Work steps
1. Paint boards with wood preservative
2. Dig a trench (width approx. 40 cm, depth approx. 70 cm, length as required)
3. Fill in about 10 to 20 cm of drainage gravel
4. Place the first board in the trench, hammer it firmly into place, and install a precisely sawn board (15 x 3 cm, approx. 40 cm long) as a spacer and anti-tip device. If the gap needs to be larger, simply use two or three boards (these can also be screwed or nailed together); alternatively, concrete blocks of the appropriate width (15 cm) can be used.
5. Continue working board by board and insert lawn edging stones on both sides to ensure support on all sides
6. Align everything again; fill the trench to the brim with gravel
For a more robust fastening of the boards
Create a continuous strip foundation (20 cm wide, 40 cm deep) and place the individual boards either with post supports (L-beams or U-beams; depending on the spacing and board thickness), with metal plates (flat connectors) or directly into the concrete (embedded at least 25 cm deep).
Support the boards laterally until they fully harden. The lawn edging stones can also be set in concrete.
Variations
Place some boards slightly slanted, not perfectly straight; vary the fence height by using different gradations along the fence; place boards slightly diagonally, not at right angles to each other; use colored boards.
Fence for lazy people
Obtain pointed round posts (chestnut, pine) and drive them directly into the ground with a sledgehammer, close together, in the desired alignment. Whether perfectly straight and level or with a sweeping, undulating height is up to you.
You have to estimate this
Material for 1 linear meter of fence
20 wooden boards (2 x 15 x 250 cm, Robinia – alternatively oak, Bangkirai, or Ipé), 1 wooden board (3 x 15 x 400 cm; impregnated; coarse lumber is sufficient here), 2 lawn edging stones (concrete, 100 x 25 x 5 cm), drainage gravel, wood preservative (e.g., linseed oil varnish), optional paint; for more robust fastening: 2 bags of garden concrete (Quick-Mix or screed concrete); screws. Tools: spade and shovel, spirit level, saw, toolbox, hammer, sandpaper; for more robust fastening: cordless screwdriver or drill; work clothing and protective equipment.
Indicative costs
175 euros for 1 linear meter of fence with simple fastening at 3 cm spacing. Difficulty: medium.
Time required
2 days without material procurement
