What branches make a wicker fence. Weaving a fence: step by step instructions. Interesting options for wicker fences

At a country cottage, I want to do something with my own hands, so that it turns out beautifully and unusually. And where does the cottage begin? From the fence. And the most colorful wooden fence is wattle. If you wish, you can master the technology of erecting this picturesque hedge.

Wattle and its features

It is almost impossible to see the wattle fence in modern everyday life, but since in films and theatrical productions about past rural life it is an indispensable attribute of the scenery, everyone has an idea of \u200b\u200bthis type of fence.

Its appearance is characteristic: stakes are dug into the ground with a certain step, braided with flexible shoots. This design corresponds to the definition of "cheap and cheerful": it does not need a foundation, and building material in the countryside is easy to get for free. And with the construction of any person will cope alone. Therefore, in the old days, the wattle fence was a popular version of the fence.

The main value of the wattle fence lies in its artistry - for the layman it is associated with antiquity and national traditions. The impression will be especially strong if a sunflower grows near the wicker fence, the canvas is decorated with stems of climbing plants, and an inverted clay pot hangs on one of the stakes.

Wattle can be decorated with clay pots, ornamental plants and flowers

But it is difficult to call such a fence solid, so it will not be appropriate everywhere. It is possible to protect a suburban area with a private house with wattle if it is stylized antique. In most cases, such a fence is used for zoning the courtyard, fencing raspberries or for decorating a flower bed.

Photo gallery: where to use wattle

The fence encloses high berry plantings and acts as a support for the branches along the perimeter A small wicker fence serves as a dividing strip for flower beds The wattle fence, exposed between the sections in the form of a barrier, is made high

The contour of a wicker fence does not have to be straight, so it is suitable for round flower beds and areas.

Preparing for production

First, we think over: from what material we will build the wattle fence based on personal preferences and advice from wicker craftsmen.

wattle material

For work you will need:

wooden rods (willow, vine, hazel, birch, etc.);
wooden stakes or thick branches of any trees;
racks, metal pipes;
poles and wire.

Any flexible and fairly strong stems are suitable for it: vine, young shoots of hazel, birch branches; but traditionally such a fence is woven from willow twigs. They combine strength, flexibility and affordability: willow grows in abundance everywhere.

And also a living wattle fence is constructed from it: shoots are planted in the ground and, as they grow, they are laid in a canvas.

Cattail and reeds, despite their flexibility, strength and ubiquity, should not be considered a good material for wattle: after drying, the shoots become very brittle, so the hedge will turn out to be very short-lived.

Weaving blanks differ in color, thickness and structure of each type of wood

Take a measuring tape or a stick with you to measure the rods of the desired length. And it is equal to at least two steps between the supports, that is, each rod must be tied around at least three racks.

Rods choose plastic and even, from 1 to 3 cm in diameter. Instances with ramifications or painful outgrowths are rejected.

It is more convenient to work with a freshly cut vine. But if the time after cutting is missed, the branches have dried up - immerse them in water or hold them over steam. The quality of plant material will be restored. If it is required to prepare rods in advance for a long period, then the cut vine is freed from leaves, tied into bundles and folded under a canopy for drying. Build a temporary shelving to save space. Being well dried, the material is stored for a long time.

As stakes, pick up thick branches (with a diameter of four centimeters or more). They are buried in the ground, therefore, in length they should exceed the height of the future fence by at least 0.5 m. With a fence height of more than one meter, it is advisable to dig in stakes a third of their length.

For this purpose, decay-resistant pine, peeled from bark (contains a large amount of resin) or a metal pipe is well suited - the racks will still be hidden by the canvas.

Calculate the number of supports based on the duration of the fence and the step between them. Racks are installed half a meter apart, but the thinner and lighter the vine used, the smaller the distance between the stakes. You can also do this: dig in the stakes after 1 m, and between them install one or two intermediate supports made of a thick willow rod, dug to a depth of 30 cm.

In addition to the above, long poles and wire are useful.

Tool

You will need the following tools:

garden drill (there are models with a motor);
pruner, knife, awl;
self-tapping screws;
screwdriver or screwdriver;
mallet hammer;

Prepare everything before starting work, so that later you will not be distracted from the creative part of the work.

Types of weaving fences

A fence of branches is woven in different ways. The appearance of the fence directly depends on the functions that are assigned to it, and on the selected material.

In the direction of thin branches in the fence, weaving is divided into two types:

Vertical weaving fence - video

And there are many ways to weave: use ready-made options or come up with your own. Let's look at three main ones:

weaving with braids - figured framing of pegs with one or two rods at once according to the principle of braiding pigtails. The method is difficult for a beginner, since you have to hold several rods in one hand, pass them between the pegs and at the same time not stray from the pattern. Such a wattle fence is placed in front of the beds so that no shadow is created, or is used as a dividing strip;
A fence in the form of braided pigtails is placed with the expectation that sunlight passes through it well.
weaving in one layer - they begin to build their first fences from it, as this is the easiest way. The vine is circled around the pegs, like a wave - first on one side, then on the other. At the edges it is fixed with a metal bracket or screwed with wire. The fence is obtained with small gaps, so it can be used anywhere;
Weaving in one layer is the simplest type of weaving a fence, but if you add curly elements to it, it will decorate both a low flower bed with greenery and a flower garden
stranded weaving is the most labor-intensive and complex method. The rods need to be very long, thin and pliable, otherwise they will break. Such a wattle is dense and massive. It is placed on strong poles or framed in wooden frames.
Stranded weaving is used for fences that enclose other people's areas, or for a place of rest where they hide from the sun.

In addition to these methods, there are additional weaving options, but they are all based on the principle of braiding vertical or horizontal sticks, poles, metal pipes or thick rods in different directions.

In addition to these methods, there are many others - choose the one that you consider suitable for your situation.

Wattle fence installation methods

The wattle is convenient in that it is installed in different ways, depending on the operating conditions. The external fence is mounted on metal poles and framed in a rigid frame. It turns into a real solid fence.

Wicker rectangular blanks are made separately and framed in a rigid frame and mounted on steel poles, used as a fence

A fence for space zoning is woven into the gaps between the trees or pillars of the summer veranda.

The fence visually divides the space into certain zones and is attached between trees and other parts of the site.

If you are going to protect a place to relax and shade it from direct sunlight, then the fence is woven into a finished metal structure installed in this place.

A braid woven into a metal structure will protect your resting place from the sun and hide you from the eyes of your neighbors.

Wattle making: step by step instructions

First, the area is cleared of debris. Then markup is done:

In the corners of the fenced area, steel pins or pegs carved from wood are driven in.
A nylon cord, fishing line or twine is pulled between the corner pegs.
Along the thread indicate the position of the intermediate racks (in increments of up to half a meter).

Installation is carried out sequentially:

Holes are drilled in the ground at least half a meter deep so that the fence holds securely and does not fall down after weaving is completed.
Install racks. They are cleaned of bark, impregnated with an antiseptic, and the buried part must also be coated with bituminous mastic, tar or wrapped with roofing material (fixed with wire or sewn with a construction stapler).
The first to lower the recesses are the corner supports, but do not fill them up, but only fix them with wooden wedges or brick fragments. A cord is pulled along their tops and the horizontal tension is visually checked; if necessary, the depth of immersion of the racks is adjusted, and the holes are covered with soil and sand, and rammed. Metal racks can be concreted.
Pull the cord again and, using it as a guide, set the intermediate stakes. If they are wooden, then in order to avoid deflection during the braiding process, their tops are fastened with the help of even poles.
If the vine is dried, it is softened by steaming, which gives the fastest effect, or by immersion in hot water (the process will take several hours), or by immersing only the ends in water (flexibility will be restored after 1 - 2 weeks).
With the help of a two-pronged fork, the teeth of which converge in a wedge and have sharp inner edges, they clean the rods from the bark. If the bark is difficult to remove, then the rods are not completely wet.
you can make an emulsion yourself by simply splitting the branch and rewinding it tightly in the place of the split so that it does not deepen
Weave the bottom row (15 cm from the ground), using a thicker vine. The individual rods that make up the row must be stacked with an overlap in one rack. That is, if the first rod goes around the first 4 racks, then start laying the second one from rack No. 3. At the overlap section, the rods are tied with wire or tape.
Wattle device diagram: other schemes can be used
It is desirable to strengthen the bottom row - the vine is intertwined with wire and screwed to the supports with self-tapping screws. If the rods are thin, then metal staples are used to secure the row.
Horizontal weaving of the fence starts from the bottom - you can weave from single rods or circle the stakes immediately with a bunch
Where the first row bypassed the front of the rack, the second should be located behind it, and vice versa. This alternation is also observed when weaving subsequent rows. When there are 3 or 4 of them, you need to tap on the braid with a mallet and compact the rows. To strengthen the web, wire weaving is used - every 7–8 rows with fixation on supports.
The ends of each row are cut and drilled to the extreme supports with screws.
The ends of each rod should be securely fastened to the stand by drilling or wrapping them with wire.

In a living braided fence, the vine is launched vertically. For this:

Rods are tied horizontally to the racks - 25 cm apart.
The top bar is brought to the tops of the hedge so that they do not stick out in different directions.
A living vine is woven vertically between horizontal rods in the same way as between vertical pegs in a horizontal weave. At the same time, the lower end of each rod sticks into the ground so that the plant takes root. The top edge of the canvas is trimmed.

Over time, the living wattle fence will harden. It is better to trim the tops of the growing wattle fence in early spring or late autumn.

The willow vine has taken root and the fence has turned green

The hedge gives shade, coolness and rustles the leaves.

How to make wattle durable

When exposed to air, dead wood either shrinks or rots. Therefore, the finished fence is covered with a special varnish (furniture or yacht).

To change the original color of the fence, it is stained with potassium permanganate, bleached with hydrogen peroxide, or painted, renewing the color every year.

If painting the fence is not included in your plans, it should be treated with a good antiseptic. The lower part, which is most exposed to moisture, can be further treated with vitriol or heated bitumen.

And you can also make Swedish paint. To do this, you will need (based on 10 liters of the finished product):

table salt 250 g;
rye flour 800 g;
iron vitriol 400 g;
drying oil or linseed oil 300 g;
iron minium 300–600 g;
water - about 6 liters.

Paint Recipe:

Bring 2 liters of water to a boil and dissolve salt and iron sulfate in it.
In a separate container, rye flour is mixed with water to the consistency of gruel and this mixture is poured into brine.
Cook for 30 minutes with constant stirring.
The drying oil is added little by little, after which the broth must be mixed with vigorous movements (an emulsion should form).
Add red lead dissolved in hot water.
The resulting concentrate is again well mixed and diluted with water to a volume of 10 liters.

The mixture tinted with minium will have a golden color. Instead, you can use other alkali-resistant pigments with iron content (umber, ocher, iron oxide mummy). The paint will turn red or brown.

The composition is applied so that for every 1 m 2 it is spent about 300 ml. The paint is rubbed until the pores are filled. The best weather for painting work is windless and cloudy, then the paint dries for a long time and sets to the surface better.

If the surface to be painted is particularly rough, add more flour to the paint. It acts as a leveling compound and, thanks to it, the paint adheres better to such surfaces.

Swedish paint is not suitable for planed to a smooth state of wood.

Old wattle in a new way

The forgotten wattle fence finds today a second life in the form of blanks from plastic products. This is the so-called polymer vine - a tube made of high-strength polyethylene with a diameter of 18 mm, the outer surface of which imitates a natural vine.

Artificial vine is a tube of soft plastic, but looks like natural wood

Polymer rods are flexible, have high strength, do not rot and are absolutely indifferent to such weather factors as temperature changes, precipitation or drought. The service life according to the assurances of the manufacturers is 20 years.

The color of the product can be white, ash, brown or gray. By special order, they also supply a green vine, but it costs 10% more. Whip length - 3, 4 and 6 m.

We also offer ready-made sections of the braided fence, the frame of which is made of metal profiles with powder coating. They are of different heights, and the width is 1.5 m. There are options with continuous weaving, that is, without gaps, in which each row is formed by two vines. You can order a set with a gate and a gate.

The appearance of a wattle fence made of artificial material cannot be distinguished from a wooden one.

The “branded” wattle fence looks presentable, because it is perfectly even and neat, so they can protect a site with an expensive cottage. At the same time, we can talk about the vandal resistance of the fence: the canvas is woven in such a way that it is impossible to simply pull out the rod - for this you will have to disassemble the entire section.

The fence is mounted on a strip foundation with a depth of 200 mm. Racks are equipped with wide soles, screwed to the foundation, without deepening.

You can purchase a set separately and weave your own not a straight wattle, but a round one. Flower beds are also arranged in "baskets" woven from a polymer vine.

Video: weaving a fence in a simple way in one layer

It is not for nothing that wattle remained popular among the people for a long time. Simple manufacturing technology, affordable materials and improvised means, and with all this - an interesting appearance that gives the site an unusual flavor.

A wicker fence is a stylish fence made of branches or rods intertwined with each other, which is selected for fencing a personal plot or one of its components. It has a decent appearance, looks great against the background of the usual rural landscape, but at the same time it is more of a landscape design than a reliable home protection.

Wattle has long been considered a symbol of comfort and measured rural life. The technology of weaving such a fence has been preserved since ancient times. To perform this design, you can use all kinds of improvised materials, but the most popular are the branches of different trees.

Peculiarities

Wicker type fences differ from each other in different parameters: in height, in the difference in weaving methods and in external design.

Wicker fences in height are of 3 types:

High (from 2 meters and above) can become quite high-quality protection. Such a fence will look decent if the pillars in it are made of stone, and a wicker product is placed between these pillars.
low products. Their height will not exceed 0.5-0.7 m. They are more suitable for decorating flower beds, used as elements of stylish landscape design.
Wicker fences a meter high are used to separate the recreation area from the rest of the suburban area.

According to the methods of weaving, the fences are divided into:

Horizontal- the most common type, the easiest to perform. These wattle fences will serve you much more than their vertical counterparts.
vertical making fences with your own hands in weaving is very problematic if you have no experience, but those who know how to do it masterfully create amazing masterpieces, decorating a new fence with intricate patterns.

Wicker fences can also differ in how they are created and used:

A wicker fence with a height of less than 0.7 m is already installed on a prepared base, most often a metal base is used to increase the service life of the product.
Flat wattle is best installed in sections, the length of only one such section can be up to 2 meters. This weaving method is the easiest to repair than all the others, and if necessary, one of the parts can be completely replaced without difficulty.
Decorative fences installed in the form of a circle are most often used to decorate flower beds and flower beds.
A wicker-type fence is, first of all, pillars that are dug into the ground, branches or twigs of a vine are woven around them. To increase the durability of the product or create unusual and interesting patterns, special durable poles are installed between the racks.

A fence of this type will fully satisfy the owners with all aesthetic aspects. It will give any site a special rural charm. In terms of strength, such a braided line will by itself give way to a stone fence, but it will decorate your site.

For the weaving procedure itself, you will need long and thin rods that will create the plane of the hedge, and slightly thicker stakes - the rods will hold on to them. You can choose a vine of any plants that meet certain requirements. Willow twigs and bamboo often grow a "living" fence. In addition to twigs, you can pick up other materials - boards, pickets (thin and flexible).

Advantages and disadvantages

The wicker fence has the following main advantages:

Interesting view. Weaving helps turn the fence into a real decoration for the entire site. High or low products with different types of plexus become a stylish addition to the design of any personal plot.
A wicker fence is completely safe, since no life-threatening substances are used in its creation.
Low price. If you make a fence on your own from a tree from your site, then you can spend nothing at all. But if you buy already made fences, their cost will fluctuate depending on the amount of material, the height of the structure itself and the type of weaving chosen.
Ease of installation. You can decorate the yard with wattle without specialists.

However, this product also has a number of disadvantages:

Short service life, as such a product is afraid of gusts of wind and any precipitation.
If you want to put a wattle fence on the site, then it is worth remembering that it will only perform a design function and will not save you from unexpected visitors.
Complicated repairs. When at least one of the elements breaks in such a fence, then you will have to redo the entire fence or an entire section.

Before choosing a wicker fence, remember all its positive and negative qualities, specify the duration of its service and all the features of repair work, installation time and the environmental side.

Types of weaving

Before you start weaving from rods or branches, you need to choose the method by which you will create a new fence. Most commonly used options:

Vertical type will require the presence of strong horizontal sticks between the supports. They will be fixed in increments of 20-30 cm. The rods are woven between them, starting from the bottom and to the top. The length of the branches in this case should be 15-20 cm less than the height of the fence itself. Vertical weaving is often done from boards - then a beautiful wooden fence is obtained. You just need to take the boards, use them to perform vertical weaving, and use the support to align the ends. The support is usually installed at the top of the fence. To give a beautiful effect, the same support is made at the bottom of the fence.

horizontal weaving everyone calls it classic. The rods are intertwined with the "8th" or the sign of "infinity". That is, each new blank is a natural continuation of the one ahead. The length of the blanks in this case will be at least 2 m. The supports are installed in increments of 25-30 cm so that the branches are easy to bend. If you have a lot of small rods, gather them all together in bundles and weave them all at once. One of the varieties of such weaving is the oblique method, which is done diagonally, which looks very beautiful.

A horizontal wattle fence can also be built using shields. First, the shields themselves are made, the required number of supports is made in each of them, and the blanks themselves are neatly woven between them. Shields with each other are fixed with nails, self-tapping screws.

The shield braid is also constructed from boards, only the spans between the supports will be larger.

Manufacturing materials

Wicker fences can be built from those materials that have a special flexibility. The most unreliable of them are cattail, reeds. They are unlikely to last more than 4 years, as they dry out, and after that the fences from them quickly lose their appearance and collapse. More often, vine and willow are used to obtain wattle, and today this kind of fence made of small boards is especially in demand, as they look stylish and are very durable. Companies that produce wicker products offer universal PVC fences, and although this is not a natural material, it is very durable and will last for many years.

Willow

The branches of this tree are strong and flexible, so baskets and fences are often woven from them. Before you start weaving, the rods should be steamed well so that they are even more bendable.

You can make fences from willow twigs by any method. The vertical version looks best with them. First, support structures are placed horizontally, then willow branches are woven vertically, burying their ends in the ground. A little later, willow twigs will be accepted, turn green and create the effect of a natural design of the fence.

In order for the willow braid to last for a long time, the tree must be treated with a special compound, and where the fence is installed, dig a trench for drainage and pour sand instead of soil.

Vine

A vine is a very bending and rather long branches of trees and various shrubs that are chosen for building a fence and even building houses from them. Wattle wattle is aesthetic, natural and beautiful.

In order for the fence to come out strong and last longer, the following requirements must be met:

To facilitate the work with the rods and give them flexibility, they are soaked in hot water or left in a well-heated bath for a couple of hours. After that, you should immediately start weaving, because after the material dries, it will lose its flexibility, but it will perfectly hold any shape.
For a low decorative fence, you need to pick up branches no more than 2 cm thick, for tall wooden wicker fences - from 2 to 3 cm.
First, you should carefully remove the entire bark from the vine, apply a disinfectant, potassium permanganate, stain and varnish.

The vine is chosen to decorate decorative fences that will complement the design of the backyard, divide it into different zones or decorate courtyard flower beds.

Boards

A wicker board fence will carry both a decorative and protective load due to its reliability and ability to protect against uninvited guests on the site.

Unedged boards, planed boards and poles (they can be made of metal, wood or concrete) are selected for production. The fence will stand with the help of the tension of the "woven" boards, but nails can be used for additional fastening.

A small hole at the bottom, under the finished product, is often laid with ordinary bricks or stones of different sizes.

Wicker elements made of wood in a brick fence are very popular. If you want to weave a fence from boards yourself, then be sure to look for an assistant, since it is very difficult to build this building alone.

A popular type of such a fence is the Austrian braid. For its construction, pine is chosen - an inexpensive material that has a long service life. Such a structure must be coated with an antifungal substance.

Fence supports are made of wooden beams or metal profiled pipes. They are fixed at an equal distance, for style they can be painted in any color or decorated with boards.

PVC

Most often, a wicker fence is associated with ordinary people with natural materials, but today it is also produced from PVC, which has a number of positive features:

Long service life. This is the main difference between PVC and other materials. For all the time of operation, the fence will not lose its stylish look.
Mobility. Anyone can make and install a plastic wattle fence. The design is lightweight and easy to transport.
Ease of use. PVC fences will not fade in the sun, will not be afraid of heat, cold and high humidity. In order for the fence to maintain a decent appearance for a long time, it is necessary to cover it with a special composition from time to time. Metal components are constantly treated with a special tool.
Rich model selection. Fences can be selected in all sorts of colors, which will perfectly complement the design of your personal plot. It is also important to initially choose the right PVC fence parameters.
Acceptable price. Due to the ease of production, PVC fences have an acceptable and affordable price.

What to choose?

You have a great opportunity to first choose what material to make your new wicker fence from. In addition to those already mentioned, you can opt for hazel - this is a type of twig that is collected only in early spring, before the first buds appear on the branches, it is then that young shoots have special flexibility. Hazel in terms of service life is not inferior to willows.

Also, you should pay attention to artificial rattan, which has many advantages: it looks natural, according to external characteristics it will not yield to natural samples, and thanks to it, natural resources are preserved. Rattan will not respond to climate change and therefore can stand for decades without requiring repair costs. Natural rattan quickly grows into the ground, which artificial does not. Synthetic rattan costs much less than natural rattan.

Alpine vine is quite popular today for its neat appearance, so you can always pair it with other weaves to make your fence even more exclusive.

By the way, all kinds of weaving can be used not only for fences, but also in flower beds. A flower bed with a wicker base in the form of a fence will not require extra costs and will look great both in the country house and in the garden of a house in the city.

decoration

Wicker fences can be very successfully decorated with a number of secondary elements to make the decor of the site unique.

Chess is when the vine is taken in a bundle and woven horizontally. The result is an original product.

Diagonal checkerboard - for this kind of weaving, horizontal poles are attached to the supports. Branches a little more than 5 cm thick in increments of up to 15 cm are fixed to the topmost pole with one nail. The rods unfold along the diagonal of the fence and are fixed at the bottom of the horizontals. Between them, directing to the opposite diagonal, other branches are woven.

Today, a do-it-yourself wattle fence serves more as a decorative decoration on the site, although wicker boards or an overgrown hedge create a reliable obstacle to intruders entering the territory.

The simplicity and natural beauty of the rustic style are becoming more and more popular every day in the design of country houses and personal plots. And more and more often, a variety of wattle fences, tyny, hedges or wickerwork are used to protect the territory or decorate the site. In ancient times, a fence woven from thin rods or branches was the most common type of fence.

Varieties of wicker fences, what to make and how to install a wattle fence?

Making a wicker fence with your own hands is easy and not expensive. Traditionally, wattle is constructed from improvised materials: flexible tree branches or thin rods and stakes. Most often, the wattle fence is installed on the site to delimit the space in order to protect the flower bed or beds from animals or create a secluded place to relax. Having decided for the first time to do fence weaving, making a low border for a flower garden will be a good master class before making a tyn with a complex pattern.

Types of wattle

Quite conventionally, wicker fences are divided into groups according to different criteria.

Preparation of material for wattle

For a wicker structure, it is necessary to prepare two types of material.

Wattle in the country

Having properly prepared the rods, you can make wattle from hazel, cherry, apple, willow, aspen or birch. Branches should be cut in early spring or late summer, when sap flow is slowed down in plants. Freshly cut vines remain flexible for a week. It is better to remove the bark from the branches with wire cutters, a pincer, or a home-made device made from a thick branch with a crevice. Elasticity to dry branches is given by weekly soaking, steam or hot water treatment. If desired, you can enhance the brown color of the rods by adding a little potassium permanganate to the water, and bleach with hydrogen peroxide. Vitriol will give a grayish tint to the wood. Reed stalks turn golden when dried in the sun, and after drying in the shade, they retain a pale green color.

The low decorative fence made of thick branches looks original. You can make a rare fence out of them only immediately, until they dry.

The formation of a drainage cushion of sand in the pits for the installation of wooden supports and along the entire length of the wattle fence will prevent wood decay. Through the sand, water will seep faster into the lower layers of the soil and will not have a devastating effect on the wooden fence.

Wicker boards

A more durable wicker fence will be the "Austrian" wicker board. With a high resin content and affordable, pine boards 20-25 millimeters thick and up to 10 centimeters wide are more often used. For the manufacture of pillars for this fence, a wooden beam or more durable and strong supports made of profiled pipes, sheathed with a board, are used. The length of the span between the supports from 2 to 3 meters is determined by the flexibility of the board. 3-5 intermediate bars are installed between the pillars.

The plinth and fence posts can be laid out of stone or brick, and between them install ready-made sections of horizontal or vertical wicker. Impregnation with an antiseptic agent and varnishing will extend the service life of the wicker structure. Stain can give a wooden fence any color. It is important to know that if weaving from a raw board, then after drying, gaps of 5–10 millimeters are formed.

How to make wattle with your own hands?

Artificial sunflowers and clay pots put on pegs will add national color to the wicker fence. Gardeners will be pleased with the flower beds, fenced with an elegant vine of thin vines and flower beds-baskets woven with their own hands. Having mastered chess weaving, you can decorate your suburban area with an exclusive gazebo or an original canopy over a bench.

Living wattle

An unpretentious willow with easy care can become a beautiful hedge.

Thin twigs cut in early spring, after standing in the water for about a month, will give roots. And already in early May they can be planted in the ground. For a living weave, willow cuttings are planted at an angle, weaving them into a mesh network. The growing branches are woven into the hedge or carefully cut with secateurs. A cheerful green wattle fence will organically complement the rustic exterior of a country house.

A fence made of branches is an original design based on weaving technology. If you use strips of small thickness (wood veneer) or boards, you can make a fence with your own hands that is similar in design, but more durable. To build a fence from branches, it is allowed to use material from different tree species.

What can be used as canvas?

If a wicker fence is to be erected, the most preferred options for such a design are: birch, willow, hazel and maple. There are many varieties of trees and shrubs. However, to make a relatively reliable fence, a flexible material is used.

An alternative to the above options: a fence made of branches of an apple tree, mulberry, and also a cherry. In a word, it is allowed to use material that can be obtained in your own garden.

The best rods are made from branches of willow, alder, hazel (hazel) and birch, and wattle is also made from poplar and maple.

Pillars are best made from larch, which is explained by the resistance of this type of wood to moisture, which means it will last forever. The diameter of the branches and supports may be different. But it is recommended to use thicker branches.

A fence made of woven rods is constructed using branches of a large section (no more than 8 cm), they are used for poles. The higher the fence, the larger the supports should be.

If wood veneer or reeds are used, as well as edged or unedged boards, metal or wood poles are more suitable for such cases. But their cross section can be small or medium (for example, 40x40 cm). For comparison, to make a fence made of brick, corrugated board or metal with your own hands, large-sized supports are used: at least 60x60 cm, 80x80 cm.

Procurement of material is carried out in the spring. Moreover, it is recommended to cut the rods obliquely (angle up to 60 degrees). The fence is erected with freshly cut branches. This is the least labor intensive process. It is also allowed to make a fence from rods with your own hands, while using pre-prepared raw materials.

But then you have to soak the material (in boiling water, bath). The reed needs to be dried, simultaneously with this process the desired shade is formed: golden (drying in the sun), light green (in the shade).

How to make a frame?

Wooden wattle fence is built in several stages. The first of them is the preparation and installation of supports with your own hands. Thick branches used as poles are fired.

The supports must be prepared for installation - they must be impregnated, burned and tarred.

To extend the service life, they need to be coated with a deep penetration primer, and it is recommended to tar the lower part of the pillars.

The supports are usually buried to a level that corresponds to a third of the height of the fence made of rods. For example, for a construction of 1.5 m, the pillars are buried at least 50 cm.

Depending on which weaving technology is chosen, the distance between the supports is determined. With a horizontal orientation of the rods, it is sufficient to remove the pillars by 40-50 cm. Moreover, all supports should be at an equal distance.

To make a fence using the vertical weaving method, it is necessary to attach crossbars located in a horizontal plane to the supports. Their number is determined by the height of the fence. It is recommended to fasten the crossbars at a distance of up to 50 cm.

Weaving technology

So that at the end of the work it is possible to make the upper edge of the fence more even, dig in 1-2 thicker rods between the posts. Their length should exceed the height of the fence. This will intercept the wattle on top, and align the edge. Such rods are dug into the ground.

Scheme of vertical and horizontal weaving of the fence

Chess technology involves alternately around the pillars. The branches must be laid, starting from the thickened end. The thinner edge is easier to hide between the bars. To achieve a tighter laying, every few rows (3-4) the wattle is tapped with a hammer.

Depending on which weaving technology is used, it is possible to form a fence using not single rods, but groups of branches. If the edge of the vine protrudes too much from behind the post, it is cut.

Coloring

Any type of fence (wicker fence made of boards, veneer, rods or reeds) needs to be processed. Part of the material is covered with special compounds even before installation in the ground, for example, poles. If a harvested vine is used, then it is also pre-coated with stain and paints after drying.

The finished structure is also processed by special. impregnation, stain. The finish of wattle is almost always varnish. This allows you to maintain the natural appearance of the fence. One of the ways to process the finished hedge with your own hands is from a spray bottle.

Features of the construction of wattle boards

If you plan to weave a fence with your own hands from a more durable material - boards, you need to pick up blanks of maximum length. In this case, the distance between the supports can reach 1.5 m.

Between them have intermediate strips installed vertically. Their number is determined by the degree of rigidity of the material, as well as the length of the section.

When a wicker fence is being built from boards, the tree is laid with the end side down, on top of each other without gaps. Checkered weaving is used. Boards must be very long. Such material can easily withstand bending loads.

After mounting the pillars, install two vertical boards between them, then horizontal boards should be fixed on these vertical boards.

Metal pillars for such structures are concreted. A combination of wattle and a concrete foundation protruding above the soil surface, brick pillars is allowed.

Other types of braids

The construction of veneer is somewhat different, as it is assembled from sections consisting of a frame and a woven fabric, which is fastened with self-tapping screws and nails. Another option for a fence is vertical weaving.

The finished version of the fence from the boards, for more detailed instructions, see the video below.

For its implementation, birch branches are used, and freshly cut, as long as they are flexible enough. The material is fastened with self-tapping screws, nails to horizontally oriented crossbars.

For such structures, pillars are also needed, however, they can be placed quite far from each other. At the final stage, the fence is treated with a protective compound, painted.

A wicker fence is a bright and colorful decoration in landscape design. Such an element of street decor evokes warm associations, reminiscent of comfort and rural life.

Due to the variety of types of weaving, and the ease of their manufacture, each person can personally create an original fence for his site. Wattle is considered the most environmentally friendly type of fencing, since natural materials are more often used for its manufacture, which, by the way, are also free, since they can be found on your own site.

But such a fence is short-lived, and does not tolerate changing weather conditions. Therefore, in a few years, the fence will have to be completely updated. Another feature of the wicker structure is the complexity of the repair: you will have to redo it all, even if one element is damaged.

Since a wicker fence is a decorative element, you should not count on it to protect you from unexpected guests.

There are different types of fences:

height: high (up to 2 meters), low (up to half a meter) and medium (up to 1 meter). The height of the fence determines its function. A two-meter fence is considered a capital structure and can play a protective role. The low wattle fence is a purely decorative element.
weaving method: horizontal and vertical.
based on materials production: natural and artificial. The natural ones are willow, hazel, cattail, reed, vine- any flexible rods will do. Artificial - PVC, artificial rattan.

Natural materials for creating a wicker fence

To create a natural wattle fence, any tree species is suitable. The main requirement is the length and flexibility of the rods. That's why willow and hazel would be better suited for this role. In addition, plants grown near water bodies are saturated with moisture, and become more supple and smooth.

Examples of natural materials for the manufacture of wicker:

Regardless of the material chosen, special attention must be paid to vertical stakes that serve as the basis of a wicker structure. The durability of the fence largely depends on their strength. It is important to treat the ends of the stakes with an antiseptic or hot resin to avoid rotting. Even better - cover the entire hedge with an antiseptic. The most reliable racks are obtained with metal rods or pipes.

There is another trick that will help to avoid stagnation of water under the bars, and hence damage to the lower rows. To do this, you need to dig a small trench under the fence, and fill it with sand.

Mini fences made of willow for the garden.

Creation of wicker fences from artificial materials

Despite the fact that the very concept of "wicker fence" is associated with vines and natural rods, fences made of synthetic materials are gaining more and more popularity: PVC, artificial rattan.

PVC fences have significant advantages.

Long service life. Thanks to a modern protective coating, a PVC fence can serve up to 20 years without losing its original appearance.
Reliability. A fence made of PVC easily tolerates exposure to direct sunlight, humidity, and temperature changes. For care, it is enough to rub the plastic with a special compound, and cover the metal bases with an anti-corrosion agent.
Ease of installation. The light weight of the elements and the flexibility of the material allow you to quickly install a PVC fence in any area.
Wide range of. There are various variations of PVC structures, differing in the size of the cells and the length of the sections, and the rich color range will allow you to choose a shade that suits the design of the environment.
Affordable price.

PVC wire fencing.

Another popular material used to create street structures is. Natural rattan is made from a special type of palm that grows in Southeast Asia. Products from it are very expensive, including as a result of long-distance transportation.

Therefore, it gained great popularity artificial rattan which has many advantages:

Natural appearance. Artificial rattan is not inferior to natural vine in external qualities, but thanks to mass production, it becomes possible to save nature's resources. Therefore, at a price, artificial material comes out much cheaper than natural.
Ease of operation. Rattan does not react to the effects of climatic events, and therefore can last for many years without requiring repair or special care.
Natural rattan can grow into the ground over time, which will not happen with artificial material.
artificial rattan is much cheaper than natural.

Techno-rattan fence.

Artificial rattan is also used for production; in terms of strength characteristics, it significantly exceeds natural material. Production features allow producing rods of different textures and shapes: flat, round, rods with imitation of tree bark.

Weaving techniques

The technique of weaving fences is simple, no special skills or tools are needed to work. It is important to choose rods of the same thickness, approximately 2-2.5 cm, depending on the purpose of the fence. For greater stability, the length of the entire structure should be no less than the height of the fence plus another 30-50 cm.

At the beginning of work, a frame is installed, which is later braided with rods. A fishing line is used to mark the possible points for the location of the stakes. The optimal thickness of the frame rods is 4 cm.

There are several main types of weaving:

Inclined. With this technique, part of the rods is located diagonally. This method is suitable for small fences, or is used for decorative purposes.

In addition to the main types of weaving, there are also a lot of patterns, for example, pigtail or combined weaving. For these options, only bending branches are used. And thanks to imagination, any fence can be decorated with garden figures, or old pots, which will add even more color to weaving.

Making wattle from willow branches yourself

Weaving a fence from willow branches is an interesting process, but it requires a lot of labor. However, the durable and beautiful construction with a pleasant smell emanating from the wood is worth the effort.

The primary task in preparing for work is collection of twigs. Young shoots, one or two years old, are most suitable. They are elastic and break less, so the fence will turn out to be of better quality.

The best time to collect is winter or early spring, when the trees have not yet woken up.

Before cutting twigs from a tree, you need to take one and check the cut - a brown tint and a loose core indicate the fragility of the shoot. Optimum thickness of branches - 1.5 to 4 cm. Then they will need to be cleaned of small branches and knots.

Plants collected in winter must be steamed and then decomposed for further storage.

For support are selected strong spruce pegs, sharpened on one side. The stakes are driven firmly into the ground at a distance of 30 cm from each other, and fixed with transverse slats.

For weaving, the first rod is nailed to the base pillar, and circled around the next pillars in eights. When one branch ends, they take the next one, carefully connecting them together. The proper levels are woven in exactly the same way, only the order of wrapping the pillars in a checkerboard pattern changes.

At the end, the hedge is decorated with sculptures, pots,. The sunflower growing near the fence looks organic.

View an example of production willow you can watch the video:

The main advantage of wattle is their colorful appearance, which will add coziness to a summer cottage or garden. There are many variations of weaving and materials suitable for creating a man-made element of street decor. The simplest and most popular type of wicker fences made of willow or vine, but modern artificial materials are in no way inferior.

The wattle is done, what's next?

The video below explains how to install a ready-made wattle fence.