Reclaimed Wood Fence Ideas to Make Your Garden More Stylish
Are you tired of staring at that boring, run-of-the-mill fence surrounding your backyard?
Do you want to add a touch of rustic charm and personality to your outdoor space?
Well, look no further because we have the solution for you – reclaimed wood fences!
Besides being eco-friendly, reclaimed wood adds a unique and stylish touch to any garden.
In the rest of this article, I’ll take you through some of the best reclaimed wood fence ideas to make your garden the envy of your street. You won’t want to miss out on a single detail, from what reclaimed wood fences are and where to find them to the latest trending fencing ideas.
So let’s get started!
Reclaimed Wood Fences
Reclaimed wood fences are fences made from recycled or salvaged wood.
The wood used for these fences is typically sourced from old buildings, barns, or other structures that are no longer in use. Rather than being discarded, the wood is salvaged and repurposed into fencing materials.
Due to the wood’s natural aging and weathering, reclaimed wood fence posts portray a unique, rustic charm that no other fence type can replicate. They’re also ideal for creating a classic and stylish garden look.
Where to Find Reclaimed Wood Fences
Like any other construction material, finding the right place to buy reclaimed wood fences can be challenging.
The fear of getting poor-quality reclaimed wood fence boards and posts can be a worry. You don’t want your fence to start rotting or developing mold within a few months of installation, right?
Fortunately, there are some reliable stores that offer high-quality reclaimed wood fencing boards and panels at reasonable prices. They include:
- Home Depot: Home Depot offers a wide variety of home improvement products, including reclaimed wood fence boards and panels.
- Lowe’s: Lowe’s is another excellent place to shop for reclaimed wood fences. They have an extensive range of lumber types, styles, and sizes – all at unbeatable prices.
- Etsy: This is a consumer-to-consumer marketplace for vintage items. Salvaged lumber from this platform is ideal for reclaimed wood fence décor due to its vintage charm.
- eBay: It works like Etsy by facilitating consumer-to-consumer services. You can go through the platform for diverse reclaimed wood fences.
- Demolition sites: You can visit demolition sites for options like reclaimed pallet wood fences. However, you must repurpose the boards carefully to remove nails, screws, and other fasteners that can cause accidents.
You can also look for local businesses or individuals who salvage lumber from old buildings or furniture.
It’s worth mentioning that you must be extra careful when looking for these fences to ensure they are genuinely reclaimed. Pieces of genuinely reclaimed wood should be unfinished and unstained with nail holes and knots.
A better way to be certain that the wood is genuinely reclaimed is if it’s certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC).
Pros and Cons of Reclaimed Wood Fences
Although reclaimed wood fences are highly convenient, eco-friendly, and stylish, they’re not without their drawbacks. Let’s have a look:
Pros
- Sustainability: By reducing demand for virgin timber, fencing with reclaimed lumber contributes toward sustainable building as it helps conserve trees. Moreover, the approach reduces the amount of waste wood in landfills.
- Aesthetically pleasing: Reclaimed wood fence panels and boards portray a unique rustic charm that can completely transform the look of your garden. This is due to their visual characteristics, which include nail holes, knots, and weathering marks.
- High durability: Salvaged lumber is highly durable due to its longer growth period and exposure to the elements. Since the wood is already exposed to the elements and weathered, you can expect it to last for years without rotting or developing mold.
Cons
- Costly: Reclaimed wood is more expensive than virgin wood due to its scarcity and popularity. You’ll have to pay a premium price for good quality reclaimed lumber, which can be discouraging if you’re on a tight budget.
- Limited availability: There are fewer structures for demolition to get reclaimed timber. Therefore, getting enough reclaimed wood for your fencing needs can be challenging.
- Time-consuming: Fencing with reclaimed wood is time-consuming because of the wood’s inconsistent sizes and shapes. You’ll need more time to resize the pieces of wood before erecting the fence.
Reclaimed Wood Fence Ideas for Stylish Gardens
Whether you have a small or large garden, there are numerous reclaimed wood fence ideas you can use to spice up your outdoor space. Here are 13 of them:
1. Reclaimed Wood Picket Fence
This is an excellent reclaimed wood privacy fence.
As the name suggests, these fences often have pointed tops (pickets) for security purposes. The pickets can injure any person or pet that attempts to climb.
You can use salvaged fence boards to create your picket fence and paint it in bright colors for an eye-catching look.
2. Reclaimed Wood Vertical Plank Fence
This option is ideal if you’re looking for a rustic, yet stylish garden fence.
For a more rustic appearance, it’s advisable to stack reclaimed fence boards with different lengths vertically.
You can also add an extra touch by staining the boards with white paint for a Scandinavian vibe.
3. Reclaimed Wood Louvered Fence
Louvered fences are perfect for introducing air circulation into your garden.
Reclaimed Louvre fence panels are designed based on Louvre blinds. They have a wide-angled slat for a unique and stylish appearance.
The gaps between the panels allow air and light passage into the garden. Consequently, they cast pleasant sunlight patterns in the garden.
4. Reclaimed Wood Curved Fence
Curved fences are perfect for adding an artistic touch to your garden. As the name suggests, these fences have a curved top for a more dynamic look.
To achieve this effect, lay two planks on the ground horizontally. Place vertical planks with an increasing height on top of the horizontal planks and fasten them with nails or screws.
You can also paint the planks in different colors to make them even more eye-catching.
Planting flowers alongside the fence adds a natural touch to the fence.
5. Reclaimed Wood Slatted Fence
Slatted fences are perfect if you need sufficient air circulation in your garden.
You can build a slatted fence with reclaimed wood planks and paint them darker to achieve a modern look.
Planting climbing plants on the fence adds an extra touch of privacy and a natural feel to your outdoor space.
6. Reclaimed Wood Pallet Fence
This is your best bet for a minimalistic yet stylish fence.
Pallet fences are built with wooden pallets and fastened with nails or screws.
You can leave the pallets as they are for a rustic look or paint them in bright colors for an eye-catching effect.
Consider planting succulents around the fence for a unique touch to your outdoor area.
7. A Preschool Wonder
This is one of the best reclaimed wood fence ideas for those who want to trigger the curiosity of onlookers. You can build a playground for your kids using this fence design.
A rule of thumb for this option is to paint the vertical planks with varying shades of bright colors. Yellow, white, green, and blue are the best colors to arouse curiosity.
Moreover, having irregular planks fixed at short distances between them adds an extra touch of fun and creativity.
8. Reclaimed Wood Trellis Fence
Trellises are perfect for adding a sense of structure to your garden. You can use these to create partitions in your outdoor space or even as an entrance gate.
For a unique touch, paint your salvaged wood trellis fence with bright colors.
You can also plant climbing plants around the trellis to create a more vibrant and livelier atmosphere in your garden.
9. Mixed Material Fence
Combining different materials, like new and recycled wood, gives your backyard a stylish and unique look.
Alternatively, you can add galvanized steel posts or corrugated iron sheets for extra flair.
When building a mixed material fence, ensure the primary material is reclaimed wood. This will give your backyard a rustic and unique charm worth admiring.
10. Basket Weave
As the name suggests, this fencing design mimics the basket weave pattern.
You can create this design with recycled wood planks, which you can stain in natural colors like brown or black for a more rustic look.
Of course, you can make your fence stand out by painting it in bright colors – from contrasting shades of blue to vibrant red and yellow.
It’s worth mentioning that this face is strong and can withstand strong impacts due to the weaving pattern. However, ensure to leave tiny spaces between the boards for your home’s privacy.
11. Stepped Wood Fence
This is an ideal reclaimed wood fence idea for those living on a hill.
Working with the land’s geography, this fence is stepped up the hill and follows its natural curves.
The fence design allows you to use reclaimed wood planks of varying sizes, creating a unique effect that can make your yard stand out.
You can paint the horizontal slats of the fence in bright colors for a unique look. Alternatively, use natural wood tones for a more subtle effect.
12. Reclaimed Wood Lattice
Are you a lover of climbing plants and looking for a fence to support them?
Reclaimed wood lattice is your best bet. This has crisscrossed strips that offer an excellent climbing screen for vines and other climbing plants.
The combination of plants and weathered woods adds a warm, rustic charm to any outdoor area. However, ensure to design the wooden strips neatly for an aesthetic finish. You can use bright or dull colors based on your preference.
13. Mural Reclaimed Wood Fence
If you’re an art enthusiast, this fence design is ideal for you.
For this reclaimed wood fence idea, make a mural of your favorite painting or any other artwork that pleases you using reclaimed lumber.
The best part about this type of fencing is that you can use unique palettes with interesting textures to add to the overall mural effect.
The secret is to use a bright and attractive color combination that creates an eye-catching effect.
How to Make a Reclaimed Wood Fence
As already mentioned, one of the drawbacks of reclaimed wood is that it’s expensive. However, you can reduce the cost of your reclaimed wood fence by going the DIY route.
Here is a guide to making a DIY reclaimed wood fence:
Materials and Tools
You’ll need the following materials and tools for this project:
- Reclaimed wood and posts
- Cordless drill
- Clamp
- Construction level
- A carpenter’s pencil
- Drywall screws
- Circular saw
- Measuring tape
- Post hole auger
- Mason line string
Procedure
Expert Advice: Before you start, call your utility providers to ensure there are no underground power lines or wires in the area.
Once that’s done, use the below procedure to put up your reclaimed wood fence:
- Mark out the lines for the fence: Use some mason line string to mark out the lines for your fence. This will guide you to place all posts and planks at an even level.
- Dig out post holes: Use a post hole auger to dig post holes in the marked lines. The holes’ depth should be one-third to one-half of the post’s above-ground height. The distance from one hole to the next should be based on the length of the boards.
- Measure and mark the boards: Using a measuring tape, measure the planks to your desired length and mark them.
- Cut the measured boards: Use a circular saw to cut reclaimed wood planks and posts to the desired lengths.
- Erect corner and center posts: Start by erecting corner and center posts, ensuring they line up based on the strings before filling the holes with soil. These posts will act as markers to ensure everything lines up nicely.
- Install the rest of the posts: Put the rest of the posts into their respective holes and use a construction level to ensure they are aligned before adding some soil and tamping.
- Add concrete: For stability, fill the remaining hole space with concrete and allow it to set for about three to four hours.
- Attach the fence planks: Once the concrete sets, attach the reclaimed wood planks onto the posts horizontally. Place shims on each board before attaching the next for a uniform separation. Use a cordless drill and drywall screws to attach and secure the wood onto the erected posts. (If you’re doing the job alone, use a clamp to hold the center of the boards as you secure the sides.
Here is a demonstration video for the above procedure:
Final Thoughts
The possibilities with reclaimed wood fences are endless. They allow you to create a unique and stylish outdoor space without compromising sustainability.
Reclaimed wood fence ideas range from minimalistic and modern to rustic and classic. Pick an idea based on your preferences and the size of the garden.
Before you leave, check out these pros and cons of building with recycled plastic. For more ideas on sustainable building techniques and materials.
