# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Preventing / Fixing Warping of Fence Palings

## grantj

Hi All! 
Long time reader, and thoroughly appreciate all the hints and tips I've found across this website. Decided I'd finally join and start helping out where I can. 
I have a small issue that I hope someone can help with. I actually tried bumping this thread, but it's too old:  http://www.renovateforum.com/f214/in...cing-up-98355/ 
My front timber picquet fence is approximately 1280mm high (see attached). However the top of the top rail is close to 300mm below the top of the fence palings (see attached). This has resulted in some warping of the fence palings, and hence the fence doesn't have a nice clean straight line along the top. 
My simple solution is to run an additional, but unsupported, fence rail about 25mm below the top of the palings. I know most rails come in 100mm or 75mm widths (with a 38mm depth), but I'm hoping to get something a little thinner to minimise the unsupported weight. Should the unsupported rail not work out, I could easily add a short extension to the existing posts to support the rail. The rail would be screwed (using fencing screws). 
Those with keen eyes would identify that the posts are from an older existing fence, with the rails and palings having been replaced some time since. Hence the mis-match! 
Thoughts? Grant.

----------


## melton2

you have the right idea, but dont leave the new fence rail unsupported. 
the vertical posts should be extended by adding a block to them to lift their height, and then fix the rail to the extended vertical post, and then screwing everything together. 
the amount of work involved in adding that extension would be 1/5th of the other work, so i would recommend you do it from the start.. 
then you may want to go and cut the top of the palings straight again. use a string line to get a nice straight line between the first and last paling.

----------


## Farmer Geoff

You may be able to source some U shaped colourbond capping that slips over the top of the existing palings - someone like Stratco could supply perhaps. Alternatively, a well seasoned decking board may work for your idea and be easier than extending the posts plus probably look like part of an original plan rather than an afterthought. If you position it carefully, you could use the board as a fence to run the plate edge of your saw against for a final trim of the palings. Pre-drill and countersink the screw holes in the palings as they might otherwise split being near the ends. Cheers

----------


## grantj

Thanks to you both. I hadn't thought of the Colourbond capping - that could be a simple fix. 
I figured that extending the fence posts would be required should I add the extra rail. What would be the best way to do this? I'm going to try and use recycled materials where possible, but will grab new stuff as needed. 
I'll look further into this next weekend.

----------


## Bloss

You don't need a new rail - the palings simply need a stiffener just down from the top as you say or a capping would also do the job eg: see Fencing | Fence Posts | Fence Rails | Post and Rail Fencing | Stratco and look in accessories tab. It need not be too big as you say - 19mm thick so 19x75 or a piece of decking would work as said above. Or you could do one on edge and one on flat along the top like the attached.

----------


## grantj

Thanks Bloss - the timber option in the photo looks really clean, and quite simple. I'll still check out Stratco this week, but I'm certainly preferring the timber option at this stage.

----------

