Wood privacy fences for Ann Arbor yards, in cedar or treated pine

Why wood remains the default privacy fence material around Ann Arbor

A wood fence suits the older parts of town, where houses have trim, porches and painted siding, and it suits a township backyard just as well. Boards can be cut to follow an odd lot line, notched around a tree root, or stepped down a hill without waiting on a special-order panel.

Wood also forgives mistakes. A cracked board comes off with a pry bar and a new one goes on the same afternoon, and a section crushed by a falling limb, common on lots full of mature oaks and maples, can be rebuilt without hunting for a discontinued product. The tradeoff is upkeep: unfinished wood in this climate turns silver and checks faster than many owners expect.

Treated pine versus cedar: the two woods most fences are built from

Nearly every residential wood fence in the region uses one of two species groups, and they behave, finish and age differently.

• Pressure-treated southern yellow pine is dense, strong and stiff, with preservative forced in under pressure. It is the usual pick for posts and often rails, even on cedar-faced fences. It arrives wet, can twist or check as it dries, and carries a green or brown cast until stained or weathered.
• Western red cedar is lighter, more stable as it dries, and naturally resistant to decay and insects thanks to oils in the heartwood. It lies flat, takes stain beautifully and weathers to soft silver. It dents more easily, and its sapwood has far less resistance than its heartwood.
• A common hybrid puts treated posts in the ground with cedar rails and boards above: the toughest wood where rot pressure is highest, the best-looking wood where you see it.
• Spruce and untreated pine show up on budget store panels. They are not built for long exposure here and are usually the first fences to sag.

Ground-contact lumber is not the same as above-ground lumber

Treated lumber is sold at different retention levels, meaning how much preservative stays in the wood. Above-ground stock is fine for rails and boards that dry between rains. Only lumber labeled for ground contact belongs in a post hole, in concrete, or anywhere it touches soil or stays damp. The label is on a tag stapled to the end of each piece; read it before posts go in. Above-ground stock used as posts often shows up as a post snapping at grade after several winters while the rest of the fence looks fine.

Treatment rarely penetrates all the way through a thick post, so a trimmed end exposes less-protected wood. Brushing cut-end preservative onto those surfaces, especially the bottom of a post, is a small step that pays back for years.

Wood privacy fence styles and what each one does well

Style changes how much privacy you get, how each side looks, how much lumber it takes and how it handles wind.

• Stockade: tight-fitted vertical boards side by side, usually finished with dog-ear or pointed ends. Simple and economical, but small gaps open as boards shrink, and one side shows the frame.
• Board-on-board: one layer of spaced boards with a second layer covering the spaces from the other side. Shrinkage never opens a see-through gap, both faces look good, and it uses noticeably more lumber.
• Shadowbox: pickets switch sides of the rail with each board, leaving an opening between boards on the same face. It reads as solid head-on, lets some air through, and gives both neighbors a finished face.
• Horizontal: planks span from post to post in level courses for a contemporary feel. Long boards can sag or cup without a center support, so post spacing and board thickness matter more.
• Cap and trim: a top cap board and trim added to almost any style. The cap sheds water off end grain and the trim stiffens the top line.

Post sizing, spacing and rails for a solid wood fence

Solid wood fences put a lot of leverage on their posts. Many installers use nominal four-by-four line posts on modest fences and step up to six-by-six at corners, ends, gates and on taller or exposed runs. On an open lot in western Washtenaw County that takes every storm from the west, heavier posts throughout can make sense.

Bays are kept modest, and solid styles often justify tighter spacing than open ones because every bay acts like a wall in the wind. Horizontal boards and heavy board-on-board sections are most likely to need closer posts or a center support.

Taller privacy fences commonly use three rails rather than two, which keeps boards from bowing and stiffens the frame. Rails fastened to the post face or in metal brackets drain better than rails sitting in notches that hold water. Setting posts and hole depth are covered on the privacy fence installation page.

Fasteners, corrosion and why cheap nails ruin good lumber

Today's pressure-treated pine relies on preservatives rich in copper, which attacks ordinary steel. Bright or electroplated nails in treated wood can corrode quickly, leaving rust stains, loose boards and fasteners that snap when removed. Hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel is the usual choice.

Cedar has its own chemistry: tannins react with uncoated steel and leave black streaks down the boards. Stainless fasteners avoid that entirely. Ring-shank nails hold well and go in fast; exterior screws hold better and make board replacement easier. Two fasteners per board per rail, set back from the edges, is common practice, and hinges and latches should match the fasteners' corrosion resistance.

How wood privacy fences fail in a Michigan climate

Wood breaks down from water, sun, freeze-thaw cycles and fungi, and southeast Michigan supplies all four. Knowing where a fence gives out first helps you catch trouble early.

• Rot at the ground line, where a post meets soil or concrete and stays wet, often hidden behind turf or mulch until the post moves.
• Bottom-of-board rot where boards touch grass, mulch, snow piles or downspout splash.
• Checking, cupping and twisting as boards dry and rewet; wide boards and wet treated pine move the most.
• Weathering, as sun breaks down surface fibers and turns wood gray and fuzzy, letting water soak deeper.
• Mildew and moss on the shaded north face or under tree canopy.
• Rail sag from undersized rails, wide bays or corroded fasteners, and gate sag, which usually shows first.

Ways to slow down rot, warping and weathering

Most of what keeps a wood fence alive is keeping water from sitting against it. Boards should end a little above the soil, mulch and soil should not be heaped against posts, and downspouts and sprinkler heads should point away from the line. Trim shrubs and vines back so air moves along both faces.

Post caps keep water out of end grain, which soaks up moisture far faster than a board face, and a cap board does the same for board ends. Deal with damage early: a cracked board or a post just starting to lean is a small job right away and a bigger one after a winter of snow load. Resetting and sistering posts is covered on the privacy fence repair page.

Staining and sealing: timing, products and how often to redo it

A finish slows water uptake and blocks some of the sun that breaks down the surface. It will not save a post sitting in wet clay or fix poor construction, but it extends the life and looks of the boards.

1. Let new wood dry. Freshly treated pine is wet from the plant and needs time before it absorbs stain; water that soaks in rather than beads is a common readiness test. Cedar is usually ready sooner.
2. Clean the surface. Mildew, dirt and the gray weathered layer should come off with a wood cleaner or brightener and a gentle rinse, not an aggressive pressure wash that raises fuzz on soft cedar.
3. Choose the finish. Clear and toner sealers show the most grain and wear fastest. Semi-transparent stains add pigment for better sun protection. Solid stains hide the grain and last longest, but can peel when they fail.
4. Apply to dry wood in mild weather, covering both faces, the edges and the bottom end grain.
5. Recoat as needed. Penetrating stains are commonly refreshed every few years, with sunny south and west faces wearing first.

Cost factors on a wood fence job

The contractor prices a wood fence after a site visit. Species and grade are big levers: all-cedar costs more than treated pine, and clear boards more than knotty ones. Board-on-board and shadowbox take more material and labor than stockade, and cap and trim add both. Height, length, corners, gates, post size, footing method and hardware grade all move the total, as do slopes, roots and rocks in the holes, removal of an old fence, a narrow side-yard access path, and whether you want stain applied now or later. A good proposal itemizes those choices instead of offering one lump figure.

Comparing wood with the other options, and getting a wood fence priced

If the upkeep cycle of wood does not appeal, solid panels that skip staining are covered on the vinyl privacy fences page, and the heavier wood-plastic alternative is on the composite fences page.

Wood suits tight in-town yards as well as rolling ground with deer pressure out toward Chelsea and Dexter. Once a style is in mind, the contact page is where to share the location, the look you lean toward and some yard pictures, so a local fence contractor can visit and prepare written figures.

Wood privacy fences for Ann Arbor yards — common questions

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