Adding a new layer of pickets on top of old pickets on wood fence?

[tracyballard]

I've got a wooden privacy fence that's going to need some work soon. It has galvanized steel posts set in concrete, which are totally in great shape. The problem is with the wood itself, the fence is old enough that some of the wood is rotting, and warping a little and a lot of the old nails are coming out. The old backing 2x4's are in pretty bad shape too. My thought is that rather than tearing down the old fence and having my backyard open, I would just get some new backing 2x4's placed on top of the old ones and attached to the metal poles and put new wider 7 foot pickets directly over the old 6 foot pickets, using deck screws of the right length to go through both pickets and into the backing boards. It seems like overall the fence would be stronger and I could do it a little bit at a time instead of all at once. Any problems with that that anyone can think of? thanks in advance!

 

[WorthFlorida]

No, it'll work for a short while but the decaying mold will eventually work itself into the new wood. Also it will keep the old layer of wood wet and eventually it will fall apart.

To patch a fence if possible, replace the 2x4 and reuse any good old pickets and for the rest with new wood. The amount of work will be the same as installing a new fence but you'll save a little on replacement boards. With old and new it'll take a few months before the new wood will gray out like the old.