Picket fence

[Maydup]

We have a curved boundary and would like to replace our wire fence with a picket fence. No great strength needed in the fence, no pets, no children just decorative boundary really.

The shape it quite a tight s bend. How's best to deal with the curve?

We're thinking about concreting the posts in, then bending long lengths of rail around them and attaching the uprights to the rails? Will this work or will it cause too much stress on the posts? If not would the wood have to be very thin in order for it to bend? Maybe we should cut into the rails to encourage them round the bends?

Any links or suggestions would be much appreciated.

[The Builder]

If you plan on painting the fence, use treated timber posts concreted in. For the rails ............. I would go for uPVC. Easily fixed to the posts. It's very flexible, you might need extra posts on the tight curves to keep it from flopping around.
Then fix vertical boarding, or whatever, to the rails.
The uPVC can be painted along with the rest.
If you go for stained timber, then maybe use brown or black uPVC.......... bit of a compromise, I know, but could be made to look good.

[carlton23]

http://www.google.co....ndable+plastic+fences

[Maydup]

Thanks both - sorry I didn't reply last night, I gave up on AB, it was so slow.

I'll think about uPVC rails but not sure where to buy them locally. Will look around. Can you fix wooden verticals to it then? We're planning on using treated timber and staining it again in brown .

If you were to do it in wood how would you do it? We're reasonably confident chippies between us!

[AlBags]

Don't bend rails too much .. they will split sooner or later.
Cutting into rails also bad .. will also cause splits in that area.
How tight are the corners? Radius approx?

[Maydup]

Hi AlBags

I don't know how to describe the curve in mathematical terms, but most of it is gentle although there is one tight curve whihc is equivalent to the rounding off of a right angle.