Don't Buy Post and Rail (Split Rail) Fencing... Yet

Post & Rail has been traditionally used for horse corrals, and other livestock enclosures. Now-a-days it is commonly used for yard and garden fences. If you're interested in this rustic style of fence, please familiarize yourself with the characteristics you'll be looking for.

Rails

Rails are normally 11 feet long, which provides 6 inches of railing on either end, for insertion into post at the standard spacing of 10 feet apart.

[caption id="attachment_479" align="alignright" width="300"] Husky Post and Rail Fence by Academy Fence[/caption]

Rails should be made of a softwood, typically either spruce or hemlock. Mixed hardwood rails are usually lower in cost, but make a poor choice because of their tendency to rot, mildew and discolor. The Academy Fence rails are cut from a "very husky" (thick) beautiful softwood rails of a very hard-to-find variety, pictured to the right.

Posts

Posts should be made of locust wood, which in Abraham Lincoln's time would have been a Black Locust - an extremely hard wood, resistant to rot and durable, prized for furniture, flooring, paneling, fence posts and small watercraft - and is now usually a cross-pollinated variety.

Avoid posts made of treated wood. Not only do they lose the traditional look of natural lumber, but until 2003 the preservative most commonly used in residential pressure-treated lumber was chromated copper arsenate (CCA), an extremely toxic chemical. Contemporary treated lumber uses less toxic alternatives... amine copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole (CA), but whether these new chemicals will turn out to be less hazardous in the long term is anyone's guess.

All posts should include a galvanized staple on top to prevent splitting.

Number of Rails - 2 or 3

• Posts for a two rail fence should be 6ft long.


• For a three rail fence the posts should be 7ft long.

Academy Fence Products

If you or anyone you know is currently considering or shopping for a Post and Rail fence, please consider Academy's Rustic Split Post & Rail fencing, which features 11ft Hemlock rails (considered the best), enclosing spaces between posts 10 feet on center. Post are made from high quality locust wood, and all posts are reinforced with a galvanized staple at the top. This combination results in an esthetically pleasing, long lasting fence.

Additional Features

Color PVC coated welded wire is easily attached to render Post & Rail into an attractive dog enclosure, yard guard or pool code fence. Choose one of the styles here for additional information and pricing, or send in your choice of style and layout measurements on our quick quote form.