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My "Unique" DIY Fence

Privacy, Price & Prettiness All Wrapped into one!


Last summer I had one major home improvement goal...to install a fence! Between the dog sneaking out and the kids running too close to the road, I could not wait to get my fence installed. As with most of my home projects, I have big dreams and limited funds. My mother would tell me that "I have champagne taste with a beer wallet". Although this may be true, I'm going to keep on reaching for that champagne :)


I knew that the only way I was going to get the fence I wanted was to design it myself, purchase the lumber and enlist my super-handy brother Anthony, father-in-law Brian, and always willing husband Carmen to do the grunt work. We had roughly $1,000 budget and needed to fence in about 1/4 acre side yard. In addition, my fence HAD to be "unique" and pack a design punch. So here's how I did it:

I started with a sketch...I used the sketch to calculate lumber and obtain a building permit from the city I reside in. Since most of the fences I typically see run their boards vertically, I thought it would be fun to play around with a horizontal pattern:
My husband and I plotted out where we wanted the fence to go and marked everything out for Dig NY.  They came and marked where the underground cables and utilities ran for everyone's safety...
Then we needed lumber and lots of it...so we ordered rough cut Hemlock (about 250 pieces total):
I played around with the pattern on the ground before committing to the design...

Next, we decided to put posts every 5 five feet so that the runs would be sturdy. However, in doing so we calculated that we would need 29 post holes. That's when we knew we'd have to rent an auger for the day. We actually rented a dingo and that way we could use it to transport lumber back and forth to the different spots we needed it too. It ended up being the best money we spent and it cost under $300 to rent...

The Hubby (left) and my Little Brother (right) in action :)


Our yard looked a little crazy while all the posts were just "hanging out"... I was a bit concerned that the vision in my mind not translating well in my yard...


Scary right? But here comes the glamorous part...

After all the posts were set, we started to hang the boards in 10-foot sections, with a one-inch space in between each board...

Everyone pitched in a little...even my 7-year old daughter Evey was a big helper (start em' young)!
We couldn't be happier with the final result!!! It came out better than expected and it we didn't have to break the budget to get the fence of our dreams. Here are some photos from the outside of our yard looking in toward the house:


Here are some photos from the inside of our yard (it feels so private now!!!):

And lastly, we built a matching gate that we hid by creating to separate sections of fencing in the front of the home, creating a "staggered" look. You can also see that I've added some decorative grasses and Japanese Wisteria that will eventually run through the fence and bloom beautiful purple flowers several times a year. I hope you like it and I hope that it inspires you to try different things and not be afraid to do it yourself.
Thanks for stopping by!
** If you like my fence post, you'll love my front porch tour...check it out!

17 comments

  1. Cool fence idea! Great job.
    Leslie
    House on the Way

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Leslie..I'm really happy with how it came out :)

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  2. Finally just getting to reading about your fence!! Been a crazy few weeks.

    Anyway, I LOVE how it turned out. I'm so impressed that you did it all yourselves too. Definitely pinning this to my fence inspiration! :)

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  3. Just came across your post the other day. The finished product looks spectacular! I had 2 questions-- were the boards 1" thickness? And.. did you stain the fence?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there --- thank you! Yes, I believe the boards were 1" in thickness and I did not stain the Hemlock. We only put a Thompson's water seal on it :)

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  4. Was the $300 rental part of the $1000 budget?

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  5. Beautiful fence! How has it held up? How frequently do you reseal it?

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    Replies
    1. Once a year (if we feel like it) - otherwise it weathered nicely into a gray tone and requires no maintenance.

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  6. Where did you buy the rough cut wood from?

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  7. Love the design!

    What kind of screws did you use to attach the panels?

    Did you fill the post holes with cement or just gravel?

    Thanx!

    ReplyDelete

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