We need to have a wood fence put up on only one side of the property (pretty much a straight line with one turn towards the house with a gate. I was going to get some estimates from fence builders and I was just wondering--are there any questions I should be asking them? I know nothing about fences or how they are built. Do I need to ask about warranties or specific questions about how they anchor or build them?
Consider metal posts. They never rot.
Consider a design where the lowest part of the fence is a horizontal board. When it rots, you don't have to replace the whole fence.
Privacy is a big problem in this case--it needs to be totally closed.
What are the best woods to use?
If stained, do you also do that before assembly?
Yes, there is a code of 6 feet. Strictly enforced.
Actually, my neighbor is the reason we're doing this. They decided to build a "swing set/jungle gym/slide" for the kiddies right next to our property that has turned out looking like an al Qaeda training camp. It's just horrible, but our nazi homeowner association, known for enforcing every rule in the book (we once got a letter chastizing us for poor edging) says that it's ok, because there is nothing 'specifically' about playground equipment in the restrictions. I guess you could have an amusement park because there is nothing about it in the restrictions. Anyhow, these neighbors do not figure in the equation, except to block them out.
Any idea what a fence costs per foot?
Cedar & Redwood. Grade matters too & unfortunately the good stuff is bad for old growth forests so using something simpler with stair/preservative is probably a good idea.
Ideally yes because it protects from rot though I suppose if it's thin, it'll drip down into seams?
The rich guy model with a milled cap maybe $180/ft :-) It depends on your area & the labor costs too. In the San Francisco area, maybe $50/ft for something basic & sturdy.
Hi Suzanne!
S > We need to have a wood fence put up on only one side of the property S > (pretty much a straight line with one turn towards the house with a S > gate. I was going to get some estimates from fence builders and I was S > just wondering--are there any questions I should be asking them? I know S > nothing about fences or how they are built. Do I need to ask about S > warranties or specific questions about how they anchor or build them?
I'd be asking for the specific type of wood (cedar would be good), wether the fence is single or double-sided, how much 'see-through' there is, how tall the fence will be.
The representative who installed our fence suggested it match the neighbour's cedar fence so our view matched. He also noted the neighbour's fence wasn't quite built correctly: it is a double-sided fence but the boards are spaced a bit too far apart so at an angle can see through. Also noted the horizontal supports were put in wrong: wide part is horizontal and should have been vertical.
- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®
make sure they have liability insurance and they mention they will get any permits required and they will "call before they dig" to check for underground utilities!. Make sure you are putting the fence where you actually can. Some places allow a fence on a property line other places have setback requirements!
As always check with your neighbors ask them what they like about their fence and what they wished they could do different. Different parts of the country have different plusses/minuses for fencing! In Colorado I would look for how they attach the fence to the posts. We get wind up to 70MPH out on the plains and I would want any fence bolted thru to make sure it did not blow down! Also 6x6 posts are a lot better than 4x4's!
Wayne
I have heard that it is just as good, or better, to set the fence post entirely in gravel, no concrete. Is this true?
Cheers, Wayne
Seems to me that if you did that, you'd have water from rain and snowmelt running onto the wood. It would certainly drain OK, but the wood would certainly remain wet for a time particularly during and some time after big or extended rains, or a lot of melt, especially since there's not a lot of air moving around down there to help dry the wood. And then you have the issue of the open gravel settling after time below the grass line and having to fill in more gravel, and then the bugs taking up residence in all those gravel nooks and crannies.
But even if you ignore that issue, really -- what moves more: a pole floating in gravel or a pole anchored in cement?
Again, I may be mistaken about it all, but that's what it seems to me as your basic ig'nint homeowner.
AJS
$50 per foot sounds really high for Florida. A friend of mine had her entire yard done for $1,500.
"Suzanne" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@rr.com...
I'm in florida. I used pressure treated wood with 8 foot 4x4 posts. Two feet in the ground. If you are worried about rot paint the two underground feet with roofing tar to deter wood rot. I put up 50 6X8 foot fence panels board on board. $35 a panel, 5 bucks a piece for the posts wood screws for strength etc. It cost a few thousand and if you want someone to do it double the cost for labor. My fence is to code. They are 10 years old and I just pressure cleaned the front ones it looks like new. If you pressure clean pressure treated wood make sure you use a mask due to the arsenic in the wood treatment. Also the part that was torched has ashes and that has arsenic in it that can dissolve in the wind. Don't breathe that. You can treat them with Thompson wood treatment also. The fence is expected to last 40 years. Keep the wood above ground and it will last longer. A couple parts were covered with dirt on the neighbors side and it caused wood rot. Well a car crashed the fence before I finished it. then someone set it on fire, then someone else hit the telephone pole and it cracked the wood. Someone else egged it, then someone else spray painted it but I pressure cleaned the graffitti off pretty good before "I" got the ticket for obscene language. I cut a 60foot tall tree onto it and there are a couple of blemishes but all in all it is holding up pretty good. A cop tried to break in with a large knife a year ago but one call to
911 took care of that. It didn't stop the secret service though.
Your description is a little over my head technically. How many feet did you cover altogether?
We did not have a fence planned in the maintenance budget. The neighbors put up a large ugly jungle gym swing thing right next to our pool and we bascially want to block the view of it. So, although I want something decent, we cannot spend a fortune. The deed restrictions are for 6 feet high max. I don't really understand what kind of panels you are describing and we will have to have someone else do it because there is no way my husband can build a fence.
About 380 perimeter
Fl law somewhere says you need 4 foot fence to prevent kids from drowning and an alarm on the gate. THe permit I got allows board on board. But some cities do not allow that. After hurricane Andrew alot of things changed. I don't like to promote Home Depot due to their politics but they do have a selection. I kinda like the plastic fencing. I had a little guilt trip about my fence because I found out it was taken from ancient rainforest so I would like it to last as long as possible.
anything over 6 ft. can be compensated with bushes or I put up trelises with vinery. I had about two pallets of fence delivered from the store. Board on board. That really gets people. They think you got something to hide and try harder to see inside. I put trelises on top and parts of the fence I have 5 vines. Two types of passion flowers and wood rose and jasmine.
I also have concrete path lined with the fence for the front of the house with a cactus garden. 7 types of cactus so far and two rain trees. No monkey pods have shown up though.
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