JerryMouse wrote:
Flash wrote:

or is it an error?

the previous owner built kind of a ragtag fence around the front yard.
it's about 260 ft. of fence.

the fence is built with 4x4 posts set into concrete, probably done in
the early 1970's. the rails are 2x4" (double). the fence pickets are
3' tall, 1/4" x 1" W. very thin--most are broken or missing. some of
the rails are mounted flat, some vertical--not sure why. many of the
flatted rails have bowed terribly and come loose from the posts (no
brackets, all simple nailed).

questions:

my plan is to replace the loose posts (about 3 out of 30 are slightly
loose) then add new fence rails where they have bowed, hang all fence
rails vertically, use brackets on the ends (rather than just nails),
and use 7-1/2"x3/4"x3' cedar pickets as fill, with some space
inbetween.
the 4x4x4ft. posts have 32" above ground and are spaced at 10'. from
what i have read, most people space at 8' or less.

comments? my biggest concern is whether or not i should respace the
posts down to 8 ft.

am in california desert in very stable, dry clay soil.


You're going to put a seven-and-a-half foot picket on a 2-3/4 foot post
system? Five foot of freeboard?

I suspect, in addition to the top looking wavy, the first little blow is
going to put so much torque on the fence that it's going to capsize with the
loss of all souls aboard.


no not at all sorry if i left that impression i would swear the local
DIY had 7-1/2" WIDE (that's on inches) cedar pickets. the new pickets
will be no more than 36" long.

so the other poster says it will be too heavy with these pickets at 10
ft. spacing and also that the posts were okay but the pickets are too
heavy for the span...but did bother to say what a proper picket weight
would be...or the sizes appropriate...

i was under the impression that 5-7" (inch wide) pickets would add
stability along the rails esp. if screwed in places, off to the sides of
the picket.

also i have read that the spacing must be less than 3" due to children
possibly attempting to stick their heads through it and getting stuck.

thanks for the quick replies and sorry about failing to emphasize the
inches in width of the proposed pickets.