Let’s Build a Fence: Day 2 & 3
I combined both of these because I feel that Day 2 was a wash and very short. After work, Jason and I drove back up to our local Lowes (local meaning thirty minutes away!) to get new panels. We decided that instead of getting the same three and a half foot panel we had originally bought, we decided to spend a little more and get six foot panels. We knew they would 1) be made better and we wouldn’t see rotten panels and 2) it would add a lot more privacy to the backyard. The fence was originally decided on so the puppies would have free range of the backyard, but we also felt that privacy as another issue we needed to conquer in our neighborhood.
It was about seven o’clock by the time we had gotten back to the house and it took us about thirty minutes to unload the truck. Jason was very eager to see his fence get started and put a few more posts into the ground.
Amateur Fence Problem #1: In our excitement to put up a fence, Jason had already put in a few of the six foot posts into the ground. When we decided to go with a six foot fence, we needed to figure out how to make those posts still useful (we are trying to save money, not spend more!) while making the rest of the fence with the eight foot posts for more stability. We came across the perfect L Bracket at JBK Hardware to fix our problem so that the top of the panel had just as much support from the post as the rest of it. Jason also added more concrete to make sure the posts would be even more secure holding the extra weight.
Amateur Fence Problem #2: Use a string to make sure your posts are lined up straight and check, check, and double check as the cement dries! On our first side, it is ever-so slightly off to the eye when you look at it dead on. We made sure to fix this problem on the side which would have the most traffic.
The next day (Day 3) after work, Jason continued the fence with help from our friend and co-worker, Sam. They finished putting the posts in on the left side of the fence and also started on the far side of the yard, too. Once the cement was set for a while, they started to attach the panels.
By the end of Day 3, we had both sides of our fence up! All we had to finish was the connecting panel in the back to our neighbor’s fence and the sides that would touch the house and include the gates.
