Pickle fences are all the rage right now and are very popular in natural gardens. Depending on the type of wood, the fence can last up to 80 years.
Garden and property owners have various options for separating the area from their neighbors. While a chain link fence or picket fence are well known and commonly used, a picket fence doesn't mean something to everyone. These original fences are particularly suitable for a natural garden design and blend harmoniously into the environment. In the following you will learn what a picket fence is, which wood is suitable for it and what needs to be considered when attaching it.
What is a picket fence?
A stockade is a long wooden pole. This is not comparable to the accurate slats, but each one is unique. This is because stakes are broken along the grain of a round log.
The homeland of these predecessors of the picket fence is in England and France, where ecological and natural gardening has been practiced for centuries. This trend has also arrived in Germany and demand is increasing.
The poles are characterized by a beveled or pointed end. English stocks have a blunt end and French wood is sharpened on one side.
The individual wooden poles are not attached to crossbeams as you know it from the picket fence. Instead, the individual poles are only held together with a galvanized wire. This has the advantage that the fences can be rolled up easily and adapt to any terrain.
How is a picket fence made?
In the manufacture of picket fences, local chestnuts are usually used. The wood can be obtained from the stick rashes in the winter months. Harvesting can be performed multiple times.
The wooden sticks are freed from the bark and cut accordingly. The splitting of the stakes is done manually. After chipping, the ends are sharpened. The finished stakes are provided with wire and rolled up. The picket fence is now ready for use.
What about assemblyof picket fences?
A picket fence can be set up in any garden without much preparatory work. Supplied in roll form is practical and makes assembly easier. The fence is attached to support posts. These should be set in the ground using a post base.
Tip: If wood is in direct contact with the ground, it will rot faster and the post will have less grip on the ground.
Post bases are on the market for hammering in or setting in concrete. Casting in concrete is preferable as a solid and permanent measure. If the picket fence is to be moved again in the foreseeable future, drive-in sleeves are a good idea.
Attach picket fences - step by step
- Measure the required area
- Insert corner posts
- Line the fence line
- Use posts no more than 1.5 meters apart
- Screw the poles to the posts
- poss. Attach Wire Ends
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Where can picket fences be used?
The fences have their origins in old cottage gardens. The fences do not require any finishing treatment and are therefore a good choice if you want to create a natural garden. Since it is a fairly inexpensive and also ecological fencing, picket fences are also used to separate pastures and paddocks.
Which wood is suitable for the picket fence?
Pickle fences are available in different types of wood. The individual products vary in durability and price. As already mentioned, picket fences are preferably made of chestnut wood. The wood of the chestnut is particularly robust, but also quite expensive.
Therefore, we also name cheaper alternatives below. The exact durability cannot be specified. Ultimately, wood remains a natural product that is subject to numerous external influences.
How long the picket fence will last depends on the following factors:
- Wood species
- Pile Thickness
- Soil condition
- Location Conditions
- Weather conditions
These types of wood are used to make picket fences:
| Wood species | Features |
|---|---|
| Chestnut | • robust • durable • decorative look |
| Spruce | • less robust • not weather resistant without treatment |
| Oak | • very robust • durable • expensive |
| Hazelnut | • robust • durable |
| Pine | • less robust • not weatherproof without treatment |
| Robinie | • very robust • rarely available • expensive |
| Willow | • hardly robust • drifting on |
❍ Chestnut - the first choice for picket fences
Chestnut wood defies wind and weather. The high proportion of tannic acid also makes the wood almost immune to insects and fungi. Last but not least, the stakes come from local forests and are therefore ecologically completely harmless.
Chestnut wood does not require chemical treatment. The wood initially appears golden brown and has a rather inconspicuous grain. Over time the chestnut will turn a natural gray tone.
Pickle fences made of chestnut wood last about 20 years even when in contact with the ground, are weatherproof and completely recyclable.
Tip: The tannic acid contained reacts with metal. Black stains can form on the wood. This does not affect the durability of the picket fence.
❍ Spruce - soft and elastic
Compared to the other materials mentioned, spruce wood is a lightweight. The wood of the spruce is preferably used as a building material. It is very easy to process and gives off the characteristic resinous smell when fresh.
After drying, the spruce wood hardly deforms. Older picket fences darken to yellowish brown. Picket fences made of spruce wood are relatively inexpensive and ecologically harmless. Shelf life is seven to ten years.
❍ Oak - rustic and solid
Oak is often seen as less contemporary. This may be due to the rustic character of the wood. Local wood is ideal for fence construction. Oak is a hardwood.
The different grains and colors make each fence unique. Oak has a particularly solid structure and is weather-resistant.
❍ Hazelnut - stable and malleable
The hazelnut is a hardwood. The heavy wood is very easy to work with and, after chestnut, is the most popular material for picket fences. The durability is roughly equivalent to that of chestnut wood.
However, hazelnut wood is more susceptible to pests. This can negatively affect durability.The fences should be checked regularly for pest infestation - such as with a hazelnut borer.
❍ Pine - the classic for fence construction
Garden fences made of pine wood are common. If the pine is used outdoors, it cannot remain untreated. Only with the appropriate glaze does the picket fence have weatherproof properties.
When buying, make sure that the wood is of good quality and treated accordingly. The durability of pine and spruce is about the same.
❍ Robinia - durable
The first thing to do here is to distinguish between the native robinia and the exotic acacia. The tropical acacia is purposefully cultivated on plantations in Africa or Latin America. You can often find acacia wood garden furniture on the market.
Preference should be given to the native black locust for the picket fence. Acacia wood is softer and less durable. Both woods can be easily distinguished. Acacia wood has a rather inconspicuous grain and is reddish brown. Robinia wood has a light and strong grain.
The durability of robinia wood is second to none. A post buried in the ground lasts 15 to 30 years. Without ground contact, the poles can be 60 to 80 years old. Stored dry or under water, the wood of the black locust lasts up to 500 years.
❍ Willow - colorful and robust
Natural fences made of willow are more common outdoors. Willow wood is flexible and elastic and has a pretty play of colors. The willow bark can protect the wood from the elements.
Willow fences last between five and ten years. Willow wood is less common as a picket fence. Wicker fences made from the flexible material are offered much more frequently.
An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of picket fences
Advantages
✔ sustainable
✔ flexible in use
✔ easy to assemble
✔ easy to care
✔ inexpensive
✔ extensive product range
Cons
✘ less stable
✘ simple wire connections
✘ tends to sag
✘ less weatherproof
What should you look for when buying a picket fence?
❍ Size of picket fence
First you need to determine the size of the fence. The fences are supplied on a roll. This means that larger areas can also be served. Since the fences are offered in different heights, it is also important to take this into account. Low stakes are sufficient for a small demarcation in the cottage garden. Should the fence be used at the same timeFor privacy purposes, high stakes are a better choice.
❍ Material of picket fence
Some of the woods mentioned must be glazed and sealed so that they can withstand wind and weather outdoors. This is sometimes a contradiction. In the ecological natural garden, some wood will therefore be omitted and the choice should fall on chestnut wood, which has a positive environmental balance and does not need to be treated.
❍ Picket Fence Cost
Ultimately, the price also plays a role. Depending on the size and the type of wood used, the prices are subject to strong fluctuations. So here is a simple comparison of the average costs per meter. Picket fences made of sweet chestnut and hazelnut with a spacing of about eight centimeters in between and at different heights should serve as examples:
| Height | Sweet chestnut (price per meter) | Hazelnut (price per meter) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 cm | 8.00 Euro | 5.50 euros |
| 80 cm | 9.00 Euro | 6.50 euros |
| 100 cm | 10.00 Euro | 8.00 Euro |
| 120 cm | 11.50 euros | 8.50 euros |
| 150 cm | 15.50 euros | 12.00 Euro |
There are also costs for ground sockets (each from approx. 5 euros), corner posts (each approx. 10 euros), possibly a fence gate (approx. 80 euros).
Here you can compare prices and offers.