a dramatically different appearance. Split rail fences are constructed out of timber logs typically split in half lengthwise to form the rails.

Taking the rails you stack them between the posts and build to the height you require. In colonial america split rail fences were built by laying logs on top of one another in a zigzag formation like this. This form can calculate the entire list of materials needed to construct a split rail fence except concrete and total price. Start with a fence bed that s at least 5 feet wide.

Split rail fences commonly have between two and four rails. A zigzag fence requires more wood than a traditional split rail fence but is easier to create without tools and gives your property a charming look. You can split rails yourself or purchase precut wood. 1 how to build a simple split rail fence.

Use chestnut oak cedar or juniper rails for a fence that can last as long as 100 years. Worm fences also known as virginia fences snake rail fences and zigzag fences were one of the most common colonial log fence because they require only logs without need for special tools or. At the length of a split rail away you put two matching posts. Rails were split from logs with hammers and wedges and then stacked in a zig zag pattern.

While my neighbors property lines were neatly set off by picket fences and. 3 stretches in feet a stretch is defined as an individual straight line of fence unbroken by gates or other end posts. Traditional free standing split rail fences usually seen used for agricultural or decorative fencing have a characteristic zig zagging structure. You erect two posts side by side and no more apart than the width of a split rail.

He says acreage owners are adding split rail fencing also known as snake rails for rustic appeal and to add value to the property. Sam lough owns a company in west virginia that specializes in historic fencing.