Palisade Palisade A palisade—sometimes called a stakewall or a paling—is typically a fence or wall made from wooden stakes or tree trunks and used as a defensive structure or enclosure. Palisade derives from "pale", from the Latin word "", meaning stake, specifically a stake used to support a fence. A palisade gangs these side by side to create a fence entirely made of pales. Typical construction consisted of small or mid-sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no free space in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were driven into the ground and sometimes reinforced with additional
Picket fence affixed vertically to the rails. These boards with pointed tops are called "pickets" for their resemblance to the pointed stakes historically used by infantry to repel cavalry. Picket fences can be made of several types of materials. Historically, wood has been the most popular material used for picket fences. This wood can be untreated, treated, or naturally insect and rot resistant. Other non-wood options are available; including vinyl, aluminum, and PVC. The first step in installing a picket fence is to insert the posts into the ground. Traditionally this is done by digging deep holes (usually 36in x 12in) either