Fencing / Cedar Privacy
Cedar Privacy Fence in Cowlitz and Clark County
A privacy fence is only as good as what is under it. Most cedar fences that fail lean at the posts or rot at the bottom, and both come down to how the posts were set and how the bottom board meets the ground. Here is exactly how I build mine.
How I build it
Posts: Pressure-treated 6x6, 6 feet on center.
Footings: 18 inch round concrete pad, 24 inches deep, poured to grade.
Post connection: Standoff bracket on the pad.
Rails: Three cedar rails per bay.
Boards: 1x6 cedar.
Top: Lattice topper with cedar cap and trim, about 7 feet overall.
Bottom: Pressure-treated 2x6 rot board on one face.
Buried posts rot at the soil line. Setting a 6x6 on a bracket over a poured pad keeps the wood off the concrete and out of the ground, which is where fence posts give out first. The pads go in first and cure before any framing goes up, so it is a separate step on site, and it is the reason this fence costs more than one with posts set directly in the ground.
Seven feet of solid boards and lattice catches wind like a sail. That is why the pads are 24 inches deep and 18 inches across, well below frost depth, and why posts are held to 6 foot spacing. Shorter bays keep the rails short and straight instead of sagging.
The lattice topper keeps the fence private without turning it into a solid wall, and it lets light and air through at the top. The cedar cap sheds water off the top edge so the end grain does not soak.
The pressure-treated rot board runs along the bottom so the cedar boards stay clear of the ground and the wet. It is the piece that gets replaced someday, not the whole fence.
Included
Pressure-treated 6x6 posts
Poured concrete pads and standoff brackets
Cedar rails and 1x6 cedar boards
Lattice topper, cap and trim
Pressure-treated rot board
Hardware and fasteners
Not included
Old fence removal and haul-off
Gates, which are scoped separately
Staining or sealing
Clearing shrubs or brush from the fence line
Want this fence on your property?
Call for a free estimate, or send photos and get a Project Sketch first. Call (360) 431-9382.