I hope to work on this Monday, so here's hoping you folks in the earlier time zones (or earlier birds) can give me your comments before I get at it.
The question is does it matter with a fence if it's good side in or out? This is a piece of fence between the two houses, at the back of the house but faces the front yard. I am putting up a new 'fill' of trellice and there will definitly be a good/bad side (bad side being the side the horizontal 2X4's show on) and would like the good side to be facing into my backyard but I'm wondering if there are any real rules for such things. I do know that with a main fence the bylaws here say good side out but I wonder if it counts when it's not really a section that is out there and really visible. Really this section is at least 30 or more feet from the front walk and passerbys would be hard pressed to see it through the giant bushes that are around.
BTW, stupid, stupid gates...every house I've had the gates have been a pain. I'm beginning to think there is no such thing as a worry free gate. I took all of the boards off that fence section tonight and that included a gate (and not the one that I had broken to get my hand free either). With the last board the whole stupid thing fell to pieces (I was thinking the frame part was okay) and is laying in a heap. I decided I'll worry about what to do about it tomorrow :hairpull:
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Yes, unfortunately, she does chase the bunnies. I do look out in the morning to try and see if any are in our yard before I let her out, but we have a bit of a hill at the back that hides them, so sometimes she gets close! At least she has to go down a flight of stairs, and to the end of the yard, so bunny gets a head start. I don't think she would know what to do, though, if she ever caught one. She'd be terrified, I'm sure! :D
Oh, and we can't even SAY the "S" word on our house, without the dog going snake! Those, I don't mind if she chases!!
Does your dog chase the bunnies? At one house I had there were a lot of them but my dog at the time just wasn't bothered at all. She'd come right out of her skin to get a squirrel but the bunnies could munch away while the dog just laid there.
this dog hasn't even seen the bunnies around here yet as they haven't bothered this yard at all (but they had no way in until now either). She also doesn't seem to be too worried about the squirrels (which I would rather since I don't like the little creeps around digging up beds and burying nuts). I am not sure this dog has any chase/hunt sense about her.
Wow, that looks great, so nice and airy. I'm sure that it helps with the cross breeze, as well as allowing your sweet little puppy some viewing access.
We have chain link fence, and the little bunnies squeeze in under it, and hippity hop through our yard, totally oblivious of our VERY fast aussie. If you do the wire edging, at least they'll be able to get in [B]and [/B] out very quickly! You'd think they wouldn't even want to be in a dog yard, but they have quite a trail worn in my grass -- silly bunnies!
You need a nice Canada Day rest this weekend, for sure, with all the work you've been doing. Sit down, put your feet up, and have a nice, cool, mojito :D
ctw
I assume you mean that wire that just pokes in the ground to form a little arch type wire fence...about a foot tall? I have a stack of that in the garage as it is what I used to keep the dog out of the beds (not that it stopped her but it did act as a mental barrier). Anyway, if I poked a few of those in on the outside that would keep the dog in and maybe keep the bunnies out without being too visually disturbing.
I'm glad you mentioned it as I would have forgotten all about the stuff I have (and actually know exactly where it is too).
A great improvement and you did it so quickly. Rather than chicken wire I'd used a heavier garden edging wire. If Ebony saw those rabbits on the other side she might not be stopped by some flimsy chicken wire. Once the plants get going nobody will see the wire and it the winter the snow will hide it.
There is some room at the bottom and I was looking at it tonight trying to figure out how to block it. It could be just big enough for Ebony to squeeze through if she wanted. I was thinking of getting another 2" strip of cedar but there's no way I can see to make it look right so I'm thinking maybe some nearly invisible chicken wire might work. I'm open to suggestion because as well as worrying about the dog there are bunnies around here and I don't want them trailing through.
Another option might be to get some sort of garden edging/border and use it. My plan is to plant a climbing rose I have in the middle and maybe I should think of some other box or bed thing to do. Again, I am open to suggestions. The area gets full sun only in the middle of the afternoon and the rest of the time is partially shaded.
DBD, that is a neat design. I was wondering ... will your dog try to escape through the gap at the bottom?
Okay, here it is...almost finished. I have still have to screw in the bottom of the boards and trellis sections.
Whether I did good side bad side turned out to be a moot issue. That stupid stupid gate determined the direction as it only opens with good side out. Stupid gate. :mad:
I think I am also leaning towards the plead ignorance angle with the light of day today. There really isn't an opportunity to alternate the boards as there are only 4 and the rest will be trellice panels. My whole game is to open the area up as it's all just a wall of boards right now (my least favourite fence style). Besides the other effort with the trellice part is to give the dog a way to see out so she doesn't bark. I've always found that having some way for the dog to see out helps with that.
The fence itself runs perpendicular to the neighbour's house and it's all on my side and the only time it is visible to them is as they come down their side walkway. They have a gate adjacent but that's it. So it's house, gate, fence, gate, house.
As for that stupid gate...argh...I will probably try to put it back together if it will take some screws. I sure don't want to get into a big gate production so hopefully I can get it back together. I have some brackets somewhere in this house of boxes and if I can get the gate to last until I can find them it might be okay. Last time this happened (at my last house) I bought a brand spanking new gate and over the winter the stupid post twisted which meant the gate wouldn't open so it seems if it's not one thing it's another. They make me crazy. I wonder how much an iron one would run because they shouldn't warp or twist should they?
you are not having much luck with your fence/gate issue, are you!
I would agree with Jan in Van, if you say it's not obvious, do what you think looks best, and plead ignorance if anyone says anything!! I'm not sure from your description, though, does this fence piece border into a neighbour's yard? That may make a difference in what you do, depending on the mood of your neighbour :D
Could the style of your fence and privacy issues as to where your gates are situated allow for wrought iron gates perhaps? I know, it was same thing for us....any wooden gate we've ever had has never worked/lasted well -- I was wondering if a wrought iron one would be a solution in our last house. This one has chain link, but at least it works!:laugh:
Good luck!
ctw
Can you alternate the boards so one faces the back & then one front, etc?
Or you could build the fence so the good side faces the back & hope like hell no one complains. If they did, then just add another row of boards facting towards the front. It might be pricey if someone ever complained but probably worth taking the risk since it's not too visible.
I hope you kicked that stupid gate when it fell apart on you. :D So frustrating.