Small Fence, Big Difference (Final)

Today, I return to building the fence. Again, we are using fencing material we salvaged from a neighbor who was having their fence replaced. While the initial cost was $0US, nothing is free. Instead of paying for wood, we are paying with time cleaning and cutting. We start this final installment with more of that. One unrelated bit: on the day we finished the fence, we sold GoRo, the 2009 Audi A4, to a guy down the street. He saw it parked and asked. A couple conversations and a test drive later, it's gone.

Prepare the Pickets

finished

In my prior update, we sanded and ripped down 30 pickets for our fence. Before we could start hanging them, we needed to cut off any rot from either end. Basic math says that's 60 considered cuts with a circular saw. Each cut took a few minutes so, again, simple math says this took a few hours. For each board, we would find where the rot ended, and score straight across the plank with a knife. The board would then get laid onto a work table, clamped down and then cut. We would repeat the process with the other end, and then move on. Considering how randomly we selected the old wood in the first place, Boo and I were quite surprised that we did not need to throw any away, nor did we come up short, in terms of fence-height, once we cut the ends off. We did, however, need to produce a few extra pickets on our final day.

Fence Hangers

I described the efforts to build the gates last time. I still had the short section of fixed fence to receive hangers and then 2x4's to which we would eventually afix pickets. I arrived at the location for the set of hangers closest to the person-fence by aligning to the bottom of the runner along the top of the gate. With a level, I confirmed it was correct height-wise and then held a piece of scrap picket to set the depth the same as the gates. I repeated this process for the lower hanger, and attached the hangers with roofing nails (they don't rust). To set the height for the post closest to the house, I used a picket and a level. Again, I set the front-to-back depth with a scrap picket and mounted the hangers with roofing nails.

laying out pickets

By this time, we had run out of viable fence runners from the salvaged fence. I was surprised we found enough material to build the gates, but 2 more 2x4's which needed to be just over a meter long was just too much. What remained was mossy and dusted off in chunks: rotted out. I looked in the garage and found a couple of 2x4's from when I removed the little closet around the furnace. While these are not pressure-treated, they are in perfect shape. I cut off a little bit off each end (because whoever built the closet hadn't and the ends were not square), and then measured and cut 2 runners. I slid them into place in their respective hangers and nailed them into place with more roofing nails.

Picketing

fixed fence

While I worked on getting the fence runners done, Boo was considering the pickets, deciding which would fit where and which side should face the street. We decided that we would start with the section of fence needing the least skill on our part: the not-moving part of the fence that I just prepared. For each picket, we would determine it's location left-to-right, using a spare picket as the spacer. Once determined, we would lay that spacer on it's side on top of the upper runner and use it to set the height of the "tooth". Since this part of the fence is so low, the bottom runner is practically on the ground. So, we decided that trimming-for-length by cutting the bottom would protect against a bad run with the circular saw, leaving any error virtually un-seeable. We flipped the boards over, and did it again, this time marking the cut line with a knife. I took the boards over to the work table (in the shade, it was practically 35*C or 95*F by this time) and ran the saw along the lines.

Taking the boards back over to the fence, Boo set them back in place one by one. I then drilled a single hole through the picket and then the top runner. Through that hole I sent a coated outdoor grade screw I had found in the toolshed. More free materials. We repeated this process to get the "fence" section, versus gates, picketed. Once the run was done, we visually set each picket vertical and drilled/screwed to the bottom runner. We returned to this a few days later and repeated the process for the vehicle gates and then the people gate. Remaining nimble, we decided that having the bottom of the gates level with each other, rather than contouring with the uneven ground looked better. This also avoided the gates from getting hung up on the uneven ground as they opened and closed. Last, this meant that I could cut every board the same length so the process got much quicker.

The install remained the same, though. We quickly discovered that the gate sizes did not perfectly allow the pickets to be exactly one picket width apart. To resolve, we started by installing the pickets on each end of each gate. Then, we installed boards much like you would cut sushi: put in the center first, and then keep doing the picket in the  exact center between the pickets until there is insufficient room for another picket. In this way, all of the pickets are spaced evenly, relative to the size of the gates. Since the vehicle gates are identical, the pickets appear consistent all the way across. The people gate ended up having the pickets placed maybe 1/4 inch closer together than the vehicle gates, but the space difference is not really noticeable. To us, the imperfections are part of the charm.

Latches

We were feeling the end approaching. While the heat of the day was unrelenting, Boo and I both simply wanted it done. So, I started with the latch for the vehicle fence. These were part of the gate-frame kit, so no additional cost. They are simple bar-to-latch style, mounting with a pair of screws for the bar and 2 pairs for the latch. For the vehicle gates, I put the bar on the gate closest to our neighbor's fence, and added a second latching mechanism to his fence so the gate could be latched open. The latch for the people gate was a fairly simple install as well. I added a spacer behind the bar so the front side of the gate would be aligned with the other gate and fixed fence. Last, I added a footer "cane" to the vehicle gate which had the latch (versus the post) so the gates would remain in place without putting pressure on the small latch. I did not drive a pipe into the ground for the cane to fit into, so that step remains, but otherwise, the work was finished.

gate latched open

With the fence/gates fully built, the next test was to bring Tuukka over to see how well it worked. He does not like them... because they effectively keep him in the back yard. While we were building this, Tuukka would come out and hang out with us, walking from the back yard to the front, not threatening to run away even when other dogs or people walked by. He just sat or laid there. If one of his dog-friends happened by, he would sit upright and wag his tail, but wouldn't move. So, while the gates will keep him in the back yard, we will probably leave the gates open most of the time where we are out there with him. These will be a big win when we need to put him outside so we can get a big project done (move the furnace, build the kitchen, etc). Those times, we can keep the gates closed, and Tuukka safe.

That's it for today. The total cost of this fence was $120 for the steel gate frames plus the "cane".  All the wood was salvaged and the fasteners were just in the shed (prolly, maybe, $20US for a box). We have not decided about the height of the posts, so we will cut them later, or maybe not.

Thanks, as always, for following along-

Small Fence, Big Difference (Part 2)

Continuing the fun of building a fence or series of gates, to keep Tuukka (the dog) from escaping from the yard. This stretch is literally less than 8 meters wide, but with only 2 peoples doing the work and trying to do the whole thing with salvaged wood extends the timeline significantly.

Where Were We

gate frames hung

In the first post, I described the fun of freeing planks from salvaged sections of fencing. A few weeks of occasional or infrequent labor resulted in a large pile of pickets, a small stack of 2x4's and a small stack of 4x4's. The best 4x4's became the fence posts. The best 2x4's will become the runners and gate main support sections and, of course, the pickets will become the pickets. The fence we salvaged had pickets that varied in width, but they were around 5 or 5-1/2 inches wide. That fence was a 6 foot fence and we are planning on a fence that is around 4 feet tall. I say "around" because the ground is not perfectly level. We installed 3 posts: one nearest the house, one about a meter away from that post and a third another meter away. Our plan is to have a "people gate" between the second set of posts and a "vehicle gate" between that third post and the neighbor's fence. So, the 4-foot fence will be 4 feet high at that third post. The ground drops a little bit toward the neighbor and rises a little bit towards our house. So, the top of the fence will be level, but the bottom will not be.

More Material Prep

prep area

Boo and I were having a hard time visualizing the fence enough to make seemingly easy decisions, like "will the fence have teeth and if so, how long?". By "teeth" ,I mean some length of picket above the top runner. Some fences stop clean with a runner along the top, and some don't. Without that clearly known, we could not plan for the gate construction because the location of the upper runner was unknown. So, we return to materials prep. This time, we selected 30 pickets, and ripped them down with a table saw to 3-1/2 inches wide. Then, we cleaned them up with a belt sander to get the grot off, and expose the wood. We laid 2x4's down to simulate the ground, bottom and top runners and then laid some of the cleaned up pickets on top... all on the grass... so we could imagine different configurations. We resolved to even spacing of 3-1/2" between each picket and  3-1/2" teeth with the bottom runner aligning with the bottom runner of the neighbor's fence.

Measure, Cut and Assemble Gate Frames

considering gate visual

At this point, we did some measuring, and ran some math for how large the rectangular gate frames needed to be. In retrospect, there was a flaw in my logic here, so the fence will either be a couple of inches short or the teeth will need to be a couple of inches longer. Why? Well, we considered where the top runner was based on the measurement at the neighbor's fence measuring up from that bottom runner rather than triangulate off of the middle post. So, while we had everything else assumed right, the gate frames are actually 2.5 inches too short, resulting in a fence that will be 45.5" tall at the third post rather than 48" tall there. Will it matter? No, not really. The dog will not jump a 45.5" fence any more often than the 48" fence. Honestly, reaching over a 45.5" gate to unlatch it might be easier and while having it 48" high at the at post would have been great, at the neighbor's fence it would have been over 50" high. Anyway, with an angle square, a measuring tape and a circular saw, I prepared 3 gates' worth of 2x4's. Then, with a cordless driver, I drilled and set up the angle-irons I had purchased (Azn link). These angle-irons were the only new bits for this fence, by the way. Constructing the frames took a few hours.

Hang Gate Frames

cleaned pickets

Next, I shifted to hanging the gate frames onto the posts. I started by attaching the hinges to the frames, making sure I had the right end of the gate, and had the hinge swinging the correct way. Once all 3 were equipped, I took them, one at a time, over to their respective post for install. I started at the neighbor's fence end, so I could get the bottom runner height correct. I put my racing car jack under the frame and lifted it up, against the neighbor's fence, until the top of my bottom runner was aligned with the top of the neighbor's fence's lower runner. This would have the best visual appeal. Since we want the pickets to align with the post faces (not behind or jutting out in front), I accounted for the width of the picket to set the hinge spot on the post. Before I went any further, I made a couple of templates: one for the hinge screw pattern, from the leading edge of the steel plate and a second for the space from the leading edge of the hinge to the leading edge of the post. This way, all 6 hinges would install in the exact same relative spots.

With the templates formed and the location of the first pair of hinges defined, I drilled the holes and sent the screws through. We had one gate frame hung. I needed Boo's help to steady the other 2 gates, but the process was very similar. We would set the gate onto a jack (or 2x4) to set the height. To get the height correct, we aligned the top of the top runner against the adjacent gate. Once the gate height was set, we marked the top of the hinges with a scrape of a screw. From that scrape-mark we would use the templates to define where the holes were to be drilled. We'd drill the holes, and send the screws through the hinges into the posts.

hinge close-up

In a weekend, we went from a pile of 5" unfinished grotty pickets to 3 gate frames hung and a pile of pickets nearly ready for install. Next is the addition of the short section of not-gate runners between the first 2 posts. The pickets require a little more prep (cutting the rot off one end), but then we will be attaching the pickets, fresh-cut side down. Once attached, there will be some trimming off the top to get to nice straight teeth. We have not decided if we are going to paint the fence or not. So, we are going to clear-coat it after the fence is built. Then, we'll finish the job by add latching hardware. I'm getting quite a bit ahead of myself, and I'll post on all that next time.

Thanks, as always, for following along-

Small Fence, Big Difference (Part 1)

As they say on Letterkenny, "back to chorin'". Today's post covers our building a 7 meter (20 foot) fence between our new neighbor's fence and NewOldHouse. We did this entirely ourselves with all salvaged wood. The only new materials were the gate supports, hinges and latches. Since there are only 2 of us working on this, around jobs and such, it is taking a while, so this is split into multiple parts.

before image

Before I get into it, you are probably wondering why we did this when the kitchen is non-existent. Great question. It starts with the dog, Tuukka. He is very curious and wants to be in everything. We knick-named him "pedibus" because of how much he wants to be underfoot. So, if we need to get after some serious demo, or something, we need to contain him. The backyard is big and wild.. and almost completely enclosed with fence. The space between the neighbor's fence and our house is open, so when we put him in the backyard, we find him in the front shortly thereafter.

Get Material

Backing up a couple of months, Boo was out walking Tuukka when she saw a fencing company tearing down a neighbors fence. In her usual way, she asked what they were up to and what they were doing with the remains. It turned out some of the fence was bad, some of it was good, but the neighbor wanted the whole thing replaced. So, the fencing guys put the really bad stuff in their trailer and left the mediocre to good fencing in a pile on the curb. In 2 loads with ToyoTruck, we collected enough material to build more than what we needed. The main posts were not too great, so we will probably not re-use many of them. The cross-pieces are a mix also, but mostly in decent shape; many were recent replacement boards. Last, we look at the actual pickets. This fence was at least 5 feet high, and we are building a 4-foot fence. So, any board which has limited rot on the bottom is fair game. Some boards were in good shape, but most have some rot at the bottom and the top is worn.  Again, if we can get 4 feet out of a board, it fits our purpose. Since the fence we are building will be more traditional-picket, with air space between the pickets, and the fence we salvaged was solid, we have twice as many to think about as we need for the same distance.

Plan

diggin holes

Boo and I spent a Saturday morning, wandering around with coffee, measuring tape and a level to decide where to put our fence. We have a power meter on the house, so that needs to be available to the power company. That defined the furthest towards the street it could go. Less than a foot further back, is the downspout. We preferred having that in the backyard, so the fence is going into that spot in between. There is a small flower garden there, and then open space to the neighbor's fence. We intend to put a garage in the back one day, and we would like to be able to pass through without having to open a big ol' gate to do so. To remedy, we decided to have a short section of fixed fence from the house to the edge of the flower garden. There, we would put a 1 meter person gate. The rest of the line from that gate to the neighbor's fence would be a 4 meter opening, with 2 2-meter gates so a car could pass between. The weight of the person gate should be relatively small, and with the hinge on the flower garden side, there will be sufficient ballast. The car-gates, however, cannot be free-swinging gates. I figure that no matter how deep I set the post between the person gate and the adjacent car gate, that car gate will pull on it and eventually loosen it. So, the car gates will get wheels.

Prep Material

this took a long time

Free wood is not as "free" as it sounds. Each picket needs to be removed from the cross-pieces, the screws and nails removed and then cut to length. I started simply by removing pickets and the fasteners from the pickets and cross-pieces, leaving them in corresponding piles. I spent spare cycles around work days and other commitments to collect a pile of pickets nearly 3 feet high and twice as wide. This took a lot longer than I expected. We borrowed a table saw to rip the boards down from their existing 5 inches wide down to 3 inches wide. Again, this creates an opportunity to cut off splits or bad edges. But each board takes multiple cuts (up to 4, right?) to get right. We delayed the shaping of the pickets until after we got some of the fence supports up.

For posts, we had a couple of long pressure-treated 4x4 posts already on the property. For the 3rd post, we took the best-looking, longest from the salvaged fence. It was also pressure treated and look less than a couple of years old.

Dig Holes, Place Poles

holes dug

With a rough plan in place, we got into details, marking exactly where each post would go. Once satisfied, I marked the spot with spray paint. To collect the dirt, I laid out a tarp. We had an old post-hole digger, but it would not make much of a dent in the clay soil. Instead, I started with a traditional shovel, removing the top layer, tossing the dirt under the grass-plug onto the tarp. Once I got down to the top of the shovel (6 inches?) I switched to a pry-bar to loosen the clay and then a small plastic tub from the recycling to remove the loosened soil. In this manner, I dug 3 holes 24 inches deep, each taking about an hour. While I was digging, Boo went out and got us 10 gallons (2 5-gallon buckets full) of 3/4-minus gravel.

One post at a time, we put a few inches of gravel in the bottom of the hole, tamped it with the fence post and then set the post in place. Boo confirmed vertical with a level on 2 sides while I added gravel and tamped over and over again until the post was secure. After the first post was set, we also checked that the placement within the hole was in a straight line and then followed the same vertical / gravel / tamp cycle. Once all 3 posts were in, we watered the holes to press out the air, and then added more gravel and tamped again. We topped the last 1/2 inch of the hole with soil and then made sure there was a mound around the post, again tamping. In theory, this should dissuade rain from running down along the post, weakening the foundation. We will see.

I took a few weeks of work around work to get this far. We have steel brackets for building the gates so they will not only be held together with wood 2x4's and wood screws. I will get after that assembly and more material prep in the next post.

Thanks, as always, for following along-