Fence Installation Question

[muted]

Burton Lumber open till noon every Sat.

Thanks!

Spiral and ring shank. Built decks with them too. Thicker gauges, and less brittle. And unless you're kicking them or live in a crazy high wind zone, the load on fence boards is zero (or close to).
But really, I'm just commenting on / laughing at the advice offered by people who don't actually know what they're talking about. (not you)

That's me! My experience with fences and nails was about every one going through the thin cedar resulting in loose boards or ones that come off. With no wind or kicking. Just wet soft boards sitting around. I didn't know people use spiral and ring shank, no one here but you has even mentioned this to AD which seems like a n important point. But do they leave streaks on cedar boards? Does it matter when using thin/soft cedar? Decks are a different story, of course.

Even if someone went the nail route, I wouldn't recommend nailing anything into the posts but with a screw. Wayyyyyyyy down the line when you try to do repairs screws are better. But fence companies probably don't care about future fixes.

I also spent a few years framing houses with nails... I wonder if they're still standing?)

We are talking about fences, specifically the one AD is building, so of course your nails in your house framing are still standing. Nobody here said never use nails in houses, give me a break.

[muted]

How much time was spent looking for and breaking down pallets? How much methyl bromide was inhaled during the cutting/sanding of the pallet wood?

...No thanks...


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They rarely give away the pallets that are made to last and would make a good fence. They give away the crappy ones that have shitty wood and are sometimes broken. I haven't scavenged for pallets in awhile, but that's my experience.

[Ted Striker]

If I was doing it as a business, it would be nails all the way. But I have seen spiral/ring shank nails back out on a fence that I know gets very little wind. Worked on it just 2 1/2 weeks ago. Fences go through a lot of expansion/contraction along w/ getting wet.
I have a nail gun, and I debated it, but that little fence of mine will end up going through a lot and I need to be able to pull mine apart. My center post is set in a sleeve so I can pull it apart and be able to get large equipment into backyard or the 2 trucks I have back there out. We'll see how that works out.
As far as houses, of course you're not going to frame a whole house with screws, but they very much a place in framing too.

I will admit that I was posting from the bar last night...

Yeah, totally agree with you. Right tools, techniques, and fasteners for the right job. Coincidentally, I'm actually building a small fence this weekend too (and have used screws, nails, simpson brackets, and a dado on the last post to support the top rail for an overhang).

I was just railing against the use screws or yer gonna die! theme developing in the thread, rather than considering wind loads, climate, ground stability, privacy, gate security, how permanent you want it to be, timeframe, budget, etc. and building accordingly.

We are talking about fences, specifically the one AD is building, so of course your nails in your house framing are still standing. Nobody here said never use nails in houses, give me a break.

I was several beers in, and just being snarky for the fun of it.

[oftpiste]

FWIW, here's my mostly fastener-free fence rebuild using recycled slats. Patterned 1x4's and 1x2's.

Slats are held in by pressure only and a few screws to stabilize the ones that establish plumb. All horizontals (all eased-edge 5/4x4 deck boards - already had them around) and fascias only are screwed in. Who needs nails, anyway?

[Ted Striker]

My experience with fences and nails was about every one going through the thin cedar resulting in loose boards or ones that come off. With no wind or kicking. Just wet soft boards sitting around. I didn't know people use spiral and ring shank, no one here but you has even mentioned this to AD which seems like a n important point. But do they leave streaks on cedar boards? Does it matter when using thin/soft cedar? Decks are a different story, of course.

You can buy them in stainless ($$), and various coatings for different applications. You can account for thin/soft by turning the air pressure down (to a point).

But really, buying better quality lumber is money well spent.

AD already said he was using screws, which is good. Just more time and money. Plus he's an engineer. He doesn't need any advice on how to build a structure.

Even if someone went the nail route, I wouldn't recommend nailing anything into the posts but with a screw. Wayyyyyyyy down the line when you try to do repairs screws are better. But fence companies probably don't care about future fixes.

Our only advertising was a small sign affixed to the fence, and word of mouth. It was just a kid job for me, but my boss did care about his business.

As for repairs, It's the wood that fails, not the fasteners.

[Ted Striker]

FWIW, here's my mostly fastener-free fence rebuild using recycled slats. Patterned 1x4's and 1x2's.

Slats are held in by pressure only and a few screws to stabilize the ones that establish plumb. All horizontals (all eased-edge 5/4x4 deck boards - already had them around) and fascias only are screwed in. Who needs nails, anyway?

That is awesome.

And exactly what I was trying to get at: it's the design that matters.

[PNWbrit]

show us a pic when it’s Dunn

I built this one a few weeks ago



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[The AD]

I built this one a few weeks ago



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Looks great! Luckily I don't need to deal with much of a grade.

[PNWbrit]

Looks great! Luckily I don't need to deal with much of a grade.

Required a certain amount of designing as we went along because of the grade.

Wouldn't really work to do anything other leave the top of boards stepped. After a little trimming after that photo to get it more consistent I like the look.

I'm glad we decided to have the posts and rails on my side of fence and neighbors took the face side.

Old footings were connected to somewhere near the core of the earth which made it an easy project with no shovelling or concrete.

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[Ted Striker]

Required a certain amount of designing as we went along because of the grade.

Wouldn't really work to do anything other leave the top of boards stepped. After a little trimming after that photo to get it more consistent I like the look.

I'm glad we decided to have the posts and rails on my side of fence and neighbors took the face side.

Nice. Looks like a "fun" job.

Old anchors were connected to somewhere near the core of the earth which made it an easy project with no shovelling or concrete.

Lol. Got lucky there. I would not want to be lugging 50lb bags up/down that hill.

[tuco]

Nice fences guys.
Love the ingenuity Oft. Has a cambered look that's interesting as you look down it.

I'm glad we decided to have the posts and rails on my side of fence and neighbors took the face side.
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This is how you're supposed to build a fence. Good on you dude for doing it proper!

[old goat]

Keep the dirt off the bottom of the fence boards.

[Flounder]

Here's a fence I built a few years ago. Eastern white cedar left unfinished. Stainless steel screws except to hold the vertical slats in place. They have a cleat on each side and I just tacked in a stainless brad to hold them vertical. Screws wouldn't work on the 1x1 pieces without splitting. I was concerned about the large spacing not being private enough but it works great.


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[Ted Striker]

^^^ beautiful.
Nice job flounder.

[adrenalated]

^^^ beautiful.
Nice job flounder.

X2, nice work

I don't have the patience to build that

[meeb69]

Once built a 6’ fence with my father in our side yard when I was 16. Cedar posts and square topped pickets with pyramidal tops to finish the posts which extended a couple inches above the pickets. Looked really nice.

We pulled a permit and followed the code. Apparently there was some kind of waiting period we failed to understand. The city came back after we were finished and said the fence could not exceed 48”.

My dad was so furious when he got the letter from the city he said “come with me...”. We snapped a level chalk line at 48” and he walked the length of the fence with a circular saw and just cut everything off square. Project complete.

One of my favorite memories of my dad :-)

Sometimes the hardest part about building a fence is neither the fasteners or the wood, but the neighbors.

[riser4]

fences make good neighbors

Once upon a time I had neighbors that were dumb as fenceposts. They weren't good neighbors.

[The Tortoise]

Built this a few years ago. Since it's shared with the neighbours I went with the over-lap style. It's more work/materials but at least someone isn't stuck with a shitty side.

[Mazderati]

See-through fences. For when you want to spy on your neighbor at a 45 degree angle.

[oftpiste]

Love the ingenuity Oft. Has a cambered look that's interesting as you look down it.

Thanks. It actually is cambered.

[goldengatestinx]

Often it's caused by repeated weed whacking getting through the pressure treatment, and dirt/water exposure.

Neighbors piling their dog shit against the other side of your fence...

[Ted Striker]

maybe they're trying to tell you something?

[tuco]

Thanks. It actually is cambered.

RCR as you look down it

[The AD]

Fence is done! We plan to add copper toppers to the posts, but finished other than that.
This is from my side

Me and my neighbor

His side

[iceman]

Nice fence. You guys are ugly as shit though.