Picket Fencing

Picket fence supplies in Melbourne

Greenhill Timbers supplies timber picket fencing from our yard at 170 Settlement Road, Thomastown: cypress pickets, cypress and treated pine fence posts, H3 treated rails, galvanised post stirrups, rapid set concrete and fence finishes, with pickup or delivery across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Everything for a front or boundary picket fence comes from the one yard, cut to length if you need it.

Pickets

Cypress flat top pickets and cypress windsor pickets, 68 × 19 mm dressed, are sold per picket in 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8 and 2.1 m, with flat top also in 2.4 m. White cypress is termite resistant without treatment and takes paint well, which is why it is the traditional Victorian picket. Call (03) 9465 9875 for other profiles or lengths. For a hardwood fence, Merbau 70 × 19 mm DAR and Merbau 42 × 19 mm DAR are Class 1 durable battens that work as pickets or slats and take an oil rather than paint.

Fence posts

Cypress 100 × 100 mm sawn posts are the traditional Melbourne fence post: naturally durable, rated durability class 2 in the ground under AS 5604, and stocked in 2.4, 2.7, 3.0 and 3.6 m lengths. H4 CCA treated laminated posts in 88 × 88 mm, 112 × 112 mm, 135 × 135 mm and 185 × 185 mm are rated for in-ground contact and run from 2.4 m to 6.0 m (185 mm in 2.7 to 3.6 m). For a painted white picket fence, LOSP primed pine posts in 88 × 88 mm and 112 × 112 mm come H3 treated, primed and undercoated, ready for a top coat; being H3 they sit above ground on a stirrup rather than in it.

Rails, plinths and fixings

Fence rails are 70 × 45 mm and 90 × 45 mm H3 LOSP treated pine in 3.6 to 6.0 m lengths; 4.8 m rails give two 2.4 m bays with no offcut. For the plinth along the bottom of the fence, Lowdeck GL8 H4 138 × 44 mm is H4 treated laminated pine, so it can sit against the ground without rotting. Posts above ground go on galvanised post stirrups in 90 mm and 115 mm widths, and posts in the ground set in Rapid Set Concrete.

Finishes

Sceney’s Fence Finish in White, Black or Charcoal is the water-based coating for a picket fence, Sceney’s Fence Black is the creosote replacement for a black fence, and Sceney’s Bituminous Black coats the buried end of a post before it goes in the ground.

Planning a picket fence

For a fence up to 1.2 m high, two rails are standard; use three rails above that. Posts at 2.4 m centres suit 4.8 m rails. Sink in-ground posts about 600 mm, use H3 treated timber for anything above ground, and H4 treated or a naturally durable post such as cypress for anything in the ground. Pickets are usually spaced a picket width or 50 to 75 mm apart. Bring your fence length and height in, or call (03) 9465 9875, and we will work out the picket, post and rail count.

Questions we get asked about picket fencing

How many pickets do I need per metre?

About 8 per metre with a 50 mm gap, or 7 per metre with a picket-width gap, using 68 mm wide pickets. Add a few for cuts at the ends of each run.

What posts should I use for a picket fence?

Cypress 100 x 100 or the H4 treated 88 x 88 posts set in the ground at 2.4 m centres, so a 4.8 m rail spans two bays with no offcut.

How high can a front fence be in Victoria?

Most residential streets allow a front fence up to 1.5 m without a planning permit, but council rules and declared roads differ, so check with your council before you set the posts.

Do cypress pickets need painting?

No. White cypress is naturally termite resistant and can be left bare to weather to silver-grey. Paint or oil them for colour, and they take paint well.