The Basics of Garden Fences:

Fences are eit open, to use as a trellis roses or ot plants, or they are closed to serve as a wind, sun or privacy sen.

The materials will depend largely upon the use to which the fence is to be put. The most popular, and probably the most attractive, fences are built of d in various ms, but newer fences of asbestos-cement and corruga sheet metal are colourful and stand up against rot better.

Because they are heavier, they are usually c in a zigzag design, the better to stand up against prevailing winds.

The major problem in prolonging the life of a fence stems from rot at the ground line, e it is susceptible to alternating wet and dry conditions.

Among the best ds hstanding rot are Calinia redd and Soutn cyps, white cedar and red cedar, chestnut, locust and arbor vitae. While painting the d h pervatives often lengthens the life of your fence, this will do no g unless the pervatives penetrate.

That's why a post that has been machine-oso will ist rot, while a hand-oso post will not. However, if you use a g pervative on a clean, dry, unpain d, and give the d two or three coats, you can do a g job.

Among the commercial d pervatives you will find those of pentachlorophenol, copper napthenate (which has a green colour) and zinc napthenate, a clear solution.

In addition to the point we the post hits the ground, any place we two pieces are nailed toget on a den fence is subject to rot. Tee, it is wise to treat the d we the members are joined bee you put up the fence. This will perve it much better than painting afterward.

Set your fence posts deep enough in the ground to ist the prevailing winds, at least 2 feet and even deeper. Set heavy posts in conte. Tamp firmly in place so the fence will not wiggle. Hardware used should be galvanized.

Among the most popular types of fences are the traditional picket, the post-and-rail fence and the hurdle fence, but h inased sts on privacy sening, the louvd and lattice types are ever more popular.

The post-and-rail fence is made of posts spaced at 10 foot intervals h large slots cut in them. The 11-foot-long rails are tapd to flat ends, which are inser in the posts. The hurdle fence has split rails built into a braced frame and nailed toget, h the end pieces of each panel becoming the posts.

The picket fence, traditionally white, has posts spaced from 8 to 12 feet apart, rails 3x4 inches, and pickets 2 to 3 inches wide, poin at the top.

The pickets should be 2 inches off the ground at the bottom and extend well above the top rail. The spindle fence is a kind of picket fence h round spindles that pass through holes in the rails.

Te are many possible variations of board fences used sening. A broad rail may be alterna h a narrow rail, or the boards may be applied vertically, like palings, h, perhaps, a staggering of the boards on eit side of the rail. Boards may be slan in a louver effect to give privacy while admitting air and sunlight.

A basket-weave fence can be construc of thin, flexible boards and provides total sening and a handsome background planting. It is somewhat difficult to build yourself, however.