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| by:
Lawrence Winterburn
and Steve Maxwell
photos: Kathryn Hollinrake |
PICKET FENCE - Tips |
| Setting Posts |
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| A
properly prepared and applied paint finish will
last for many years, but nor forever. Time for another
coat |
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When it
comes to outdoor building projects, there are some mistakes
you can fix afterwards, and some you can’t. And a botched fence
post installation fits into the second category. It’s obvious
that fence posts must be straight up and down (plumb) and solid.
That’s why people intuitively set them into concrete-filled
holes. But that, in itself, doesn’t guarantee long life. The
key is preventing soil movement from raising your posts and
ruining your fence. The water in soil expands on freezing, and
this can lift posts bit by bit each year. Even if posts extend
below the frost line, expanding soil can still grip the outside
and cause trouble. As soil trickles in under a frost-raised
post, it keeps it from re-settling. This incremental movement—two
steps up, one step down—can lift a fence many inches over the
years. The good news is that this sinister process can be beaten
with a good post-setting strategy. Notice how the sides of the
post hole are plumb, not flared near the top (which is the usual
tendency when digging them). A flared hole creates a concrete
plug that’s bigger at the top than the bottom—perfect for frost
to grab and push. Another feature is the screenings or gravel
on top of the concrete, holding the post plumb for the two days
it takes concrete to set solid. This eliminates the need for
wooden bracing and hides unsightly concrete.—Lawrence
Winterburn
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| Fence Finishing |
1. Deglaze all wood surfaces
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| Rounding
the pickets, and bevelling the tops of the rails
are effective ways to help water run quickly off
wood surfaces |
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New lumber
doesn’t absorb finish very well because its surface has been
burnished and partially sealed by the planer at the mill. Nothing,
particularly a film-forming finish, can properly grip glazed,
new wood. That’s why peeling and premature finish failure is
common. Experiments by Akzo-Noble, the world’s largest finishes
company, demonstrated that the best way to remove mill glaze
is with a 60- to 80-grit abrasive. Water-based coatings are
also inhibited by acid buildup on new wood. Neutralize this
with a wood treatment designed to raise its pH. Bio-Wash (www.biowash.com,
800-858-5011) is a company that makes such a product.
2. Choose a finishing product
that’s UV-proof
The sun deteriorates many materials, and causes many outdoor
wood coatings to fail. Even some so-called UV-resistant finishes
can’t stand direct sunshine. Two excellent products are Sikkens
Cetol 1 (a coloured, translucent coating) and Cabot Decking
Stain (a coloured, paint-like product). The Weather Bos line
is also recommended.
3. Apply the finish under proper
conditions
Proper conditions are the key to a long-lasting finish. Each
finish comes with instructions that recommend the best conditions
for application, but it’s not always obvious when conditions
are inappropriate. On a cool, sunny day, for instance, the air
temperature might be within manufacturer’s specs, but the wood
could be too warm if the sun is shining directly on it. Too-warm
conditions will evaporate solvents prematurely and lower durability.
The best day to coat outdoor wood is cloudy with no chance of
rain. Coating in the shade is okay, but don’t do anything after
4 p.m. Evening dew can ruin a half-dry finish. You’ll also notice
that few finish companies recommend spray application. Brushing
drives the finish deeper into the pores of the wood, boosting
film adhesion. To get the application speed of spraying, with
the adhesion of brushing, spray the finish on the surface and
brush it out immediately. It’s faster than brush alone because
you’re not spending all your time dipping the brush in the can.
A plywood dipping trough lined with vapour barrier plastic is
another speed-finishing option. Dip your fence parts in, let
them drip-dry propped up away from blowing leaves and dust,
then install.—Steve Maxwell
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