The HH and I have been busy in the yard the last few days working on the fence, cutting down brush and moving dirt from one side to another. All in all, things are going well and I think we’ll meet our goal of not only getting the fence in before the ground freezes, but moving the 20 yard pile of compost along the back of the property so that next spring, I’ll be able to plant a nice line of hosta plants just beneath the massive yew trees.
When we first moved in, we thought we’d have a black aluminum fence {kind of like a pool fence} installed. The neighbors have one and it looks nice and since their fence borders 1/4th of our property, we thought hey why not, everything would be matchy matchy and the lines would be clean and simple and that would be that.
But the more we walked around our house, and really looked at it from the outside, and the more time we spent around town looking at other homes similar in style and size to ours, the more we thought a picket fence would be a better fit. And, as we soon found out, a picket fence would cost about a third of the price of a black aluminum fence if we installed it ourselves.
For the most part, the installation process has been pretty straightforward. Easy even {although I’m not the one digging the holes and lining the posts up}. 😉
The curious thing though, is the soil. In some parts it’s super sandy once you get down about a foot, and in others the soil is full of ash at around the 18″ – 24″ mark. {My friend Heather from Massachusetts says the sand is probably because a gazillion years ago the place where our house now sits was probably in the ocean and the HH said the reason for the ash is because there was a big fire in our town at some point}. We haven’t found any hidden treasure yet though, so that has been a bit of a disappointment.
If you’ve ever found yourself needing to cut a piece of wood that’s too big for the pruners but to to small for a chainsaw, the Sawzall is the perfect tool. The HH bought me one a few years ago for cutting down the 10,000 rhododendrons at the HOA house, and ever since then, it’s been our go-to-tool for cutting smaller tree limbs and roots.
Let’s just say it has come in pretty handy the past few days as we’ve worked on installing the fence.
We have about 70 more feet to go {and 2 gates to install} before we’re finished. But with a little luck, I think we can wrap up the project this weekend {sunny skies are in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday!} and Miss Lucy will be able to run around the backyard like a free bird again chasing squirrels and digging holes where she shouldn’t be.
I think the fence should be stained white {white house, white picket fence}. The HH said he likes the natural cedar look. What do YOU THINK? I told him I’d ask your opinion. Even though I’m pretty sure you’ll all be on my side. 😉
Thursday! You look beautiful. Have a great day everyone,
~Mavis
Susan S says
I love the idea of a white painted fence. So charming!
Lindsey says
White!!
Tracey says
It doesn’t need to be all matchy-match. White for in front of the house, let it gray in the back. More authentic.
Mavis Megler says
I’d say paint it white. The first year it might look great being natural but once it greys, I’m sure you will wish you had painted it.
Alison says
Leave it natural for now… if you still want it white, do it next fall…
Erica says
We recently bought a white colonial. Painting the picket fence white is on our to do list for next spring.
Cathy says
That cedar is going to turn gray in the weather. Happy staining
Jen M says
I like the natural, but he’d still need to weatherproof it every year or two to keep it from graying.
Marie says
Curious, no cement for the 4×4’s?
Diana says
The natural cedar is beautiful. I’d say let it be for this year – just put a sealer on it – and see what it looks like next year. If it grays out or looks shabby in any way, then paint it white. You could also try using one of the semi-opaque stains on it in white. I’ve used that on my fence (it was PT tho, not cedar) and it lets the wood grain show through. I really like it…
Robin in WI says
Rent a metal detector and see if there are any very vintage items in your yard. 🙂
Kari says
Definitely white. Hasn’t he ever heard the “white picket fence, 2.2 children and a dog” expression? It’s just how life is supposed to be. No question.
Jason says
I think both options would be attractive, but I believe staining it white to match your house would be the best.
Katie says
Fence looks great! I definitely think you should paint it white.
MEM says
Let it age naturally and turn gray. I, too, live in New England and its very typical. I had a cedar fence before our old house burned down and I loved it. Painting it white will be a bear to maintain. With our new house we had white vinyl fencing installed which looks great but still needs to be power-washed.
Wynne says
My thoughts too. White might be prettiest but it will need more looking-after. If you don’t have any kids named Tom Sawyer to manage your fence painting, go for the paint-free look!
Deborah says
I’d paint it white. Or at least put a clear coat of stain on it to keep it like it is. It will have to be done over and over again as the years go by.
Cindy says
I say leave it for this year and then paint it white. The fence will grey.
Lissa says
White. White. White.
Pam Favorite says
I would paint it and put post caps on, then it would look finished.
Katie says
We’re in Boston and also have a yard that’s full of ash a couple of feet down—I believe it’s because people used to just shovel all their fireplace ash directly outside? At least, that’s what we’ve always been told!
Jane says
White! Definitely white! It will match your lovely home!
Les Godwin says
Apologies but have to go with the HH on this one, and that’s not because I’m a man. Natural all the way. Will blend in with the background and you won’t have to worry about painting, staining or washing when it gets all mauled up by splash from the ground from rain or snow through the season changes.
bobbi says
white! Natural will fade and look worn and well, ugly. I guess you could stain it, but why? White
Carolyn says
Leave it natural and let it go grey. It will add a contrast to the white house and give an aged look that is lovely. I probably just became your hh’s new best friend. 🙂
Teresa says
I agree with Carolyn. It will age beautifully and look like it’s always been there.
Peg says
Painted white would be lovely, but who’s the poor soul who’ll have to repaint it . I have to side with your husband.
Linda says
I thought the exact same thing!! Sorry Mavis!
Jody says
You can get a white stain that doesn’t require the same maintenance as white paint. That’s what I would use. We had a stain made for our fence pickets that matches the trim paint on our house. It’s weathering really well, no peeling or chipping.
Ramona says
My first thought was…. maybe HH wants it natural so he doesn’t have to stain or paint the fence. We have a cedar fence that is all natural, now greyish in the back part of our place that you don’t really notice to much. The rest of the fence around the property is white vinyl that looks nice. I have a feeling you will want your fence white.
jilly says
Not sure if termites are a problem there as they are in our neck of the woods…Southern California but it should be treated or painted. We just removed over 100 ft. of wood fence due to age and termites. Our pest control guy gave us the run down on termites. Any untreated or unpainted wood is an open invitation to the little buggers.
That said I am with you Mavis.
Tracey says
It doesn’t need to be all matchy-match. White for in front of the house, let it gray in the back. More authentic.
HollyG says
We have a white fence. It’s lovely when it’s clean, but it’s a bit like the Golden Gate bridge – constantly in need of a touch up. I think if I could do it again, I wouldn’t have painted it, but some people find their zen in painting fencing. It looks beautiful. I like the notched pegs much better then the metal hanging hardware they use here.
Rita says
Painting it white will require a lot of mainetenance. How close to those trees is it? Looks close. Can you get in there to paint? Also, would you have to paint the neighbors side also? Wonder what they would prefer?
Tracy Tidwell says
Leave it natural.
Sandra G. says
Ask your HH if he has seen other fences in that natural color he likes? They most fences get painted white because after time the wood goes grey. He will have to clear coat them keep them that color. There is a contractor guy Mike Holmes who does a commercial on HGTV which explains this issue nicely. Love your latest en-devour in Maine
Ann says
Please tell me HH didn’t dig post holes manually as the hand tool shown in your photo suggests. Surely his awesome new tractor can accommodate a power auger, available to rent if such attachment didn’t already come with the tractor.
If he did dig holes by hand, he needs to buy Wheaties next trip to Market Basket!
jj says
Paint or stain it white. Personally I love the look of a white picket fence. Did you end up decorating your front door for Halloween? If so pictures please.
debbie in alaska says
I vote white. quintessential new england picket fence.
Rosaleen says
Take pictures of the fence with your house in the background. Then compare pics of unpainted to others you paint digitally. Try weathered grey, too. See which appeals to you and factor in maintenance. Cedar should be insect and rot resistant (not -proof) but I hope you treated the parts of posts that are set into the ground. Good luck!
SarahB says
looks beautiful! i just had a fence installed this month. i was told it was too late in the season to stain/paint. too much moisture and not warm enough. moisture is a killer and doing it now will trap in the moisture. he told me best to wait until very warm days – between july and sept with no rain in the forecast. he also mentioned that a painted fence is high maintenance as it chips and peels. stain is more forgiving. i plan to do a clear or light-colored stain next year. (i live in WA, so recommendations may be different for you.)
Erin says
If its cedar I wouldn’t paint it white. Lots of cedar sided homes in my area. If you stain it natural it wont gray and will look beautiful. If it ever starts turning gray you can power wash it back to natural.
CherylV says
Rather than using paint, use a white wash stain… It gives you the white you want and possibly still shows the wood through the wash the HH wants. But it is a stain.
Elle says
I don’t like painted wood. Leave it and let it age naturally.
If you paint it, you have maintenance of scraping and repainting to keep it looking nice as well.
Trudy says
Stain it white. Stain doesn’t chip off! White with a White House is best!
Tracy says
Cedar looks beautiful natural for a few years….and then it doesn’t. White stain is too much white with a White House unless you plan to plant amazingly lush cottage garden flower beds on the inside of it to provide strong contrast. So….I would stain it in two coats of a classic New England black. Embed the posts in concrete underground, for sure, and enjoy!
Melanie says
Unpainted picket fencing looks tired and drab. Painted picket fencing looks cheerful and happy.
MaryBeth says
Would probably need to paint, stain or seal to get the most years out of the fence. I’ve always found white charming
Jenny Young says
I’d have to see your house to decide if I like white or stained better.
Emily says
My vote is natural cedar. It will weather to gray. Most importantly it will be low maintenance that way. If you paint it white, at some point you will have to repaint it.
Jamie says
Oh white would be pretty but that’s a lot of work! I would leave the cedar!!
Lynne says
I think a lot hinges on how close you are to the water and how damp/humid it gets. I always loved the idea of weathered cedar until I saw how mottled and ugly it could look. Weathering becomes dirty-looking in a heartbeat in my neighborhood, on the water.
Lisa Millar says
I know for me I’d leave it natural… I’d enjoy the slow weathering look as it changes too.
Plus… white – absolutely looks gorgeous… but would drive me mad quickly when it gets dirty – everything would show up!! Life is too short to be washing fences! 🙂
Regardless – its looking fabulous! Great job!
Linda Practical Parsimony says
White
KATHY says
Mavis, did I miss the part about building up the lasagna garden? I’m looking forward to reading about that. Thanks, Kathy
Linda says
Definitely White! I recently bought a can of paint named Picket Fence White!
earthworks says
It’s great to come across this blog and I loved particularly with the way you have represented your points and ideas for building fence and lasgana garden… Thanks a ton for coming up with this project, really helpful and a needed one.
Trevis X Williams says
I can’t find anything that looks like this here in Florida!! Where did you buy your materials? Do they ship?! It’s gorgeous!!