Fence Repairs
2007.07.01
Today I made some fence repairs. In the back corner of the lot, a section of fence has come loose at one end. A couple years of warping and shrinkage has caused the top rail to be too short to sit in the little metal bracket attached to the post. Of course, it didn’t help that it was only held in place there by one small nail.
So, I dismantled that section of fence, which offered a wonderful view of the apartments behind me. The bottom rail was just long enough still, so I added some mending plates and screws to make that connection more secure.
When they built the fence, they finished it off with horizontal cedar 2x4’s along the top. Considering how cheap every other aspect of this remodeled house is, I don’t know why they bothered. Of course, several of the boards have warped so much they’re barely even holding on, and one in the back corner in fact disappeared last summer.
I decided to take the one that was over this section of fence and use it to make a longer top rail. I measured the old rail, added a little over an inch, and sawed away. Nice snug fit, so I screwed it in place. Then I put all the fence boards back up. I had split a couple, so I salvaged boards I’d taken down to dig the electrical trench (which I replaced with new boards).
I moved on to the front end of the fence along the driveway. Similar scenario here, the top rail became too short as the end post warped.
The top rail that was too short on the back fence was more than long enough for this section, so I was able to reuse that. Hm, the differences are subtle in the overall photos, should have taken some closer shots.
