A Picket Fence Gives A Homely Feel To Any Property

The picket fence is one of the most traditional fences there is. Add a picket fence and the white slats of wood immediately add a real homely feel to any property. However the fence no longer needs to be in the traditional wood, and neither does it need to be built by hand. The hand made picket fence is still with us, but there are now vinyl picket fences available which come prefabricated and ready for quick installation. This article will look at the two types, and considerations of the various styles of fence such as the straight style and the scalloped style of picket fence.

Traditionally the picket fence was made by inserting fence posts into the ground at regular intervals and then filling the spaces with upright planks, or pickets, which would then be painted, usually white. If you are a DIY type then you might want to try building this type of traditional picket fence. However there are now easier alternatives.

Wooden Picket Fence

The first is a prefabricated wooden picket fence. As the name implies, the fence is still wooden, though the fence is delivered in prefabricated panels which make up whole sections of the fence. One the fence posts are inserted, all that is needed is to slot the panels between the fence posts and the fence is ready. The advantage of this type is that you still get a wooden picket fence without the trouble of building it yourself. The disadvantage is that wood needs maintenance in order to keep it in good condition.

The second option is the vinyl picket fence. This also comes in prefabricated panels, with the added advantage that vinyl is a very low maintenance material. Once a PVC picket fence is installed it is basically maintenance free. This type of fence is also extremely easy to install and simply needs to be bolted together to make a good looking boundary to the property.

Scalloped Picket Fence

There are essentially two styles of picket fence and these are the straight style and the scalloped style. As the name implies the straight style has a straight top and is the simplest style of picket fence. The scalloped style has the pickets of varying lengths so that the pickets fall in height to a point in the middle of the fence posts. This provides a gentle oval shape to the fence and adds a nice decorative element.

The other choice to be made is the width of the slats. These can be narrow or wide, and when mixed with the choice of straight top or scalloped picket fence give four choices. The narrow slats may give a closed look, and can be used as a dog fence for a small dog if the fence is high enough.

As can be seen there are several choices of picket fence, both in the materials used, and the style of straight top, scalloped and wide and narrow slats. Each one can add a highly individual style to a property. Before deciding which one is right for your property take time to do some research to check what is available.