Fences

Cool Texan · 03-26-2003, 07:28 AM

Summer is approaching....and a fence needs to go up soon. Anyone know of a good company to deal with on fencing? Just looking for a standard 6' wood privacy fence. Any ideas on the general costs per foot?

Gus Orviston · 03-26-2003, 09:05 AM

It has been a little while since I built a cedar fence like you describe. However, lumber $ haven't changed drastically from what I see. My guess is you should be able to build one for 10$/ft....now nearly double that to have it built.

Rick's Customer fencing in Hillsboro can quote you, but it is pretty easy to build one and save $$.

gus

Cool Texan · 03-26-2003, 09:30 AM

I agree....building its not too hard. However its a time issue...and a bit of an issue in dealing with mild slopes. Not real sure how to manage the sloping.

Gus Orviston · 03-26-2003, 09:56 AM

go for a drive, and look around to see what you like...that's what I always do on my projects. You need to determine if you want alternating boards,,,or just panels. On slopes I think doing full panels looks best, but that is a personal preference. Small yards alternating panels are nice to keep the air flowing through the yard, but I think full panels look best.

Firedog · 03-26-2003, 09:59 AM

Cool Texan, building fence is pretty easy. Rick's Custom Fencing used to have brochures on how to. Even dealing with a minor slope is easy. The hardest part of building fence out here in NE portland is the Rocky Ground you have to dig post hole in.

Parr, Home Depot and Ricks are all good places to call for prices on Materials.

Cool Texan · 03-26-2003, 10:18 AM

My backyard wont be too bad in terms of rocks. I needed dynamite to plant my trees in the front though. :grin:

We're going to do solid panels when we build...and our neighbor gets the ugly side. A trip to the Depot is probably warranted...see what they say on the "how to" part, etc.

Gus Orviston · 03-26-2003, 12:17 PM

I like to do stuff once. And the fence I built at my house 8 years ago stands perfectly today. The Rick's Custom next door....well it fell over in the first 6 months, but they came back and fixed it.

1st question. do you want it to be there a while. If so, rent a post hole digger..8" Warning: 2 man job....the guy that was returning one when I picked mine up ran it by himself...it hooked a rock and slammed him into his house busting his arm :depressed: Use treated Cedar 4x4 posts, put pea gravel in the bottom of each hole and use bagged concrete, mixed in a wheel barrel, to fill in around the 4x. Leave it mounded so as not to collect water, but rather spill it away. Space these just short of 8' ...why you ask, well if you are running 200 ft of fence you will be off somewhere and your 8 foot runners will be short, better to be long and cut them shorter. This was learned but I was anal on Pole placement and it worked great...so be careful. Use clips to mount 2 runners. Location doesn't matter just be consistant. Then install 6"x6'x1" cedar boards. don't go cheap,,,they make a 5"x 1/2" but they appear to me to warp easy (note to self if contracting it out and same goes for how they will set the posts). Also I used galvanized screws to hold the boards on,,,not nails. nails will come lose in time and rust running down your boards won't look good. Those are some key points I remember, there are others, but those will make a huge different in the end product.

gus

TheRogue · 03-26-2003, 12:27 PM

I vote for Parr Lumber...price on my 15x20ft cedar deck was almost 10% under Home Depot or Lumbermen's.

"Mounding" the concrete around the base of the post is very important!! The cedar or treated posts will last forever, as long as you keep the water from pooling around the base.

TR

Gus Orviston · 03-26-2003, 12:35 PM

yep, don't miss a price check at parr. i have seen their lumber priced better for same grade if not up a notch. I got mine from Home Depot but had a 1 time 15% a purchase @ HD. I just made sure I purchased it all at once :grin: They eventually just let me come and go on my 15% off for a few days until I was done. I beat parr and met the grade, but it was close.

Big Dog · 03-26-2003, 12:53 PM

One thing that I found was to TAR the bottom end of the 4X4 that goes in the ground. It will help a lot in the fight against Dry Rot.

Just my .02

Firedog · 03-26-2003, 02:11 PM

Use pressure treated posts, they will last much longer than cedar. Especialy if you are going to build solid style with the ugly side towards your neighbor. Put a level on every few boards to keep them vertical. Also Set your corner posts first then run a string line and set the rest up to it so you get a nice flat look to the top. Run one string over the top and a second along one side, posts should just touch both strings when they are level. Should be able to look down the post line and they should be in a perfect line. Check posts for crowns and put crown in line with the fence, so it wont sho out one side or the other when looking down line. As I remember other tricks of th trade I will post them for you. Been awhile but I used to build fences for a living.

Parr does have excellent fence products. Ricks has his own mill and has a decent price also. I would choose Parr first though.