Our new screening junipers will create privacy as they grow. Unfortunately, as shown in the earlier post, there was not as much screening as we would have expected. For our mutual interest with our neighbors in privacy, we studied how to improve privacy while the junipers grow together.
Here's the finished product! Read more about this exciting project below...
Our neighbors were on board with investigating a small fence to help ensure privacy (and to keep wayward basketballs out of our yard).
First stop: the Village of Shorewood Planning and Development department to understand what regulations applied. Permits are required in most circumstances, except as noted below:
This was a shocker! We fully expected a fence would require a permit in all circumstances. With the non-permit limits in mind, we set out to design a fence that complied with the regulations that the fence be shorter than 4 feet in height and extending less than 16 feet.
I sketched up a fence plan, similar to the fence I built at a former residence and shared the plans with our neighbors:
The design is pretty simple. three posts, spaced just under 8' on center, 2x4 lumber running horizontally to support the 1x4 fence boards, trimmed on the opposite side of the 2x4s with 1x4 boards so the appearance is the same on both sides. Fence posts have caps to add a nice finishing detail. We think it's a nice design.
Everyone signed off on the plan! Ms. K and I made (what seems like) our weekend trip to Menards to pick up lumber and other materials while the 11% rebate sale was on the previous weekend. With a pile of pressure-treated lumber in the garage, we were one step closer to Fence Town, population us!
We got in touch with Diggers Hotline earlier this week to make sure we would not get electrocuted, cause an explosion, or cut off our Netflix pipeline by confirming there are no underground utilities in the area where we were planning to dig. We expected none (since we knew all the buried utilities were in the front area). By Thursday, all utilities were marked and confirmed to be in the front of the house. Safety first! Always call 811 before digging!
With a borrowed post hole digger, we set out at about 9:00 this morning to get this project started.
I dug the three post holes in quick succession. The holes are fairly deep: about 36 inches. They should be adequate for a 4' high fence.
After digging the three holes, we were ready for the next step: setting posts. I stretched a length of mason's string spaced 12 inches from the neighbors' driveway to set the position of the fence. Each of the posts would touch the mason's string so the fence could be arrow-straight.
We then started setting posts. I retrieved some measuring equipment from my cache of tools, including a post level. It's handy because it has levels in two directions to help ensure the posts are set plumb. After having a brief orientation with Ms. K on the finer points of post leveling, we set the two end posts first.
Once the first post was plumb, we backfilled with soil, packing it in with small piece of scrap wood and our tamper. We then installed the remaining two posts.
Keeping the height limitation in mind, I then determined which of the posts would drive our four foot height. After marking on each of the posts where the post extended 46" from the ground, we used the water level to establish the post height across the three posts.
The water level is used to match elevations between the posts. It has a long tube that you fill with water. The end with electronics beeps when the water in the tube contacts the sensor. You adjust the height of the "dumb end" of the tube so the beeping stops, and when that happens, the water level is the same at both ends. The last time I used this tool was in 2007, so I was decidedly amazed the 9-volt battery still worked!
With the post heights now confirmed. it was time to cut the posts off to the correct height. Using a clamp and the speed square, I set to cut off the posts with the circular saw. My trusty old Makita came in handy once again. It's corded and simple!
I had to make two passes to cut the posts. A 7 1/4" circular saw cannot cut through a 4x4 in one pass. Ms. K got a great camera shot of me cutting off the first post.
Posts in place, it was now time to get building on the fence. We measured and cut the 2x4s, screwed those to the posts, and then set out to attach the fence boards.
I went back to the driveway to cut 1x4 fence boards to length while Ms. K attached them to the 2x4s. I had only two "special boards" to make that would fill in the last odd-sized gap in each fence run. Pretty good results if you ask me.
We finished up around 1:00 this afternoon. Not bad for four hours work. A pretty good looking fence. It should last a few years. Our neighbors are pleased with the final appearance too!
We'll try out our newly-rediscovered privacy tonight. It's a gorgeous day in Wisconsin. It's high time for drinks by the fire!
Good fences make good neighbors.
Here's the finished product! Read more about this exciting project below...
Our neighbors were on board with investigating a small fence to help ensure privacy (and to keep wayward basketballs out of our yard).
First stop: the Village of Shorewood Planning and Development department to understand what regulations applied. Permits are required in most circumstances, except as noted below:
 |
| Not draconian; clear and easy to follow! |
This was a shocker! We fully expected a fence would require a permit in all circumstances. With the non-permit limits in mind, we set out to design a fence that complied with the regulations that the fence be shorter than 4 feet in height and extending less than 16 feet.
I sketched up a fence plan, similar to the fence I built at a former residence and shared the plans with our neighbors:
 |
| Created using Pro/Pencil. |
The design is pretty simple. three posts, spaced just under 8' on center, 2x4 lumber running horizontally to support the 1x4 fence boards, trimmed on the opposite side of the 2x4s with 1x4 boards so the appearance is the same on both sides. Fence posts have caps to add a nice finishing detail. We think it's a nice design.
Everyone signed off on the plan! Ms. K and I made (what seems like) our weekend trip to Menards to pick up lumber and other materials while the 11% rebate sale was on the previous weekend. With a pile of pressure-treated lumber in the garage, we were one step closer to Fence Town, population us!
We got in touch with Diggers Hotline earlier this week to make sure we would not get electrocuted, cause an explosion, or cut off our Netflix pipeline by confirming there are no underground utilities in the area where we were planning to dig. We expected none (since we knew all the buried utilities were in the front area). By Thursday, all utilities were marked and confirmed to be in the front of the house. Safety first! Always call 811 before digging!
With a borrowed post hole digger, we set out at about 9:00 this morning to get this project started.
I dug the three post holes in quick succession. The holes are fairly deep: about 36 inches. They should be adequate for a 4' high fence.
Digging post holes is an aerobic exercise. Throw the post hole digger at the ground in the spot you marked, move the handles apart to try to pull up some soil, then repeat. Many times. The new wheelbarrow's inaugural run was to help move this soil. We ended up with three wheelbarrows full of soil from this endeavor.
 |
| Moving soil to the wheelbarrow |
 |
| 36" (+/-) deep (as if you could tell from the photo) |
We then started setting posts. I retrieved some measuring equipment from my cache of tools, including a post level. It's handy because it has levels in two directions to help ensure the posts are set plumb. After having a brief orientation with Ms. K on the finer points of post leveling, we set the two end posts first.
 |
| Level in not one but two directions: plumb |
Once the first post was plumb, we backfilled with soil, packing it in with small piece of scrap wood and our tamper. We then installed the remaining two posts.
Keeping the height limitation in mind, I then determined which of the posts would drive our four foot height. After marking on each of the posts where the post extended 46" from the ground, we used the water level to establish the post height across the three posts.
The water level is used to match elevations between the posts. It has a long tube that you fill with water. The end with electronics beeps when the water in the tube contacts the sensor. You adjust the height of the "dumb end" of the tube so the beeping stops, and when that happens, the water level is the same at both ends. The last time I used this tool was in 2007, so I was decidedly amazed the 9-volt battery still worked!
With the post heights now confirmed. it was time to cut the posts off to the correct height. Using a clamp and the speed square, I set to cut off the posts with the circular saw. My trusty old Makita came in handy once again. It's corded and simple!
 |
| Making the first cut |
 |
| TIMBERRRRRR! |
I went back to the driveway to cut 1x4 fence boards to length while Ms. K attached them to the 2x4s. I had only two "special boards" to make that would fill in the last odd-sized gap in each fence run. Pretty good results if you ask me.
We finished up around 1:00 this afternoon. Not bad for four hours work. A pretty good looking fence. It should last a few years. Our neighbors are pleased with the final appearance too!
 |
| Looks like the drawing. |
Good fences make good neighbors.
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