# Fencing Advice



## kyfarmin (Jun 30, 2015)

Hi all,
I'm new to the group and excited to be here. I have 13 acres in Northern KY that I'm looking to fence in with some nice Kentucky 4 board fencing. I need advice on the right wood to use. I've had a couple companies come out and walk me thru their products and how they build them and it seems like the options in our area come down to pressure treated yellow pine or poplar.

Poplar is nice wood and holds paint well, a consideration since I'll be painting it. But I'm not sure how durable it will be. There's about $900 difference in price as opposed to the pressure treated pine.

As for strength, I think the pine is a bit better but not by much. I don't plan on putting a 2000 lbs. bull behind the fence, but I want something that can handle a reasonable sized animal in case I give in to my daughters desire for a horse.

I appreciate your advice.

Wes


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Poplar has many good points but longevity outside, painted, stained or not is NOT one of the good points. Pressure Treated poplar lasts fairly well as poplar can soak it in nicely but still not as long lived as other types.

Ideally Cedar would be the best solution but if it isn't available locally from a local mill you may be in for some sticker shock. PT Pine will last quite sometime, much longer than poplar.

An alternative maybe to go with a Split Rail fence with anything close to ground being Cedar and other woods higher up. Split & Not cut will not expose the fibre cores and will last much longer than cut lumber.... It's also more rustic & rough while looking good and easy to maintain.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Don't use regular poplar....won't last. I'd even be leery of pressure treated poplar.....it would depend on how thoroughly it was into the wood. And the 'new' pressure treatment is junk. If you go with anything pressure treated, find CCA stuff (the greenish colored stuff)....it lasts. Probably have to go to a farm supply place to find it....I think all the "big box" stores carry the new stuff. Carpenter bees drill it right out.

The best untreated wood is white oak. I've used it as a 3 board fence along with 2x4 welded wire for a 66" tall fence to keep deer out of our garden areas. Sprayed it with 2 coats of latex fence paint.


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## kyfarmin (Jun 30, 2015)

TnAndy,
That looks like a nice plot of land. Thanks for sharing your pictures.

I'll talk with my contractor and see if they can come up with some white oak. If not we'll see what other pressure treated options I can work out.


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## Blackwolfe (Sep 9, 2009)

You could also try creosote boards especially if you are using 4-6" round treated (creosote) poles from farm store or Co-Op.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

I would not use wood, 

but if wood is the choice, cedar has some natural restance to rot,

I would consider some type of vinyl fencing, may be with wood reinforcing, (putting wood inside of the vinyl. 

if wood one will have to be painting it (I would guess every 4 to 5 years, and I would think where you are at wood would be rotting out in 10 to 15 years, 

one more thing if you use wood, Use screws for the fasteners, when you do need to remove a board it makes life easy. and they hold so much better than nails, (at least in our area),

hear is a interesting fence, steel, http://buckleyfence.com/installation/


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

In this order. Hedge , locust ,white oak ,red oak ,post oak ,cedar, treated pine 

I install the boards with spiral shank nails and a strip board


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

A couple thoughts:

A wood fence is only a suggestion to a horse- if they really want out, they go thru it. Luckily, they don't usually want to get out that bad, so wood is a good choice.

My framing-grade pine fence boards are just now starting to show some weakness at 20 yrs old. We get 35 in. of rain/yr and temps range from -25 to +105. I have to wonder if treated lumber or "better" grades is worth the extra cost for only a few more yrs of durability? 

Yrs ago U of Iowa did studies showing, counter-intuitively, that unpainted wood lasts longer than painted. Maybe the paint holds more moisture in than rainwater out?


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