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We live near the bay area in California and currently planning our front yard fence. I have already touched base with city about property line and possible height restrictions, so nothing needed there (unless there are common unknowns you'd like to share). Style = horizontal fence, like this:

example

pictures of my design and others

Odd fence angles - In the main plan picture you can see near the top left a fence that would be an obtuse angle. What's the best way to build this correctly? We are planning a horizontal plank fence and so I thought we may need an additional post screwed onto the main post cut at the proper angle to give a face to screw the face of planks into it. Does that make sense, or is there another better approach? Pictures included to show what I mean here

Ecnerwal
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Dave O
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  • This question is broad and opinion-based. It's simple carpentry to handle angles, and what's "best" is in the eye of the beholder and the funds-holder. – isherwood Oct 18 '23 at 18:12
  • Horizontal boards is a bad idea. Consider the shrinking and expanding factors, the overlapping boards is the best solution – asinine Oct 18 '23 at 22:35

2 Answers2

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You can have one post and mount both fence sections to it, one of them at an angle. But I think it might be easier to use a separate post for each section, and extend the fence boards a few inches past the post. Trim the boards so that they just barely touch.

fence diagram

Depending on the thickness of the fence boards, equipment on hand and attention detail/perfection, you can miter the ends of the boards to butt against each other properly.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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    Saves wasting the effort to rip a post and gives a better result, using two. My thought exactly. Though if you really want to *wow* the neighborhood, dovetail those boards together at the odd angle rather than butting them ;^) *I jest, ...or do I?* – Ecnerwal Oct 18 '23 at 16:08
  • @Ecnerwal The main thing is to make it look nice...wouldn't want to be o-fence-ive – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Oct 18 '23 at 16:11
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    This is really so simple that I’m baffled why I didn’t think of it. Basically using the same amount of wood and just one more hole. Thank you! I’ll keep the corners simple if I can get myself a miter saw. – Dave O Oct 18 '23 at 16:59
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    The idea of using two posts for this strikes me as absurd. This is a custom-built fence (as opposed to a kit). There's absolutely no reason for the extra expense and odd appearance of dual posts. Since this question is mostly just a popularity vote, I have to vote against this option. – isherwood Oct 18 '23 at 18:11
  • @isherwood Expense isn't much. Odd appearance? Maybe. But **thank you for explaining your downvote**. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Oct 18 '23 at 18:28
  • Fence posts move with seasonal moisture and differential drying on the different faces. As those corner posts move independently the corner boards are going to smash into each other or open gaps. You'll end up putting a corner 2x4 in there to keep everything tied together. – popham Oct 18 '23 at 18:29
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Your detail requires that the corner posts get located exactly where you want them. When setting posts it's nice to allow for some inaccuracy. You can reduce the complexity of locating that corner post perfectly by holding it back by 6" to 12" along the face of the non-45° fence line.

Offsetting the corner post along the non-45° fence line, cantilever your horizontal boards beyond the corner post by 6" to 12". Join these cantilever tips with the 45° fence line's boards by using a floating, vertically oriented 2x4. Use a table saw to bevel the long face of this 2x4 twice at 22.5°.

popham
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    Don't tell me down here. _Improve your answer._ – isherwood Oct 18 '23 at 18:26
  • Can you elaborate more on the 2x4 portion? Is this vertical all the way to the ground but not put in as a post? – Dave O Oct 19 '23 at 04:07
  • @Dave O, with the double post detail, the tips of the boards coming from either side move independently as the posts independently move due to environmental factors. You would then install the 2x4 from the bottom board to the top board to fix all of the board tips to move in parallel. At this point, the extra post increases the stress where the boards come together, and you regret installing the extra post when the 2x4 better provides the same functionality. – popham Oct 19 '23 at 04:38