Horizontal Cedar Privacy Fence — Smithville, MO

Horizontal cedar install in Smithville

We installed 170 linear feet of 6-foot horizontal cedar privacy fence around the rear yard of a new construction home. Green pressure-treated 4x4 posts at 8-foot centers, three rails per section for wind-load support. Horizontal boards are 1x6 select cedar with tight spacing for full privacy. All fasteners are galvanized ring-shank nails.

This Smithville fence was photographed twice: once at install in early winter when the lot was still bare, and again two years later when the cedar had weathered to silver-gray and the homeowner was scheduling the first stain coat. Smithville's rural-suburban character means larger lots, fewer neighboring structures for wind blockage, and more exposure to temperature swings than the urban KC core.

Smithville exposure and the stain schedule

Smithville sits 30 miles north of the urban core with less urban heat retention — which means more severe frost cycles and less overnight temperature moderation in winter. Horizontal fences in exposed northern Clay County positions are especially vulnerable to frost-heave on shallow posts. We set posts at 36 inches deep minimum here. Two years after install, the cedar had weathered to silver-gray as expected — exactly when our wood fence staining schedule recommended the first stain coat.

Install documented, stain scheduled

The two-photo story of this fence — bare install to weathered waiting for stain — is the normal lifecycle for an unstained cedar fence in KC. After the first stain application, the schedule resets to 2-3 years. The same technique used here for horizontal cedar privacy fence applies on any new-construction lot, regardless of lot size.