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Ike has brought down my backyard fence which (I suspect) is the original fence put up 36 years ago (the original homeowner spared no expense). I've identified the pickets as French Gothic style, only they seem to be a DOUBLE French Gothic Style: 1 x 4s with TWO holes on the point. Anyone familiar with this style of picket and where I can order them for my NEW fence? I really don't want to go with the old dog-ear pickets or the rounded "popsicle" ear pickets.
don't know how handy you are . but you can make them yourself , or hire someone to make them for you individually, then duplicate the stringers . it would be a simple task for anyone with a skill saw, and jig saw . you would get a better product . a friend of mine just cut several hundred pickets for a custom job in tennessee. ask around among your friends. and by all means , keep one of the originals for future reference. sally
Sally,
Thanks so much for the encouragement, as I'm being discouraged from going with such an "Old" style. But, I look around and the new fences with the horizontal boards at the top and bottom look so like a FORTRESS and not an enhancement to the property. And, while they may be sturdy and achieve the purpose of keeping people in or out, I stood back and looked at the original fence in my yard, and thought, "That really is a beautiful fence on this property..." I'll check locally to see if anyone cuts the pickets. I'm looking to replace the fence with another cedar one. The previous one has lasted a very long time, and I want to duplicate the care and attention to the property, albeit within my modest income level.
there isn't much to it . you can get the cedar fence in separate pieces from hd and trace the pattern on it and go from there . the only big deal about it is the time factor , but heck quilting or knitting takes time too . go for it ! take pictures , we all like pictures . sally
If you want to cut your own pickets, you could easily cover the cost of a professional saw. If I were to do it, I would set up jigs for my miter saw or table saw to cut the angles and the drill press for the half circles. That way every board would be the same. Also -- having repaired so many fences in the Houston area, I would NOT use 6 ft pickets, but would install a treated sacrifice horizontal baseboard and 4-5 ft pickets. Our neighbor's fence has 2x10 with a champhor to shed water. Should last 20-30 years.
Do you have any pictures of the existing fence or boards? Also -- How many feet? Any gates? Corner posts? Do you need them cut with the Frenceh Gothic top(s), too?
I'm with bubba on not going too high . it would take at least three stringers as that is normal for any fence four foot tall . you don't want the boards to twist and warp . measure your boards and I'll bet they aren't over five foot tall . I, personally wouldn't go more than four ft . But measure yours and if they aren't over four ft , then you can buy eight foot boards and get two, four foot boards plus the height off the ground . too tall will look gaudy , in my opinion .If you want to get strength for the years to come , and no stains , get stainless steel screws , pre drill holes ,then put in screws . very expensive for screws, but well worth it . i would Never screw into wood like that without pre drilling .please keep screws line straight . sally ps, you absoutely want to make a jig .
Sally,
Glad to see you are an advocate of screws, too. Having used all types, I like the "Deck Mate" brand the best. They almost never strip the head or break off. Thanks to DIL and a friend, I have 2 Porter-Cable cordless drills - that really makes fast work of drill and drive projects.
I use the deck mate almost exclusively . they have a good bite and usually last years . iI like that you can get the colored heads to blend with the wood .the stainless will last forever and give less replacement problems in the years to come . the heads won't ream out and can be removed easy to replace boards that split over time . an extra ten to twenty boards , can be weathered ,or painted ,then weathered and stored for future replacement for a close color match, nothing looks so bad as a fence with "new" boards in an otherwise elegant old fence . looks patched .I like cedar or redwood except cedar tends to dry out and get brittle over time . I'm talking twenty or thirty years life . to me , cypress would be the choice for a hundred years and weathers to a beautiful gray ,of course it paints well, also. I hope we don't overwhelm gymgirl with all this , I'm turning an easy thing into so many options , it may be confusing . I bet you do nice work, bubba. The only fights me and dh get into , is construction . every time I want a new tool , I buy it for dh . sneeky aren't I ? sally
Just looked at the map ,duh , youall are next to each other . maybe you can cut the boards , and assembly them for her . I will be in rockport this winter ,but won't be doing any construction this trip , only wade fishing for specs and redfish . flounder also , I hope. sally
Yes, GymGirl and her DH and me and my DW know each other. I made a pole-bean teepee for her last year, and she gave me a garden full of tomatoe plants. Also, she makes the best "NOLA greens" we have ever eaten.
Wish I had more time to do all the construction jobs that are presented to me, but have a full time profession and the restaurant, so very little time available.
Have you ever been to "The Woodworking Shows" weekend exhibitions? DW and I go every year, and attend some of the working sessions to learn how to use different tools - properly and safely. She buys most of my equipment, and now understands the difference between professional and homeowner tools. Slowly but surely, mine are being upgraded. You can do great work with lesser tools, but it is so much easier with the "right" tool.
I have always learned from others - whenever someone shows me a better / easier way to do something - I quit doing it the "old" way.
I really like the woodworking shows on TV , but am more into the large projects . It takes more than what I know for all the furniture and intricate cuts to get into woodworking . I content myself with refinishing pieces . Decks and fences ,framing, and learning more about finishwork now . At my late age , I'm enjoying rock work ,paths , walls, landscaping yard art ,block laying , and on and on . thanks to my grandpa and his boys and my dad, I learned at an early age the value of measure twice , cut once , square ,plumb ,and level .I lived in Lubbock off and on for years , probably ate with youall before . sally
actually , I went to your personal web page to learn more about you and read some of your threads you started . I like to know more about the people I meet here on Daves , it makes it easier to talk to them . It isn't intended as an intrusion . and if there is a picture , at least I'm talking to a person . Hope you aren't offended . sally
Heavens, no, Digger. I love to share whatever I know and to learn new "stuff".
Like many here on DG, I may be retirement age, but I refuse to act my age. I'm more active now than ever - just need more daylight, and longer weekends to try to get things done.
Spent last Saturday under the restaurant sealing as many places as possible. Trying to keep a wooden building together in this swamp we call Houston is a constant battle - especially when the original owner did not use any treated lumber.
Rebuild this wall in a couple of days before July 4th this year. Removed the panels with the mural, replaced the missing plate and chewed/water-damaged studs, insulated, installed 1/2 inch treated plywood, then rehung the mural. Also while I had it open - reconstructed the platform for the central heat/air blower unit.
Well, a real honest to goodness Ice House . I lived in Houston for awhile north of Hobby ,and had never heard of an IH being a B J outside .I love them , or did while I lived there .How close to 59 are you , we'll be coming right through there pulling a cargo trailer and dogs , 2 cats , a bird , and tropical plants to put out in yard in Holliday Beach at my sons place . would love to stop off and give the dh a break with a cool one and some vittles for both of us . I'll stick with coffee . then on to our winter (get away?) we built the boy (51) a boatshed on the end of his mobilhome last year and acovered back porch the year b4 and a complete bathroom makeover the year b4 , and a front porch rebuild the year b4 , after the edge of a hurricane got his ramp and that samecovered front porch the year , b4 . It will be some small maintencnce this year , mostly fishing .this is my latest project . hiring most of the work tho , I'm getting too old to climb ladders and so is dh . I did the dirt work and it will be a 14x16 room with storage open , under. sally
If you knew where to look - you can see US59 behind the building. We are on Westpark between Loop 610 and Rice - just outside the Loop about a mile south of the Galleria. I cook Sunday breakfast (only day we do that) from 9:30 - noon or until we start cooking so many burgers that I can't make pretty eggs any more.
WOW - That dirt work looks harder than being on a ladder.
Just put some more pictures on puter . Here's where we are now . dh just came in from work and I told him we were going to have breakfast with you and he said fine . W e will be going to my house in ark to spend a few days mowing and cleaning up then leave out around 3 am . if we don't make it for eggs, then big ole juicy hamburgers it is . it will be in late Nov or early Dec . that will be a welcome break to us . gotta stop somewhere and the other side of Houston is perfect . We've been stopping at places on down the road ,but not impressed with gas station snacks .sure like youalls place , looks neighborhood friendly .
Utility room will be on top ,I'll get my finger into that . boy , all that reconstruction with rot and termites is more than I ever want to do again . we tore the floors to the groung in ark to replace everything with treated wood . did it over a two year period , part time as we live in N. Georgia . Gymgirl , maybe we'll get to meet you and DH too ! sally
I am totally enthralled with this conversation between Bubba and Digger. Ya'll are too much!
BUBBA, I love you!!!
DIGGER, you don't know how close I came to enrolling in a beginner's carpentry course two months ago at a local college. But the $14K tuition is a bit cost prohibitive right now.
Sad part is that my DH has a garage full of all the tools I would ever need, but he's oldschool, and it does something to his heart (brain?) to see a woman with a power tool in her hands...and basic carpentry is something I have ALWAYS wanted to learn, if just for simple projects in my own home...such a waste of knowledge. I told him it'd be different if I was the kind of woman he had to threaten to get me to pick up a hammer and nail -- but I've been begging him to teach me to use all the tools he has. I'd have a tricked out backyard by now, with a new deck, flowebeds, a paver and pea gravel walkway where the muddy spot is, an irrigation system, AND probably a water tower a la "Pettycoat Junction!!!!!"
I love the DGers who are so willing to share their knowledge...
Sometimes I'm a bit slow - now I know how you got your handle - all that dirt removal - LOL.
GG,
If you ever have a free Saturday, and are willing to get up early and get dirty, I have all kinds of projects going -- and I'm happy to share my tools and knowledge at those sites. The customer / friend with the 80+ yo farm house has become quite self relient with the reciprical saw, pneumatic stapler, demolition tools, scrapers, putty knives, etc. There have been times when we did not have the "perfect" tool on board, but have enough alternatives to complete "whatever".
uh uh Bubba , I was the caretaker for a piece of property here in Ga that was owned by the lost dutchman mining asso in ca. the Loud mine . My little long haired daschund ,Jessie ,got killed by a neighbor's dog they wouldn't keep at home and my dh bought me a baby wirehaired daschund . I named him Loud Mines Shady Gold Digger. the Shady was after his mother , a rescue from a puppy mill .Dh and myself are gold prospector hobbiest , and Digger is in honor of my little love that had to be put down last year with cancer , after fourteen years .His ashes are on my dh desk .everybody knows that gold miners are shady . I will send another letter to G G after awhile . sally
Sorry about your losses - We have buried many pets, and have ashes from a couple, too.
As a boy, went to Alaska with my step-dad. Saw some massive gold mining operations and learned to pan. But there were some outcropings where you could just pick up tiny flakes. Gold was regulated then $35/oz.
Relearned panning with my family when in CO for a couple of years - never recovered enough to sell, but it was fun to see some shining back when done correctly. DW and son never quite got the hang of it. I could re-pan their trailings and find some.
Would love to go to ak . would like to find some out crops like that . we have all the recovery equipt , to get the gold . work here at home has kept us tied up the last coupla years . we are right in the middle of gold district . I met dh in the river , I was here on vacation camped on river and we both had dredges . I nailed him about 14 mos later .been married about 15 yrs . you'd have to ask him , he keeps up with that .lol sally
Bubba , you and G G go over to the georgia forum and check out " i just have to show you the sweetest people" thats us with my sis that was visiting from lake dallas , tex . i don't take pic of myself so those are the only ones around . i'd put one on my profile , except i don't know how . s
GG, I have all the sympathy for you . It's bad when I want to do a project and don't have the know how to start it . Get your dh to make some stuff for you and hang around and ask questions . go out and buy yourself a jig saw , they are cheap ,30.00 or so then play with it . be sure and buy extra blades 'cause you'll break some . get familiar with how to change blades and don't force it ,(push too hard). start with that and ask questions . Tell dh you are going to try to make a little shelf ,and ask him for help . tell him that anyone that can run a sewing machine ,can use a saw . When he uses a table saw , ask him if you can try it and get him to show you the adjustments . In other words , be a pest ,then when he sees you are serious , he might help you . When I need something , I get the project going , then he comes along to see what I'm doing , then he takes over . I can get a lot done that way . Sometimes I ask him to cut me a board such and such long and wide . he wants to know what I'm going to make and I tell him I;m creating . he says if he knew what I was doing , he'd know how to cut the wood . Isnt that a blast? I just told him , but he feels left out , so again , he takes over and I supervise . they don't ever learn , it's a guy thing . Seriously , go to the library and get some good construction books and study them . You'll be amazed at what you can find , from basic stuff to solving an existing problem. Just be aware , you won't learn everything overnite , and will never learn it all , but it's a great adventure . There is a book to tell and teach you anything you might be interested in.It will help if you're a tomboy type of girl , cause I'm not comfortable unless I'm dirty . When I lived in Dallas tex in the late 60's and early 70's, no self respecting woman would go to the store in a dress without hose and hi heels .Gloves and a hat for church . Boy , how times have changed for me , I just plain old enjoy broken fingernails and being a heathen .lol Any way , women have been using power machinery since WW II . Rosie The Riveter , remember her ?She was our mother and aunt . hugs , and good luck . let me know if some of your projects work out . sally
Saw the pictures and love your comments about, "just try it". I'm still doing that - but a new tool or attend a class, then buy the tool and do something. You are also correct about buying extras - blades, sandpaper, scrapers, etc. Somehow you will always tear it up if you have only one.
One of the best books I ever had the chance to use was a "Ramsey & Sleeper" - a friend had been an architecture student and had to buy one for class. I was building an addition on a house for one of the sargents in our outfit when I was in the Air Force. The addition was built to better specs than the house - lol.
The book is expensive, but shows in detail how any kind of construction should be built.
Our Ft Bend public library has ONE - and they won't even allow it out of the reference room. I have consulted it several times. I keep promising myself to buy a used one, but other expenses get in the way.
I use Building Construction Illustrated , alt . It was published in 1975 and has been valuable . I think I got it through Readers Digest . I have one , a sunset book from HD that I got years ago yhat gives all the formula on size of beams and spacing for loads . It shows toenailing of deck posts and if I had someone putting me up a deck ,(do that myself) , and they toenailed Anything , I'd run them off , after they replaced my wood and took the crap apart .It takes two bolts in upright support posts to be safe . My old book is way out of date , but will check on internet for your book and add it to my collection ,if I can find it . thanks . sally
Found a 7th edition , used , like new ,hardcover on amazon,from griffin ,for 45.00 .after looking at all them ,it seemed the best buy . there is also a 13 th edition , but didn't find a price .I might get it tomorrow , I can always give it to my ddil ,she's a civil engineer ,or my grandson in collage . he's gonna be . I don't know , you can have first choice if you want .sally
gymgirl, dh and me will probably be coming through on the first , would love to take a food break for an hour and get to meet you . I'll send dmail with contact no .sally
Have you found your pickets yet? If not, Jameson Fence company in SugarLand has them in 4in pickets. I myself, am looking for 3 1/2 in pickets and have not found anybody that has them. The fence company I origonally bought them quit making them.
Met that Gemgirl a coupla weeks ago , I was impressed. That lady looks like she could handle cutting her own boards .Very dainty and tiny, but capable . digger
