Build Zig Zag Split Rail Fence

Use chestnut oak cedar or juniper rails for a fence that can last as long as 100 years.

Build zig zag split rail fence.

This was a simple way to build a fence because no digging was required for post holes. 1 how to build a simple split rail fence. Worm fences also known as virginia fences snake rail fences and zigzag fences were one of the most common colonial log fence because they require only logs without need for special tools or. In colonial america split rail fences were built by laying logs on top of one another in a zigzag formation like this.

You can split rails yourself or purchase precut wood. A zigzag fence requires more wood than a traditional split rail fence but is easier to create without tools and gives your property a charming look. Simply follow the steps on this page. This form can calculate the entire list of materials needed to construct a split rail fence except concrete and total price.

He says acreage owners are adding split rail fencing also known as snake rails for rustic appeal and to add value to the property. Start with a fence bed that s at least 5 feet wide. Rails were split from logs with hammers and wedges and then stacked in a zig zag pattern. 3 stretches in feet a stretch is defined as an individual straight line of fence unbroken by gates or other end posts.

Today s suburban fences are typically created with a different design involving rails that fit through the holes on posts. While my neighbors property lines were neatly set off by picket fences and. Sam lough owns a company in west virginia that specializes in historic fencing. Split rail fences commonly have between two and four rails.

Double post fences are easy to build and repair. Split rail fences are constructed out of timber logs typically split in half lengthwise to form the rails. You erect two posts side by side and no more apart than the width of a split rail. Taking the rails you stack them between the posts and build to the height you require.

There are two different forms which have a dramatically different appearance. Traditional free standing split rail fences usually seen used for agricultural or decorative fencing have a characteristic zig zagging structure.