Wood & Organic

Recycled Fence From Discarded Fence Boards

The old white picket fence around our corner lot had rotted away and though we considered just removing it, we ultimately decided we wanted a new fence.

We looked at some cheap fencing ideas

and we decided to build it ourselves.

I designed and constructed the new one around a supply of salvaged redwood fence boards and posts, as well as some miscellaneous lengths of salvaged, full-dimension redwood lumber.

I wanted a fun and inviting look, so I incorporated a long wave that spans two sections (16 ft./~4.8 meters). Because I needed to trim, plane and route various parts (as well as removing any stray nails and screws), it took much longer than if I had simply purchased new lumber, but I was very pleased by the result.

Several years on, I’m now constructing the matching gates we initially omitted — though with mostly new materials for the gate frames since I wasn’t able to locate enough old 2x4s.

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skinnerbird

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  • In my post, I didn't say how I accomplished the long waves, but my solution was to measure and mark the pickets with the tops and bottoms of each wave. I then clamped 2 or 3 10' lengths of 3/4" PVC irrigation tubing to the fence at a low point, then force the tubing bow enough to get a smooth curve as I clamped at the high point. With the pipe in place, then it was a simple matter to trace the curve across all the pickets, remove the tubing and follow my markings to trim the tops of the pickets.

  • Beautiful fence, I love the waves. I just installed a new fence myself (we went with vinyl) and it's amazing how much it can change the look of a yard.