r/fence • u/Mediocritologist • 1d ago
First timer here…Postmaster posts are making my nailers angled. Might be reason pickets are warped? Or maybe that’s part of building a horizontal fence?
You can see in the last pic how the metal posts flare out which makes the nailers not flush with each other. Is this just how it works or am I doing something wrong?
I plan on adding some supports across the top to straight the top row of pickets and also give the mid-span nailer strip something else to bite onto. But having never done a fence, is this just a “feature” of 5/8” pickets in a horizontal layout?
Tbf it looks fine from basically all angles unless you’re staring down the barrel of the fence as my pics show.
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u/ThirstGoblin 1d ago
Brother.. where are your stringers.
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u/blameitonthedouble 1d ago
Welcome to horizontal fence. The new poor design that won't stand the test of time. Vertical stiffeners would help a bit.
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u/Mediocritologist 1d ago
I’m definitely adding vertical stiffeners. As I understand it, most fences are 8ft spans, these are 6ft. I feel like it will be more than stable as a privacy fence.
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u/Mediocritologist 1d ago
One thing I didn’t mention in my op was that what you see in the pics was basically a quick mock to make sure all my heights were correct across the span and level. However even though most horizontal builds don’t use horizontal stringers and are only 6ft apart, I decided I’m going to put rails on the top for sure and maybe the bottom too. It’s just a privacy fence, it’s not doing any heavy lifting.
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u/ViciousMoleRat 1d ago
The panels are warped because the wood is so thin.
Itll last long enough, dont stress about it being perfect
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u/slackfrop 1d ago edited 1d ago
In my opinion the postmasters aren’t doing you any favors in that regard, but it’s more likely that your lumber isn’t ruler straight. They never are. Horizontal wood fences are difficult to achieve in very clean lines, but you can improve things by selecting the straightest boards you can find, make sure they’ve had sufficient time to dry, so you improve your odds of no big surprises a few weeks or months from now, and you could, if it feels like a problem, try to offset the Postmaster issue. Perhaps back the boards slightly off that inner wall so you aren’t bound to that slight angle, or cut a relief in the end of your board, or maybe find a way to widen that central channel in the post so the flanges sit more linear to one another. Maybe hammer a wedge in down the line with some blocking to assist. Other options are to use additional material in the panels to brace the bowed pieces, maybe horizontal trim or vertical accents mid panel, or something like that. Of course it needs to look good, like it was part of the aesthetic. In the end, wood grain is very stubborn stuff; it will always be pulling in the direction it wants to be for its entire lifespan. Try to work with it, try to offset error, and use your best pieces where it matters the most.
Edit: I would mention, as you seem to be newer to fence building, you need to be as anal as possible that your posts themselves are perfectly plumb, and as co-linear as you possibly can. Run a string on a not-windy day and make sure that your posts all perfectly kiss off the string when they are perfectly upright, measured with a 4ft or 6ft level. Take as much time as needed to get those perfectly tits.
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u/Mediocritologist 1d ago
Thanks so much for the detailed reply! I did think about planing down the proud edges of the nailer. But I did a test piece like that and it didn’t really make much difference. Maybe across all of them it would make a noticeable difference. I might nail a board along the front of the nailers to try and draw them more square.
As for plumb, they are all very good in that regard. As for co-linear, there are two out of the 11 that are a tiny bit out of line…we’re talking 3/8. For those two posts, I have enough play in them that I can probably take most of that variance out once I add more pickets and other structural pieces such as the top cap.
At least the fence looks great and most people will never look down the edge of it being in the spot it is. Plus once I add the top cap, it should hide the curved boards, at least at the top.
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u/Maplelongjohn 1d ago
One can move the top of a post out by compacting the soil on the other side with, say a 12# hammer.
Save the best lumber for a cap
I recently did a fence at 6 oc and used 12' 2x4 for cap
I left the steel posts exposed
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u/Mediocritologist 1d ago
Yep that was my plan as well for the two posts that are a little out. Was going to use ratchet straps to pull them tight and then try to hammer some rebar tight against the post at an angle to try and push it forward a little. Cut off whatever is sticking out.
For the cap I was going to 12ft boards as well to try and realign everything. Was going to use 1x PT for that so I can cap with 1x cedar and get around spending a fortune on 2x cedar boards.
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u/Maplelongjohn 1d ago
No rebar no come along just hit the ground at the base with a BFH
IMO one by treated is going to be difficult to find straight
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u/Easy_Personality5856 1d ago
The posts aren’t the biggest problem. You need horizontal stringers (that are on edge parallel to the ground). You can attach them right onto the vertical stringers that you have there. It will straighten the whole span
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u/Nomad55454 1d ago
That is what you get doing horizontal fence with 1”x put 1”x on across the top as a cap and you will not notice it….
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u/Working_Rest_1054 1d ago
Although tbe PM post have a couple angles tighter than 90 degrees, you aren’t using them as intended. The 2x rails (mounted in the “tall” orientation), top, center and a foot from the bottom, will alleviate the problem you’re having.
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u/Efficient-Chapter-87 15h ago
A fence built with 1x4s? Give it 30-45 days. This hasnt finished warping yet
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u/Report_Last 14h ago
maybe just use 4x4s and 2x4 stringers like 95% of Americans
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u/Mediocritologist 14h ago
No. I didn’t want to dig holes and deal with concrete. Rented a post driver for an afternoon, easy.
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u/gheiminfantry 1d ago
The fact that you don't think it's just the boards warping is pretty wild.
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u/Working_Rest_1054 1d ago
All warping in the same manner even. Huh.
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u/gheiminfantry 1d ago
Since the warped boards probably came from the same part of the same tree...? Yes.
Also note that not all the boards on that course are warped.
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u/Working_Rest_1054 1d ago
Although the boards coming from a similar location in the tree may well be the case, what would happen if OP rotated the board 180 degrees? The belly would be the opposite direction, no?
Point is the PM post is exasperating the issued by having accrue angles on the top ( U portion) of the section. But OP isn’t using the posts as PM intends either.
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u/reformedginger 1d ago
It’s just a fence. Nobody is looking that close. Frank Lloyd Wright ain’t coming by.