Monday, 28 Feb 2022
Falling fence
Rotted posts
The lattice fence between our and our neighbor’s yard is starting to fall down. The posts are rotting/rotted at the base. That is to be expected from a fence that was erected before we bought the house 26 years ago. These pictures taken by our gardener before starting work on tearing out the old fence show the sad state of the existing fence.
Removed lattice
Where the fence used to be
I took these pictures after the old fence was removed. The lattice fence will be replaced with a wire fence using 4 gauge hog wire. Only one of the original posts was set in concrete. More work tomorrow.
Tuesday, 1 Mar 2022
Some post holes dug
View from our side yard
Today most of the holes left when the old posts were removed were expanded. The new posts will be set in concrete, probably tomorrow. There are a still two or three more holes that need to to be expanded.
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2022
View from sidewalk near neighbors driveway
Posts in concrete
Stuff
Dry concrete was put in the bottom of the holes. Each post was held plumb and the hole filled with concrete. Good timing. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain.
No more work will be done until Saturday. That’s when the kickers and rails will be attached to the posts. The delay is partially because rain and partially because the guy installing the fence likes the posts to set for a couple of days.
Saturday, 5 Mar 2022
Top rail on old posts
Top rail
More top rails
Far end of fence
No rain today. Top rails were added between the posts and the posts cut down to match the height of the portion of the fence that isn’t being replaced. The rail is level until the far end of the fence where it angles up to match the contour of the hillside.
Close to native oak
Not touching
A native California oak partially blocks the fence line. It had pushed the old fence toward our house as it grew over the years. The irrigation system and other tress block us from moving the fence line. Notching the rail as it passes the oak will work for now.
2x12 kickers
Hardware
2x12 kickers are here. Wire will arrive Monday. The kickers will be lag bolted to our side of the posts. The wire will be stapled to the neighbors side of the posts with the pictured staples.
Monday, 7 Mar 2022
At the back fence
looking the other way
Toward the street side of the house
The 2x12 footers/kickers/base boards (whatever you want to call them have been installed.
Our side of post
No wire, yet
As mentioned above they are attached to our side of the posts which is also the high side of the slope between our yard and our neighbor’s yard. It’s done this way to better support the weight of the soil. The level of the garden soil near that fence is much lower than it was 20 years ago. I suspect much of it was washed away in the rain over the years.
The wire for the fence was supposed to be delivered today. It wasn’t. Hope it shows up tomorrow.
Wednesday, 9 Mar 2022
The wire didn’t show up Tuesday, either. The day was spent adding a bottom rail. The wire will be attached at the posts and both top and bottom rails.
The wire finally arrived 2 PM this afternoon. Our gardener and his helper quickly got the pieces cut to size and tacked into place. Looks good. Tomorrow they will complete fastening the wire to the posts and rails and perform any necessary clean-up.
Back of the yard
Looking toward the street
Around the Oak
Neighbor side of fence
Thursday, 10 Mar 2022
Replaced more lattice
There was a little bit of wire left over. We replaced two more sections of the old lattice with the wire strung between the old posts. Needed a new footer for one of the sections and had just enough 2x12 left over to do the job.
Well fastened
Top rail
Slight curve
It’s done. This should last as long as we live here and then some. Now to prepare for the next house upgrade.