Featheredge Bespoke

Product Details

Featheredge boards are normally supplied as unspecified softwood, cut from fencing grade timber which is normally spruce.  For some fencing applications a higher grade of product may be specified. However, cutting featheredge bespoke boards can be rather expensive, particularly on short fence runs.

Featheredge bespoke boards

Featheredge boards are machined from rectangular wooden boards which are cut at an angle to make two similar tapered lengths. With bespoke timber we can offer a choice of heights, although this might involve some wastage, e.g. the Douglas fir and European Larch logs are normally 3.6 and 4.8 metre lengths.  This is not so much of a problem for cedar, green oak and Siberian larch – but they are already a more expensive product.

Standard featheredge boards are normally taper cut from 22mm timbers. A more stable board can be cut from ex 32mm boards but we would not recommend using more than a 150mm width board on a fence.

When to install a featheredge fence

When cut fresh from the round log, the ‘green’ unseasoned timber has a high moisture content.  These timbers should be kept out of strong sun before fixing, the boards will become more stable over time.  Also any boards with vivid colours will start to mellow after several weeks exposure.

However if the boards are kept in storage for more than a couple of weeks they will also harden. This may make them more difficult to fix than fresh sawn boards. Other things being equal it is best to install a new fence early or late in the season.

Exposing freshly cut un-seasoned featheredge boards in the height of the summer may lead to warp and twisting of the boards.  This can largely be counteracted by using more fence rails. When considering the number of horizontal rails on the fence then err on the side of caution, fit more rails rather than less.  The material costs are small relative to the overall cost of the fence.

Featheredge fixings

Use galvanised or stainless steel fixings to avoid corrosion and possible staining. Stainless steel is a must for cedar and oak.  Try to fix at least 10mm from the edge of the board to avoid splitting. This allows the wood to change shape and season without fixings failing.  Annular or ring shank nails are preferred for fixing featheredge and are less prone to pulling out than smooth nails if the boards start to move.