Build a cedar fence with open panels

This elegant palisade fence, 6′ high, provides plenty of privacy for the garden but also lets daylight through. Each panel is 72" wide.

The fence is easy to build and requires very few materials because the boards are simply inserted into grooves made in the posts.

For this project we suggest using metal stakes to secure the 6' posts because they are easy to position accurately and adjust if necessary. Alternatively, you could use 10' fence posts and set them into concrete form tubes.

Level 1: ½ hour per panel (not including post installation).
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List of tools
List of materials
Elevations
Preparing the posts
Cedar wood
Cedar is a naturally weather-resistant material and so does not need to be specially treated or painted. But there’s nothing to prevent you from staining it to go with the decor – this will not detract from its beauty.
We have chosen to use cedar for this project because of its weather-resistant qualities. You could also make the fence from treated wood, but bear in mind, in that case, that your fence will not have the same rich aspect that natural cedar provides.

A fence is made up of a series of panels connected by posts. Each panel needs to be supported by two posts. The following list of materials is for one panel with one support post. You will need an additional post to complete the end of the fence.

List of tools

  • Table saw with dado blade
  • Driver drill
  • Sledgehammer
  • Pencil
  • Measuring tape
  • String and wooden stakes

List of materials

Zoom in
(Materials for one panel)
  • 1 cedar post, 4" x 4" x 72"
  • 12 cedar boards, 1" x 6" x 72"
  • 2 ½" treated-wood screws
  • Metal fence stakes
  • Stain

Elevations

Preparing the posts

Zoom in
The boards are inserted into grooves made in the posts with a dado blade on a table saw.
  1. Decide on the location of your fence and mark out the fence line with string and wooden stakes. Plant one stake for each post and calculate the number of sections you will need to assemble.

  2. Make grooves in the very centre of the posts using a dado blade. The grooves must be ¾" wide by ¾" deep. Only one groove needs to be made in the start and end posts.

  3. Stain the posts and the boards.
Zoom in
    Plant a metal stake into the ground at your starting point. To drive it in, insert a 10" scrap piece of post in the base of the stake and hit it with a sledgehammer.

  1. Plant a second metal stake along the fence line, exactly 74" from the first stake, centre to centre.

  2. Insert the first (start) post into the base of the first stake and a post for straight lines into the second stake.

  3. Insert the first board into the grooves, 3" from the bottom end of the posts. Screw into the posts at an angle.

  4. Slide the other boards into place following the pattern shown in the elevation, i.e. three boards at a time followed by a 1" space. Use a spacer to ensure even 1" gaps between the board sections. If necessary, cut the boards to adjust their length. Screw each board into the posts at an angle.

  5. Work your way along the fence line, planting one stake at a time and installing the boards as you go. Finish with an end post.
The design of this palisade fence prevents water from accumulating and penetrating the wood, which helps prolong the life of the naturally weather-resistant cedar.
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