Project Complete - October 2007     

              

Before	After

                     

Background

March 4, 2007
We seriously need a new picket fence. One part of the front of our yard has a picket fence and the rest is chain link. We cannot wait to replace it all. This is a project that has to be taken care of this year. The picket fence is rotting and falling apart. The chain link is terrible. Our goal is to have a white picket fence installed in the front of the house and the front of our yard. We also have a small section at the end of our drive.

Selecting a fence is not easy - at least not for me. I have researched every fence possible and decided I have to have wood and not PVC. It is a matter of preference and we just prefer wood. I may be sorry after a few years and after several paint jobs but I am willing to give it a try. The selection process is tough. There are so many choices and then the more I see the more I change my mind. We visited several fencing companies this week and have a few estimates. My feeling is that a fence changes the entire look of your home and time should be taken to make the right decision. For the front of the house we would like the fence to be low so we are not blocking our house. We are looking to create a cottage garden on either side of the fence and do not want the fence to hide the garden. For our yard we are looking at a 4' picket that will flow with the 3' foot front fence. For the drive we are deciding if we would like an arbor or just beautiful gate.

We thought it was crazy yesterday when the man came to give us an estimate and wanted a decision on the spot. Not many choices to look at and no samples of the wood. He was ready to install this coming week. We believe your house has to be beautiful from the outside as well as the inside. No decision should be made that quickly unless you are absolutely ready. We are getting another estimate tomorrow and will then decide on the type of picket and the design. We have been thinking of this project since we moved in and saved some pictures of beautiful fences and written down our ideas. 

March 5, 2007
We met with another fencing company this morning. This time it was really different. The salesman took his time to look at our house and to understand the architectual style. We discussed what we were looking for and he gave his suggestions. His suggestions were excellent and he discussed valid points that we were missing. He explained how it is imporatant for the fence to follow the lines of the house and that it was important to select a fence that will match the style of our home. He took his time to measure and to create a plan. We then reviewed catalogs and went over a general layout. He took our measurements back to his office and will be back in touch in a few days with a drawing and a price quote. We are hoping for it to be in our budget since the fence was excellent quality and exactly what we are looking for.

March 12, 2007
The quote we received from the company we really liked was totally out of our budget. I never realized how much a good fence could cost. We spent the weekend looking for fencing companies that actually make their own fences so we can have a say over the design. The main benefit we found out with companies that make their own fence is the quality is usually better. We are going to get another quote on Thursday and we hope we can start the job soon.

We decided that we may need to start slow and do one section at a time. We will definitely begin with our yard and then the side of our house. We will then move to the front yard.

April 10, 2007
We finally found a fencing company that makes their own fence and is affordable. The fence is white cedar and it is reinforced on both sides to make it extra strong. We decided to start slow and will start with the section that has the chain link. We hope to get started in two weeks.

September 2007
Two weeks turned to several months due to budgeting and having to spend money on other things for the house. But the day finally came and we have our picket fence. We decided on an arbor on the right side of the house so we can really build our cottage garden next Spring.

George with the help of our uncle stained the gate white which took about 4 days. Next Spring we will start to plant a cottage garden in front of the gate and the arbor.

Our next project is to remove the brick path that no longer works and install a stone path.

We used four gallons of "Cabot" 0812 Ultra White paint for wood at $37.00 per gallon plus rollers and brushes, total $165.00
Wood Fence (white cedar) Arbor and installation $1,935.00. Total project $2,100.00