Enjoy a Summer of Solitude with a Privacy Fence

With summer creeping up on us, I’m sure you’re looking forward to spending time swimming in the pool, enjoying a barbecue with the family, and relaxing on weekend afternoons in the privacy of our own backyard. With all of these activities to look forward to, now might be a great time to make your outdoor domain a bit more intimate with the installation of a privacy fence.

Building a fence might seem like a tough task, but with a little bit of pre-planning and some help, it can be a fairly easy project to tackle. So let’s get to it.

The first thing you’ll need to do is apply for a permit, which can be done at Bristol City Hall. You can find everything you need to know on the City of Bristol website under the Building Department tab. There are specific height regulations that you’ll need to be aware of as well as rules for where your fence can be installed in relation to your property borders. Materials and colors are also enforced; so make sure you review the documentation before you start your project. If your fence doesn’t follow city code, you’ll be forced to take it down and you could get fined.  

Once your permit has been issued, it’s time to start planning and getting your materials in order. I suggest starting by ensuring that your new fence will deliver the privacy you’re after. Cut a cardboard or thin wood screen to the height of your future fence and get a friend or family member to help you assess the fence’s privacy potential in both sitting and standing positions. Because fence heights are regulated, you want to make sure yours gives you the result you’re after without breaking any building codes. If the fence doesn’t do the job, you might want to look at bushes or other landscaping solutions.

Once you’ve confirmed that your fence height offers the privacy you desire you can begin to take your measurements and gather your materials. Be sure to clearly mark the border where the fence will eventually stand using stakes and string, and don’t forget to review the city placement codes before driving in your posts. Also, be aware of any shallow pipes or wires that could be damaged as you begin to dig. 

There are a few things to consider when you’re getting your materials, including style, size and durability. Generally, fence panels come in six or eight-foot lengths, and you’ll want to ensure that you’re installing them in a way that will maximize their durability. The number of vertical posts you’ll need is pretty simple, as it will depend on the length of the panels and the size of the area you’re looking to border. However, you have some choices in terms of the horizontal rails you’ll need to support the fence. For some people, two 2x4’s will do the trick, but if your fence is in a place that’s more susceptible to our sometimes brutal weather conditions, installing three horizontal rails will help to stabilize the structure and decrease the potential for future sagging or wind damage.

Finally, you’ll need to think about your gates. I always like to have two gates, which are required to open inward on the property. Have a good think about what the gates will be used for when you choose their placement and width. Gates that need to allow lawn equipment and machinery to pass through will need to be wider than those that just let people in and out of the area.

With your fence materials chosen, you’re almost ready to build! Next week I’ll share some of my top tips on how to install your fence with ease. Stay tuned.

Image courtesy of Bullard Fence

There’s a roof fungus among us

Has a pattern of strange, streaky stains appeared on your roof this spring? As I drive around town, I see many houses decorated with a display of unsightly roof residue, which frequently pops up during this wetter time of the year. But what is it, why has it emerged and what can you do to get rid of it? They are all good questions, so let’s get you some answers.

Stains on the roof are generally algae or mold, which tend to crop up as humidity rises and warmer temperatures start to emerge. Now don’t be too alarmed, small black stains and mold aren’t necessarily going to ruin your roof, but they do affect the curb appeal of your home and the problem could end up being damaging if not dealt with for a long period of time.  

An interesting fact is that copper is toxic to algae, and many newer roof shingles contain copper granules, which act as a barrier against any mold growth. Homes with older roofs won’t benefit from this technology, but it explains why you won’t see algae where metal flashing has been installed. If you’re susceptible to algae and in the market for a new roof, be sure to inquire about this type of shingle.

So now that we know what it is, how do we get rid of it? The easiest way to rid your roof of mold is a good old-fashioned bleach and water mixture, which can be applied using a pump sprayer and rinsed with the garden hose. One tip is to give any plants below the roof a good drink of water beforehand so they don’t absorb the bleach mixture. Diluted bleach is a powerful compound that will clean the roof without any adverse effects, so long as you give it a good rinse afterward. There are other products on the market that will do the job, just pop into your local hardware store to find out what’s best for you based on your home’s symptoms.

Once the roof has been cleaned, you might want to do something to prevent the mold from coming back again. As I mentioned, copper, and zinc-coated sheet metal for that matter, are toxic to algae, so installing a strip of flashing will help stop that nasty fungus in its tracks. Choose a strip that’s at least six inches wide, and have it installed at the roof peak to ensure that the metal molecules wash down with the rain and protect the roof from mold build up.  

If you’re not comfortable on a ladder, call a professional to help you complete this task. A clean roof isn’t worth a trip to the hospital, and a local area home improvement specialist will be able to complete the job in less than a day.

Organize your garage with these simple steps

If your garage looks like it has recently been hit by a cyclone, spring is the perfect time to get it back into usable shape.

Start by taking everything out of the garage and separate items into categories on the driveway - tools in one area, sports equipment in another, automotive materials in a third, and so on. As you’re categorizing, think about what you use and what you don’t. If you haven’t touched an item in 12 months, you probably don’t need it. Create three dumping piles; one for goodwill, one for garbage collection and one for safe waste disposal. Be realistic and efficient during this process because there’s little reason to clean clutter just to put it all back again. I’m pretty sure no one needs four pairs of pruning shears or a collection of broken, uncomfortable snow shovels. If you don’t use it, let it go.

Once you’ve removed everything from the garage, take care to clean the floors thoroughly. It’s always a good idea to safely discard any sand, salt or melting activator that’s still scattered around from our recent snowstorms. Also, make sure you clean any fluid that may have spilled or leaked from the car. These materials can often be fire hazards and are very harmful to pets and small children. Did you know just one tablespoon of antifreeze is enough to kill a cat? Don’t take the risk.

Once you’ve cleaned, it’s time to assess the area and decide on appropriate shelving and storage solutions. You can find everything you need at your local home improvement store, but make sure you think out of the box and use as much wall and ceiling space as possible. Personally, I love ceiling mounted racks to hold items that are used infrequently, such as holiday decorations. I also hang my mountain bikes from hooks mounted to the ceiling as they take up too much floor room otherwise. 

Once you’ve analyzed what you can hide up and away, it’s time to tackle the walls. I am a big fan of slat wall panels and pegboards because they are so versatile and customizable. You can hang anything from hooks to containers, which means ladders and large tools can have space off the floor and smaller hand tools and other items can be organized into category-specific bins. The key here is to be able to hang as much as possible so you free up your floor space for items that can’t be suspended, such as the lawnmower.

I always suggest keeping your floor as clear as possible so you can access what you need easily, and you can clean frequently too. If you must use floor space, consider investing in rolling cabinets or tool chests, which will be much easier to move as the seasons change and you need access to different areas of the garage.  

A clean, organized space will make your life a whole lot easier because it will allow you to find what you’re looking for and will help you keep an eye on items or materials that can leak or attract unwanted insect or rodent company. It’s not the most fun project, but it can be a huge time and patience saver for years to come.