Found a way to stop my new fence from warping in the first season

I built a cedar fence around my backyard in early spring, and by July the boards were already starting to cup and pull away from the rails. I was ready to replace the whole thing. Then a guy at the lumber yard told me to try predrilling the screw holes with a bit one size bigger than the screw shank, but only through the top board, not the rail. I did that on about 20 of the worst boards, and after a full rain cycle, those ones stayed flat while the others kept moving. Has anyone else tried this trick with pressure-treated wood instead of cedar?

2 comments

2 Comments

graymiller7d ago

That trick with the oversized pilot hole is a lifesaver. I used a 5/32" bit for my #10 deck screws on some pine boards last year and it made all the difference. The wood needs room to swell without the screw head holding it tight against the rail.

the_diana7d ago

That's a solid point from @graymiller. It's wild how much that little extra space matters for outdoor stuff, especially with how much wood moves (I've seen it split even treated lumber).