How to build a garden fence
If you just want a fence to keep out the neighbour's dog, there are plenty of off-the-shelf choices at your local home centre. If, on the other hand, the idea of defining your personal landscape with a touch of architectural flair grabs your imagination, you've come to the right place.
This lattice-top design makes an ideal privacy screen, but it can do much more. Erect several panels at the corner of your garden to create a sheltered picnic area, or place them in front of a compost pile or toolshed. Either way, you'll be giving your garden a welcome touch of class.
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Preparation
The first step is to measure up and determine the height and length of the fence and take the details along to your local hardware store. They will be able to cut everything for you.
Panels
Join the lattice strips with steel brads. If the assembly isn't perfectly square, simply pull it into shape before sandwiching it between its two frames.
Set the brads below the surface of the wood and fill with wood filler.
Plate joinery is the fastest way to create accurate and reasonably strong frame joints.
After cutting the slots at the ends of the pieces (C1, D1 and C2, D2 in our PDF plans), apply waterproof glue, join the parts and clamp for about an hour.
Place a frame over a lattice and secure it with wood nails. Drive the nails about an 50mm so they don't break through the thin strips.
Flip the panel over, support it on a few spacers and nail the opposite frame, driving the nails flush. Finish driving the nails on the first side.
With all of the lattice assemblies built, nail a divider (F1, F2) to the bottom of each.
Use a 4mm slot cutter in a router table to cut spline slots in the edges of the bottom-panel slats (I1, I2).
You also could do the job with successive passes on a table saw.
Alternatively, plan this project using exterior grade tongue and groove. Prime the splines (J1, J2), use them to join the slats for one panel and lay the subassembly on the floor. Don't glue the splines in the slat grooves, as the joints need to be able to expand and contract. Assemble the lower panels in the same way as the lattice panels. Tack one frame to the slats, then flip the assembly over to secure the opposite frame. Then, drive all nails flush.
Stand a lower panel upright and place a lattice section along its top edge.
Drive nails at an angle through the divider and into the top rails of the lower panel. Secure the endcaps (G1, G2) with deck screws. Nail the top (H1, H2) to the lattice panel rails.
Building the posts
Box posts make sense because the height of each post can be adjusted to level the fence once it's in place.
Keep in mind that you may have to alter post lengths and create a stepped fence if your site is gently sloped.
Before you build the boxes, prime the insides of the boards to protect against moisture. Assemble the box parts (K, L) with wood nails. Cut stock to size for the post caps and mark guidelines around the edges for the cap bevels.
Shape the bevels with a block plane. Then, use a chamfer bit and router table to cut the bevel on the cap trim (M).
Assembly
On-site construction will be easier if you join the posts to the panels in the shop, mark and number the parts, and then disassemble them.
Use wood screws driven through the endcaps (G1) (12).
Mark and cut the notches in the gate endcaps (G2) so the hinges and latch hardware will sit flush against the gate rail surfaces. Use a small handsaw to cut the notch edges and switch to a chisel to remove the waste.
Attach the hinges to the gate and post, and then remove them until final assembly. Slide a pressure-treated post core into each post box.
Secure with screws, but make sure that the heads are accessible so post heights can be adjusted on-site. Prime the bottoms of all panels, gates and posts with Woodoc Exterior Sealer. Once the fence is installed, these parts will be difficult to reach. And, they're the most susceptible to moisture infiltration.
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