Fence Project Update

The "Mending Fences" project posted a days back is coming along nicely.  We're in no special hurry to finish it, but it would be nice to be through before the heat of Summer hits.

Judy has been a tremendous help.  I actually think she could finish the project herself.  The only thing she hasn't done so far is move the heavy compressor from the garage and use the nail gun to drive the nails in place.  Her Mom would cringe at the thought of her little girl building a fence of all things.

We've decided to just take it a couple of sections at a time instead of making a major commitment to finish up quickly at the expense of our health and comfort.  And it appears that we only have maybe three or four more sections that really need repairing due to rotting rails.  From there on the sections all appear to be in good shape.  I seem to remember repairing that section just a few years ago when we had some strong winds come through.

Fortunately, most of the pickets are okay.  It's just the rotten rails.  The rails are 'supposed' to be pressure treated, but apparently they are using a very weak solution of whatever it is they use to treat them.  I think Lowe's and Home Depot are being sold junk, and it won't become apparent to us until a few short years later when they start to rot prematurely.  How do you go back to Lowes or Home Depot and say, "Those $&#@ pressure-treated 2 X 4's you sold me six years ago are already rotting! What are you gonna do about it?"

Anyway, it's coming together slowly but surely, and should be in good shape for at least the next ten years or so.

Oh, and since I can't see well enough to drive nails with a hammer, especially the bottom rows, I'm using my pneumatic nailer.  No, not the big framing nailer (I gave that to Dave because he knows how to use it better than me), but my brad nailer.  Yes, my 18 gauge brad nailer.  It not only works great using 18 gauge, 1¼" galvanized brads, but they don't show the ugly nail heads like nails do. They hold the boards securely to the rails, but even if a destructive wind comes along again, it will probably do no more than just blow some pickets off without damaging them or the rails.  Then it's just a matter of  nailing them back in place.  But so far, they appear to be holding as good as the nails.

I also took the liberty of tying my fence posts to the cemetery's chain-link fence to give it more strength to remain plumb in high winds, which seem to be more frequent lately.

Anyway, we're on track and we're proud of our progress.

3-27-16 Finished...