How to build an inexpensive edged board fence

Recommendation points

• Materials and tools
• Preparatory work
• Material preparation
• Painting boards
• Installation of bars and installation of boards
• Fence maintenance

This article presents the process of erecting a wooden fence from an unedged board, which not only has an original appearance and a very low cost, but is also protected from environmental influences with water-based oil paint for self-preparation..

You can build a fence from almost any material: stone, metal or brick. It all depends on the taste and financial capabilities of the owner. In aesthetic terms, of course, a wooden fence wins. The tree also has one, but a significant drawback – its fragility. However, with proper care of a wooden fence, it is quite capable of competing in durability with metal or concrete.

Materials and tools

For the construction of the foundation for the fence, the following materials were used:

• gravel;
• sand;
• construction garbage;
• concrete;
• formwork boards.

For the construction of the pillars were used:

• brick;
• cement mortar for masonry;
• soil for concrete;
• metal corners 500 mm long, for laying in posts, to which wooden blocks will be attached.

For wooden fence sections you will need:

• unedged pine board (shalyovka) 25 mm thick;
• wooden blocks 50×50 mm and 1650 mm long;
• homemade Swedish paint for wood;
• M8 bolts with nuts;
• self-tapping screws for wood.

From tools and equipment it is necessary to prepare:

• concrete mixer;
• shovel;
• building level;
• buckets;
• trowels;
• angle grinder (grinder) or mini-saw;
• drill;
• screwdriver.

Preparatory work

To make a wooden fence more reliable and longer, it is best to mount it on stationary pillars connected by a strong foundation. Even wooden poles treated with special impregnations and bituminous compounds are unlikely to stay in the ground for more than 10 years..

To erect a strip unreinforced foundation, it is necessary to dig a trench 500 mm deep and 400 mm wide. For a more accurate and even digging, after marking the territory, a thick thread is pulled, marking the boundaries of the trench. The bottom of the trench is covered with construction debris or gravel, sprinkled with sand and spilled with water. After that, a formwork is exposed from the board, providing a foundation height of 200 mm, and the prepared foundation is poured with concrete.

Sharp drying of the foundation can destroy its strength, and subsequently it will begin to crumble and crack. Therefore, after the concrete has set, the foundation must be periodically watered or covered with a film for a slower drying..

The next stage is the construction of cinder block pillars of standard sizes 400x200x200 mm. The pillars are placed in two cinder blocks with dressing of the seams at a distance of 3 m from each other. In total, for pillars with a height of about 2 m, it is necessary to put 9 rows of cinder block.

When laying the cinder block in the second and eighth rows, you need to lay a metal corner 500 mm long for the subsequent vertical attachment of the timber to it. In this case, for convenience, it is better to pre-drill holes for bolts in the corners. After that, it is advisable to treat the pillars and foundation with soil on concrete to prevent its destruction. Moreover, if in the future it is planned to plaster the posts, then priming will improve the adhesion of the base during plastering..

Despite the fact that pouring the foundation and erecting pillars increases the cost of the fence and complicates the very process of its construction, this gives a great advantage in the future – you will always have the opportunity to replace wooden sections with new ones or replace them quickly and without much difficulty to install sections from another material.

Material preparation

An unedged pine board with a thickness of 25 mm is used for the fence sections, the so-called shalyovka, this is the cheapest type of board, which makes this fence economically viable. Boards must be dry, otherwise their deformation is possible after installation. If you plan to buy a freshly sawn board, then lay it in rows under a canopy, shifting each row with a bar for drying for at least a month.

Previously, the bark is removed from the boards using a hatchet or cleaver. After that, the boards are sawn to size using a grinder and a disc for wood or a mini-saw. The length of the boards should be 20-30 mm less than the distance between the posts, that is, about 2.98 m.

Painting boards

For painting, the boards are not planed and their surface is not sanded. This is necessary so that the untreated wood surface absorbs the paint prepared according to the ancient recipe as best as possible. At one time, this paint was very popular in Sweden, it covered the facades of wooden houses, and if you believe the description, then thanks to its composition, this paint preserves wood for 10 years.

It is analogous to the paint made by the Finnish company Tikkurila under the name Oljypohjainen punamaali, a water-based paint using linseed oil, but it will be more expensive than the cost of the fence itself. It is the low cost and availability of all components that the home-made paint captivates.

If you need to build a budget fence – Swedish homemade paint is the best option..

So, to prepare paint you will need:

• 107 ml of natural drying oil;
• 193 gr rye flour;
• 87 g of ferrous sulfate (antiseptic);
• 87 grams of red lead iron (coloring pigment);
• 87 grams of salt;
• 1.5 l of water.

The total weight of the paint turns out to be about 2 kg and is enough to cover 7 square meters. m of fence surface.

The paint preparation process is as follows:

• from flour and? portions of water, cook the paste, stirring all the time, to prevent lumps, if possible, it is convenient to use a mixer;
• add salt and ferrous sulfate to the resulting paste, stirring without ceasing;
• after the vitriol and salt dissolve, red lead is added and the mixture is thoroughly mixed;
• drying oil is added last, after which the paint is brought to the desired consistency with the rest of the water.

The whole process of boiling paint for 1.5 liters takes about 30 minutes. This time is enough to get a fully finished paint with a uniform consistency. But, for better stability of the paint, so that the pigment is not washed off by the rain, leaving red streaks on the foundation, it is necessary to simmer the paint over low heat, not letting it boil, for about 2-3 hours.

For good absorption, it is better to paint the boards with warm paint, especially since the cooled mixture becomes thicker and its consumption increases significantly. On smooth surfaces (in places where the bark and resin has been removed), the paint lays down worse. Therefore, in these places the surface of the board will look a little lighter..

In summer and during warmer months, the paint dries on the boards within 4–5 hours. During drying, it is not desirable that direct sunlight falls on the paint; it is best to paint in cloudy weather or in the evening. Unlike synthetic paints, water-based oil paint penetrates the pores of wood without clogging them. The result is a natural air exchange, thanks to which the tree can “breathe”.

In addition, water-based paint has anti-fire and antibacterial properties. It also emphasizes the natural pattern of wood, and the presence of iron vitriol in its composition makes the paint an antiseptic at the same time..

Installation of bars and installation of boards

Painted bars are fastened with two bolts vertically to a metal corner embedded in the posts. The bar is fixed at a distance of 80–100 mm from the foundation. After that, prepared and painted boards are mounted to it with the help of a screwdriver and self-tapping screws..

The first board is attached to the bars from below strictly parallel to the foundation at a distance of the brick from it (for this purpose, it is most convenient to put a brick under the bars in the corners, and, resting the board on it, fix it evenly). If you want to leave an even distance between the foundation and the fence of a certain height, then the first board must be aligned on one side (cut off).

The rest are attached to the first board with a herringbone overlapping at an angle. For a better aesthetic effect, and also so that from the inside, snow and rain do not linger in places of overlap, the boards are placed with beveled edges outward. The last top board should be screwed flush with the vertical bar.

To strengthen the rigidity of the structure, you can fix another vertical bar on the inside of the fence in the middle of the section.

Fence maintenance

Caring for any wooden fence consists in its timely painting and protection from atmospheric phenomena. From the experience of those who have already used this paint, we can safely say that for the first 2-3 years you will not see any changes in the appearance of the fence, except, of course, traces of birds. Although it all depends on climatic conditions, compliance with the technology for preparing paint and the painting itself.

In any case, in places where excess, not absorbed paint can dry out and peel off, it will not be difficult to tint these places in a timely manner and will not cost much.

It is also advisable to install the sections on top perpendicular to the boards, but at a shallow angle of about 30 degrees, a board to protect the tree from atmospheric precipitation. The pillars with a foundation also require the same protection. To cover the pillars, you can use ready-made concrete caps or other available materials: sheets of galvanized steel bent in shape, remnants of slate, roofing material, ondulin, or by making a concrete cap yourself using a mold.

For the foundation, ready-made concrete coatings are also produced, but to reduce the cost of the fence, you can use the same materials as for the pillars or simply pour a layer of 2-3 cm with concrete mortar.

Summing up, we can safely say that a fence made of unedged boards, painted with homemade Swedish paint, is one of the cheapest options. At the same time, it is quite reliable and durable, and you can build it on your own. And an equally important factor is its unique style, which fits perfectly into the countryside..