Dressed Fence - Toe-nailed

To the left, a fence we installed using our standard "in-line" construction method.

To the right, theirs.

In "their" installation, the 2" x 4" backrails are attached to the side of the 4" x 4", inset from the front face of the post barely an inch. They use a procedure called toe-nailing to attach the 2" x 4". Toe-nailing is when you nail a 2" x 4" to the post by butting it up to the post and then angling your nail trough the 2" x 4" and into the post. In the following picture you will see a better shot of this.

Only using a 1" or less drop back from the face of the posts is an installation type that has always intrigued me. I have never understood their reasoning behind attaching the 2" x 4" backrails to the side of the the post leaving barely, if not any, forward protrusion of the post from the picket line. Toe-nailing (though an improper installation method) and bracket installation does take more time and the failure to use a proper set back to "dress-up " the look of the fence adding dimension and a sharper look to the fence is odd, at best.