Styles of Log Fencing
- The split rail fence was among the first styles of log fencing.wooden rail fence image by Rose Hayes from Fotolia.com
Log fences are among the oldest styles of fencing in the United States thanks to the ready availability of the raw material: trees. Over time, the styles of log fencing changed according to the sophistication of the building methods as well as the needs of fence owners. - The split rail fence was made by splitting a rail lengthwise, stacking them and then securing them between two upright posts. The fences were secured to upright posts with rope. This fence was first used in the United States in the 1600s, according to the website Appalachian Fence.
- This fence was used in England during the 1700s, according to John Pickard's "Post and Rail Fences." As people sailed, or were forced, to Australia, they brought their method of building post and rail fences with them. They were first used to form paddocks to hold livestock. The popularity of the fence grew rapidly after it was exported to the United States and elsewhere.
- The stockade fence is another old fence style. These fences were constructed by embedding logs into the soil so they stood upright. The U.S. Army used this style of fence to build forts around the American West.
- A snake rail fence is a primitive form of log fencing. The rails are slip, and instead of being secured to upright fence posts, the ends are stacked between two uprights. The name refers to the fact that, if viewed from above, the fence forms zig-zags rather than straight lines, stretching across the field, like this: wwwwwww (though with less acute angles).
- Stone and log fences are a combination of rocks and logs. The logs form rails while the stones form the uprights. The effect looks like tall, narrow stone walls with rails extending between them.
