A Tale About a Fence (and the Before & Afters!)

It has been a long haul completing the install of our new wood privacy fence, but thankfully, it's finally done!  The last step was putting up the two entry/ exit gates.  Both were placed in the same location as the gates from the old chain link fence.  We have one gate near the front side of the house along the walkway to the backyard, and the other is near the garage door.

Alex used extra fence panels to create the gates.   He just measured out the length we needed for each gate and cut the panels with his circular saw.

Once the panel was cut, he brought it over to mark the drill holes needed to hang it from the hinges.

After marking the correct spots, he pre-drilled pilot holes for the screws.  Then he grabbed his screw driver and attached the hinges to the post.

After that I had to help him hold up the gate in order to add the screws through the hinges and into the wood panel. So, I don't really have pictures of that step since I was holding up a big gate, boo!  But after that we installed the other gate with the same steps and the fence was complete! Yippee!!!!

Now, ready for the 'before' and 'afters'?!?

I am super excited to show you! HOWEVER, in the process of looking back at older posts for pictures, I realized that a whole lotta stuff worth mentioning happened in order to get us to the completion of our new fence. Especially since we never planned on in the first place, mother nature made that decision for us.

So, let's take a dramatic stroll down memory lane...

In the summer of 2010, I snapped this supermodel photo of Alex while he and I were working on gutting our super f-ugly backyard.  See that big 60+ year old pine tree back there?

Well, fast forward to spring of 2011...

On May 22nd, something VERY unexpected happened when an F2 tornado came through our neighborhood.

So, that big ol' pine tree did this...

KABOOM!

I still can't believe how many mature trees were just plucked up like that, roots and all.  Makes you think about how powerful and scary a tornado can be!  Still miss all those beautiful trees :(

Anyway, once we were able to clear that remains of the big old pine tree (FYI insurance doesn't pay for tree removal from your property, only if it lands on your house), we found our old ugly chain link fence crushed underneath it as well as pulled out of the ground by the tree roots.

Fast forward again to September.... and yes, we had to live with a busted fence for 5 months, which wasn't fun with two dogs.  All goes back to the insurance and recovery process, it IS NOT a fast process.  They should call it the "the insurance and painful/ stressful recovery process", at least people would know what to expect! Okay, okay, back to the fence. 

Alex and I decided that instead of replacing our busted chain link fence, we would *upgrade* it to a nice wood privacy fence!  In order to offset the increased cost of the wood fence, we took on the removal of the old chain link and installation of the new fence ourselves.

(click here for the link to installing the fence panels)

PHEW!  After all that drama, stress, manual labor, and planning we now have a beautiful fence!!! We will still need to stain the wood next year.

Take a look at these 'before' and 'afters' from inside the yard looking out.  This is where you can see what a difference the fence makes for our yard and property!  Keep in mind, we live within the city limits in an older home, so our lots are small and we have an alleyway behind our house/ yard.  The 'before' was taken on the 4th of July in 2010, it was kind of the only picture I had showing the fence, alley, and our neighbor's houses/ garages (so ignore the game of ladders that is going on).

AMAZING right?!? Alex and I for sure think so!  The privacy is a vast improvement, especially when your neighbors are in a pretty close proximity.  Not having to look at the alleyway is also a big bonus!

Here is a look the other way, and the only good 'before' I had was from when the guys were cutting up the pine tree after the tornado.  You can see our next door neighbor's home/ yard, and the one next to them.  Again, not bad, and we like our neighbors, but everything is just very open.

Ahhhh!  Again, more privacy! Even though we are in our 'urban' setting, it feels more private now, like we have our own little oasis!  Also, that fence is just nicer to look at anyway than the chain link ever was! I also love feeling more secure when the dogs are running around in the back yard with the taller privacy fence.

We have enjoyed a couple bonfires in our newer yard and the fence really did change the feel we have when we are hanging out back there.  Less like you are out on a stage where all can see you kind of thing. 

As I mentioned before, we still need to stain the wood which will happen next spring.  I also really want to get outdoor string lights to hang along the fence so it will look cute at night!  Sadly, might have to wait until next spring too when it warms up again.  I can't wait to enjoy the yard then!

The End

Cast:
Evil Villian.... Tornado
Hero.... Alex
Helpless Princess.... Carla

errr... well I felt like I needed that after this LONG tale about a fence.  I hope you enjoyed the journey with us!  See you tomorrow for Head Over Heels Friday!