You may think that the best time to think about putting up a fence or maintaining the fence you have are the months between March and November. I would argue that now, December through February is the optimum time to plan a fence as well as to look and access the damage your fence incurs during the harshest time of the year.
Making plans is harder when there are more distractions. The colder months have always been useful for planning and taking stock, so consider walking around the area you want to fence. Look for possible issues, such as property lines and tree roots. These will be trouble later, but they can be easy to spot on bare winter ground.
Depending on your region, it’s probably too cold to do any real fence work, but what about getting down your trusty tape measure and filling in a sketch with the details you need. Then you can begin looking for the kinds of fencing options for your job, and figure out if pre-made panels or building from scratch makes more sense.
You will want to consider the materials available for fencing in your part of the country. Remember that not all types of wood are suitable in all climates, due to issues with water or insects. Your local library, the internet, as well as various books and magazines all offer good advice as you conduct your research.
You’ll want to begin thinking about your budget as well. What types of materials can you afford? Wood can vary in species and quality a great deal. And be sure to think about sealing a sub-grade wood, in order to prolong its serviceability.
Protecting your fence should also be a prime consideration, and fence post caps present an excellent and beautiful way of doing just that. In addition to being decorative, post caps protect the ends of posts from water and insect damage. Glue is recommended for installation, so it’s best to do this on a warmer, pretty day.
If you live in a particularly cold climate, you need to be aware that rain and snow are horrible enemies of the wood fence. As rain penetrates wood and freezes, it expands and can cause nasty cracks to form. These can later become insect hideaways, and before a few seasons have gone by, your beautiful fence is ready to fall over. Now is a great time to walk out and inspect your existing fence line for signs of water and insect damage.
In addition to the ever-popular wood fence, vinyl and metal fencing options each have distinct advantages worth investigating. Privacy and picket fences can be made of vinyl and yet resemble wood very well. Wrought iron and aluminum fencing makes an attractive yard perimeter as well. There are lots of choices, but I hope you’ll agree, there’s no time like the present to think about and plan your fence project.
Tags:
aluminum,
building a fence,
fencing,
garden,
Home Improvement,
lattice,
metal,
picket,
planning a fence,
privacy,
vinyl,
wood,
wooden,
yard
Related posts
December 26 2008 | Home Improvement | 1 Comment »
For many years, craftsmen and others who took on woodworking projects used the mitre box, generally a wooden box with slots pre-cut at certain angles. This allowed the user to insert the mitre saw to cut 45-degree angles, 90-degree angles or one of several other corner angles necessary. The manual process using the mitre box helped prepare picture frames, wall and corner mouldings, trim and much more. This tried-and-true method is still used by those who employ mitre saws on a daily basis.
Others, however, have chosen to employ new technology and power, even with such basic concepts as mitre angles and corners. Power saws provide a very clean, quick cut that is sometimes preferable to the cut made by a hand saw. As craftsmen, carpenters and others adopted power tools over the past few decades, the mitre saw and other table saws with angle settings, have become very popular.
A saw on a mitre saw stand is one way to employ power and newer technology for those special angle cuts. A radial saw also allows the user to adjust the cut angle, using a guide that is adjustable by single degrees. Most of these newer saws have standard “stops” at 15 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees. With a select piece of lumber against the guiding “fence” the cut will match the angle selected almost perfectly.
But there is more to the mitre saw concept than this. In recent years, adjustable saws and special blades have made it possible to cut quickly and smoothly when installing table tops, counter tops and assorted furniture items. Some have taken quite quickly to the compound mitre saw for counter and table work, because they can get a nice bevelled edge (making sharp corners nearly a thing of the past). New saws provide more gradual angles that, with a little sanding, can be very, very smooth.
Radial arm saws make it possible to achieve a perfect, custom cut with minimal passes of the blade at various angles. For example, the Dewalt radial arm saw was very popular in the United States for years. However, the company stopped production on this particular equipment more than two decades ago. Yet, some craftsmen still employ this standard machinery in their workshops.
For those requiring something that will produce special projects, the panel saw can be an ideal addition to the workshop. This particular saw is most often used for cutting large panels or sheets of wood into varying sizes for cabinet-making. The mitre saw is generally employed after this to shape the front of the cabinet or a drawer face, for example. The better hardwoods used for the cabinet doors, drawer faces and other decorative outer pieces must usually be cut with a good mitre saw so that good bevelled edges complete the decorative front.
A number of different types of saws can be employed in the well-equipped workshop, ranging from the basic mitre saw/box version, to the more complex table saws and radial arm saws. It’s a matter of choice and work comfort.
Tags:
home,
Home Improvement,
improvement,
mitre saws
Related posts
December 15 2008 | Home Improvement | 3 Comments »