"Leon" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
I took some PT 2x6 decking up a few years ago that had been screwed down. Heads breaking off and spinning freely were a common happening. Some pieces would come off with a large prybar, but others had to be cut off.
I'd expect the same thing to occur with a fence.
Puckdropper
I wouldn't. Fencing is mostly vertical construction,water drains quite well and snow sheds, unlike a deck. Look at frequency of staining required.
"Leon" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
I took some PT 2x6 decking up a few years ago that had been screwed down. Heads breaking off and spinning freely were a common happening. Some pieces would come off with a large prybar, but others had to be cut off.
I'd expect the same thing to occur with a fence. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Probably right on that count unless you use those pretty stainless steel or deck screws and then you probably add several hundreds of dollars to the price of the fence.
Go to google, click on "Images" for your search.
Type in " postmaster fence posts " and you will see the exact product I am talking about. Don't think these are flimsy. They are really heavy duty and almost 3/16" thick. They are galvanized, can be covered or painted.
You screw on the rails with deck screws, and nail the pickets. It makes a very strong fence and the back side with the screws can be covered up with a picket or small trim piece over the rail itself, giving the appearance of being a wood post. My fence guy has been using this for his municipal work for years now, and everyone seems quite pleased.
He still uses cedar posts or 4X4 recycled plastic posts (unless I want to spring for the metal) on either side of a gate. Like the old timers did around here for years, when using cedar 4X4s, I take roofing mastic (tar, plastic cement) and trowel on a thin layer about
3" from the bottom of the post before setting them in concrete to help their water resistance and resistance to bugs/water at the point of contact to air at the soil level.When using this system for the state/county/muninciple guys, they love this system as they can easily replace damage sections by simply pulling out the screws and letting whole sections drop. It also makes it easy to remove and replace if a section has to be removed for machine access like a skid steer loader.
If you have a McCoy's in Houston, you should have them there. That's where the "Postmaster" fence post products are available here.
Robert
You guys use the term "picket" too loosely for my tastes. They're usually 42" tall or less and 1x3 or 1x4". Like this:
-- If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how little remains that we cannot do. -- Samuel Butler
Go to google, click on "Images" for your search.
Type in " postmaster fence posts " and you will see the exact product I am talking about. Don't think these are flimsy. They are really heavy duty and almost 3/16" thick. They are galvanized, can be covered or painted.
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3/16" thick, how do you lift them? ;~)You screw on the rails with deck screws, and nail the pickets. It makes a very strong fence and the back side with the screws can be covered up with a picket or small trim piece over the rail itself, giving the appearance of being a wood post. My fence guy has been using this for his municipal work for years now, and everyone seems quite pleased.
He still uses cedar posts or 4X4 recycled plastic posts (unless I want to spring for the metal) on either side of a gate. Like the old timers did around here for years, when using cedar 4X4s, I take roofing mastic (tar, plastic cement) and trowel on a thin layer about
3" from the bottom of the post before setting them in concrete to help their water resistance and resistance to bugs/water at the point of contact to air at the soil level.When using this system for the state/county/muninciple guys, they love this system as they can easily replace damage sections by simply pulling out the screws and letting whole sections drop. It also makes it easy to remove and replace if a section has to be removed for machine access like a skid steer loader.
If you have a McCoy's in Houston, you should have them there. That's where the "Postmaster" fence post products are available here.
Robert @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Thank you Robert, we do have a McCoy's in the area, Rosenberg IIRC. I'll look into that.
You guys use the term "picket" too loosely for my tastes. They're usually 42" tall or less and 1x3 or 1x4". Like this:
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Picket, the part that provides the privacy. Check out what your local lumber yard or Borg calls them. A picket does not have size constraints.
A while back I put together some scaffolding from 2x lumber using galvanized SPAX screws. Was up for about three months. Most of it came apart all right, but some of the heads spun right off and when they did it wasn't possible to get the pieces apart without damaging them--the screws were too hard for a Multimaster to cut and had enough thread in both pieces to hold like the head was still on.
There was no rust or corrosion evident on any of the screws, so it's difficult to blame the heads spinning off on weathering.
Personally I tend to use screws mainly because I'm too lazy to swing a hammer, but I don't really see removability as being a selling point in exterior wood construction.
A while back I put together some scaffolding from 2x lumber using galvanized SPAX screws. Was up for about three months. Most of it came apart all right, but some of the heads spun right off and when they did it wasn't possible to get the pieces apart without damaging them--the screws were too hard for a Multimaster to cut and had enough thread in both pieces to hold like the head was still on.
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If you did not use an impact driver to remove the screws you may want to consider using one. While they are extremely strong compared to the typical same voltage drill, the impact action is much easier on the fastener. Because the torque is not constant it gives the fastener a chance relax a bit.
Used an impact driver going in and going out.
Weird.
Ditto.
Even HD calls them "fence boards" on other pages.
Yeah, impacts practically -vibrate- the things loose. They are an absolutely marvelous invention. I even spent Festool-like prices on my Makita. (Nah, the prices were lower.)
-- If we attend continually and promptly to the little that we can do, we shall ere long be surprised to find how little remains that we cannot do. -- Samuel Butler
swoosshh, and fences don't require fasteners of any type.
Used an impact driver going in and going out.
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Crappy Spax screws I guess. I know screws don't hold up well out doors unless specifically suited but I have used regular square drive out doors and several years later they are still OK.
Yeah, impacts practically -vibrate- the things loose. They are an absolutely marvelous invention. I even spent Festool-like prices on my Makita. (Nah, the prices were lower.) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
I did a kitchen remodel about 6 years ago, the customer had puttied in the old cabinet mounting screws so that you could not see the Philips head. My impact driver seemed to dislodge the putty with out hesitation and the drywall screws came right out. My drill with the same bit had no effect.
Weird.
Ditto.
Even HD calls them "fence boards" on other pages.
The key words you mention above, "white picket fence" describes a particular type fence and picket.
When I hear cedar picket or PT picket fence I think 1x6x72 dog eared pickets.
Of course, as well as believing everything I read on the Internet. Don't you?
You also have odd tastes in tools, eschewing HF. ;)
-- It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctively native American criminal class except Congress. -- Mark Twain
Have you tried taking those screws out? If not, give it a shot and see what happens.
They were SPAX brand which I have never heard anybody call "crappy". They were holding up just fine. It's just that taking them out the heads came off of some (maybe 1 out of 100). Even with the heads off they were doing their job.
My point is not that there was any defect in the screws. My point is that using a good brand of screw that was not corroded in any manner, some were still not readily removable, so one should not count on ease of disassembly as being a benefit of screws.
If you really want to be able to get it apart later without mangling it, use machine screws, carriage bolts, elevator bolts, timber bolts, or other fasteners which take nuts and put anti-seize on them.
Have you tried taking those screws out? If not, give it a shot and see what happens.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Yes, I've yet to have one break off. But I will say they were manufactured
20+ years ago.They were SPAX brand which I have never heard anybody call "crappy". They were holding up just fine. It's just that taking them out the heads came off of some (maybe 1 out of 100). Even with the heads off they were doing their job.
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I did not meant to declare SPAX crappy, you may have gotten a crappy batch, it happens.
My point is not that there was any defect in the screws. My point is that using a good brand of screw that was not corroded in any manner, some were still not readily removable, so one should not count on ease of disassembly as being a benefit of screws.
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Agreed.
Of course, as well as believing everything I read on the Internet. Don't you?
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Well heck yeah! LOL
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