On the Fence

During the start of the front porch project, I had to temporarily move the side fence that separated our front yard from the rear.  Of course, "temporary" is a nice relative word and when I say "temporary" I mean it's been there for about two years now.  Since my larger summer construction projects have been put on hold for lack of funds (another house issue is going to take some major capital so we're in saving mode), I decided to at least wrap up this loose end since it would be fairly quick and inexpensive.  Another reason I really wanted to see this completed is because our only access to the backyard is through the house or the rear gate which requires using stairs and can be pain to get stuff in and out of the backyard easily.  I also wanted to make this as sustainable as I could and so we set off for the Rebuilding Center in Portland to see what we could use.

I recall seeing a fence on one of our travels that had used old house or barn siding as the fencing which I really liked so I thought I would look for the same.  I found enough lap siding that looked as if it had come off of a pre-WWII house which cost me about $60 for the usable board lengths.  We also found a solid wood door that was smaller than a standard size but would work perfectly for our gate for $20.  On hand I had a couple of decent 4x4 posts I was able to salvage from the temporary fence.  On the days it didn't rain, I stripped the paint off the old siding and door and then sealed them with stain/sealer that I had leftover from both the shed and front porch.  I also picked up a used latch from Habitat for Humanity's ReStore for $8.  New materials included cables, turnbuckles, thimbles, and eyebolts since I wanted to make sure the weight of the door didn't pull the post down.  I also had to purchase two new treated posts, concrete, and another box of stainless steel screws.  The double-sided lock was the most expensive single item but we kind of needed it to make sure the dog didn't get out...yet again.  Another tangential cost was the new circular saw I had to pickup at the hardware store after my old free hand-me-down quit working completely. 

The finished product.  Actually finished!
100%, really!

The project turned out pretty good and I'm especially happy with the rustic look of the old siding and how the warm color of the stain gives it a new life.  Of course like any project I seem to do, it's fully functioning but still only about 99% done.  Over the gate I'll be putting a pergola with the leftover scraps I had from the old fence that will match our gate on the other side of the house.  You wouldn't believe how nice it is to not have have carry the lawnmower from the front to the backyard every time I need to mow the lawn.

Used materials: $88 not including scrap or leftover material I already had on hand.
New materials: $160 + $60 incidental for a new circular saw.
Time:  The most time-consuming part was the stripping of the old paint and the staining because the weeks I was working were off-an-on showers most days and the sealer/stain recommended at least 48 hours of dry conditions.  Over the course of a few hours here and there after work and a few half-days on the weekends, it took me about a month from start to finish.

UPDATE:  A few weeks later I was able to finish putting the pergola on top.  Fin.