The fences that divide our back yards are a simple, contemporary board-on-board design that provides visual privacy. Being made of wood and approaching the end of their fourth decade, some deterioration is inevitable. Restoration is an easy enough DIY project if you can handle a circular saw without severing a limb and a hammer without sacrificing a thumb. But if you hire a contractor, make sure they have these guidelines:
The vertical posts are 4x4s
There is a top rail and bottom rail of 2x4s
The vertical slats are 1x6s
The gap between the slats is 1.5” – the thickness of a 2×4 (a convenient gauge)
The paint is the standard McCormick Old Carriage Brown but – this is important – in a flat finish. (The McCormick Paints company store at 418 West Franklin Street has this color on file. 410-728-6692)
The spacing between the slats is important to maximize the privacy between properties. One contractor decided to cheap-out on materials by spacing the slats four inches apart. The loss of privacy is obvious.
An original Harbor Walk fence with 1.5″ slat spacing. Almost total privacy yet with an open, visually interesting design.
What happens when a contractor skimps on material and spaces the slats four inches apart. Hello, neighbor.
From Harbor Walk Happenings – June, 2019