Picket Fence Repair

by ezman in Workshop > Repair

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Picket Fence Repair

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Introduction
What are your options to fix a broken slat in your picket fence? 
Opt 1 – Go to the hardware store or home improvement center to buy a replacement slat. 
Opt 2 – Hire a handyman and have him repair it. 
Opt 3 – Duck tape. 
Opt 4 – Glue it. 

The Story
A few years ago the kids were playing in the corner of the fenced in area.  Somehow one of the slats broke.  It was a low priority item.  I went to a home improvement center but I didn’t know the width of the slat.  But realized a replacement slat would stand out compared to the seasoned slats that would be all around it.  So there the slat stayed, broken. 

A couple of months ago, I was moving branches out of the play area after a big storm, when I broke the top of a slat off.  Now, I could not have a missing top; guess what jumped to the top of the priority list.  I only had a small block of time to repair the slat I broke.  What should I do?  If you guessed Glue it, then you think like I do.

This instructable is the repair of the slat the kids broke.  Because I had a short time to fix the slat I broke, I was unable to take pictures of that repair.  There are pictures of the repaired slat I broke at the end of this instructable.

Requirements:
1) Inexpensive,
2) Quick fix,
3) Durable and
4) Look nice.

Materials

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1) Wood Glue,
2) 2 C Clamps.

Skill Level:
Easy

Time to Complete:
5 – 10 minutes to assemble and clean up.
30 minutes – 24 hours drying time.

Cost:
Less than 50 cents worth of glue.

Glue

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Add Wood Glue to both sides of the break

Clamp

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Clamp the pieces together and wipe off extra Glue.

Let Dry – Wait 24 hrs for best results.

Finished

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After 24 hrs of drying – Remove Clamps.

Observations & Summary

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Observations
1)  You cannot easily tell the slat had been broken.
2)  Minimal tools and supplies.
3)  By not going to the “store” for replacement slats I saved
a. Money – the cost of the slats, gas, wear and tear on the car. 
b. Time – traveling to, from and at the “store”; gathering, using and replacing the tools. 
c. Energy – removing, measuring, cutting and nailing the replacement slats.
d. Waste – I do not have to dispose of or store the broken slats.
4)  Over all good ROI.

Summary
This is the second slat I have repaired with this technique.  The first slat is still going strong.  You cannot easily tell that a slat had been repaired.  I am satisfied with the results of both repairs.

Hear advice, and receive instruction, so that you may be wise in your latter end.