• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cathy's Gluten Free logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Start Here!
    • How My Skin Cleared Up
    • Gluten Free Guidance
  • Meet Cathy
×

Home » Uncategorized » Hideaway

Published: Oct 24, 2020 by Cathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Home » Uncategorized » Hideaway

How to Build a Rail Fence

Save or share this post:

Share on PinterestShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

The rail fence was the priority at our Hideaway the second year we owned it. The previous owner had cleared a building site in the centre of the property. We were fortunate enough to have inherited a big pile of rails, presumably from the trees that had been cut down. Charlie decided to use them to build a rail fence along the perimeter of the lot.

man building rail fence

He had a couple of hours per weekend about once a month to work on this fence. There are many other things to do when we’re at our Hideaway. Sometimes we have friends or family visit us. Sometimes we go to visit family in the area. After all, this was supposed to be our relaxing weekend place! We had decided to just let the unfinished bunkie sit that year and focus on the fence.

Traditional rail fences were called split rail fences. They were built of rails from larger logs which had been “split” lengthwise to form rails similar in size to our posts. Typically split rails would have been 10 to 12 feet long. The fences formed a zigzag pattern with the rails resting on each other, and that’s how we built ours.

Charlie peeled the bark off our rails before using them. Most of it was falling off anyway.

pile of rails with bark falling off

To build a rail fence on clear level ground, start by putting up a string to mark one edge of your fence. Otherwise, your fence could very easily wander off course. We determined the edge of our property and put our string there.

Then lay out your first row of rails somewhat like this. These first ones will form your base.

3 diagonal pink lines parallel but apart from each other
single layer of rails laid out on ground

Next, lay out your second row with the ends resting on top of the first ones. Your rails might form a 90-degree angle, more or less. Don’t make the angle too large, or your fence will not be stable.

green lines laid out diagonally so they cross the pink lines near the ends
rail laid perpendicular to another rail on the ground

The third row gets easier. Place these rails above the first ones so they rest on the second row. Continue on in this pattern until your fence reaches the desired height.

perpendicular rails in alternating layers

Once full height was reached, Charlie stabilized the fence with two stakes at each corner.

vertical post installed at intersecting corner of rails

He wired them together at the top and bottom. They weren’t driven into the ground because it is so rocky.

closeup of wire holding vertical corner posts together
intersecting corners of rails

Obstacles

There were several obstacles in the way of our fence, so Charlie had to be creative as he worked around trees, rocks, and hills.

rail fence with a corner resting on a large rock

Sometimes, he would choose especially long or short rails as needed to work around an obstacle. To go up or down hills, he might depart from the basic pattern. In some places, he would arrange to have a rock or block of wood under a corner in an attempt to keep the fence level.

corner of intersecting rails resting on a block of wood

Our rails were of random lengths, so he had to be careful not to start off with a bottom one that was too long and be forced to find enough other rails just as long to complete the section above it.

Most of our rails were thicker on one end than the other, so he had to work with that, whether alternating thick ends in a level area or placing all thick ends on the downhill side of a section.

completed rail fence in the woods

It's pretty in winter, too!

rail fence in forest, all covered in white snow

I think the fence really enhances our property. If you build a rail fence, I’d love to hear about it!

Save or share this post:

Share on PinterestShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

More Hideaway

  • electrical boxes on pole next to trench
    Utilities
  • small cabin clad in grey wood, with porch on front, set in woods
    The Bunkie
  • snowy driveway between tall evergreen trees
    Hideaway

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greg McMillan says

    January 24, 2021 at 7:27 pm

    What kind of logs were they? Pine? Oak?

    Just curious because I’m thinking of making one out of pine as there are plenty to cut 4-5 inch

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      January 24, 2021 at 8:52 pm

      Ours were cedar logs. That's just what we happened to have. Good luck with your fence!

      Reply
  2. Jay says

    February 08, 2021 at 10:50 pm

    I absolutely love what you did to build your fence. Question. What happens at the very bottom of the wood closeat to the ground? How is that preserved so as not to fall apart from moisture?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      February 10, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this! I wanted to run your question by my husband before answering. He puts either a stone or a sacrificial piece of cedar under any piece that touches the ground. If he uses wood, it can be replaced when it becomes rotten.

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    October 15, 2021 at 5:52 pm

    Thanks for sharing your process! Your rail fence looks awesome, great job! My husband and I recently got our fence redone by a local contractor. We choose a composite fence, but I love the way rail fences look. You are way more handy than us- I don't know what we would have done if we had to create and install a fence ourselves haha!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 16, 2021 at 6:38 pm

      My husband is the handy one when it comes to things like fences, so I appreciate that! I'm sure you will enjoy your new fence.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

I'm Cathy, developer of delicious, nutritious gluten free recipes, simplified for creating at home.

CathysGlutenFree.com

As featured in...

logos for Country Living, Foodgawker, Yummly, and A Canadian Celiac Podcast

Easter Recipes

  • fork lifting sliced scalloped potatoes from white casserole dish dripping with melted cheese
    Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
  • green asparagus spears laid out on a parchment-lined pan.
    Roasted Asparagus
  • raspberries and blackberries nestled into whipped cream on a meringue base
    Mini Pavlova Recipe
  • slice of gluten free lemon cake with lemon curd filling and cream cheese frosting on white plate garnished with raspberries and blueberries
    Gluten Free Lemon Cake Recipe

Categories

  • Breakfast
  • Breads
  • Salad Recipes
  • Main Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Cookies and Snacks
Elimination Diet Meal Plan

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • Meet Cathy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 CathysGlutenFree, all rights reserved