Replies

1. 
   DaveRicheson | Oct 22, 2007 03:15pm | #1

    I have nailers and drill drivers so I could do either. 

   Use stainless steel nails. No worry about nails or screws rusting.

    

   Dave

2. 
   lindenboy | Oct 22, 2007 04:59pm | #2

   for mold and / or mildew, scrub with a bleach and water solution.  or use TSP.  or both in that order.

   my preference would be stainless steel screws for holding power as well as durability.

   as far as brand, there are a lot out there that are good.  i would use a premium oil based (alkyd) semi-transparent stain.  you'll have to maintain it on a yearly or semi-yearly basis, but nothing beats the penetration of an oil based stain (at least in my opinion).

   i hope you set your posts in concrete too.

   something a neighbor did, which seems like an interesting idea to me, was to dig out the area below the fence pickets and install gravel and 4" solid cmus.  using concrete masonry pavers would probably be even better because of their density and resistance to freeze / thaw.  but it creates a "line" down the fence row obviously where weeds and stuff can't grow, making it easy to weed wack and maintain.  and it looks like of cool too.  maybe an idea to cut down on unsightly weeds growing around your fence posts and clean up the base condition?

   good luck!

   "It depends on the situation..."
3. 
   ajs | Oct 22, 2007 06:08pm | #3

   Go to the web site for the wester red cedar lumber association ( google on wrcla) and read or download their "guide to finishing western red cedar" . Lots of good info there.

4. 
   ajs | Oct 22, 2007 06:14pm | #4

   two soft cover books that I found really helpful are
   1) Wooden Fences by Nash

   2) Fences and Gates by Better homes and gardens

5. 
   Piffin | Oct 22, 2007 06:25pm | #5

   so you have treated posts and you added your own treatment - is that correct?

   This means you definitely need to use stainless steel fasteners. GRK canada has good structural ones that are self drilling and with a driver, you would not need a Kreg jig unless you wanted cabinet quality appearance, uncommon in a fence.

   You do not say where tis is being built. Climate and soils type means a lot. For most areas of the country, setting the posts in concrete will cause early failure . but since they are already in, that point is moot.

   I would set the pickets with SS nails, ring shank

   some deck wash products will remove the black spots
   if not, use 10% bleach and scrub

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

6. 
   FastEddie | Oct 22, 2007 07:43pm | #6

   I don't think kreg screws will be strong enough to hold the rails.  Have you thought about cutting a notch in the post to recess the rail?

   "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

   "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

7. 
   factotam | Oct 22, 2007 10:12pm | #7

   i have used pocket holes on wood fences to attatch the rails to the posts, it works good, i use 3"  deck screws for treated lumber or stainless

1. 
   knadsady | Oct 23, 2007 05:16am | #8

   Thanks for all the advice.

   I did not use concrete to bed the posts, because a) there seems to be disagreement on whether concrete causes problems or solves them, and b) There would have been alot of cost to buy, alot of trips to haul, and alot of work to mix and pour the number of bags of concrete I would have needed for the 35 posts.

   Instead of concrete, I dug the holes 46 inches deep, and bedded 42 inches of post in about 24-28 inches of gravel, and packed in dirt for the rest.  The install location is near Akron, OH, where the frost depth can be about 36 inches, I am told.

   I did apply the Behr preservative only to the 42 inches that is below the ground, so fasteners will only see the regular ACQ preservative.  It soulds like the consensus is stainless steel, and so maybe I'll take the advice to use 2" SS ring shank nails for the pickets. Thanks Piffin, Dave

   From factotam: i have used pocket holes on wood fences to attatch the rails to the posts, it works good, i use 3"  deck screws for treated lumber or stainless

   I think I will try the Kreg pocket holes and some 3 " screws.  I looked at the Kreg screws with the pan head and even the "weather resistant" ones looked like they did not have a sufficient amount of galvanic coating, so I was searching around for some deckscrew-type of exterior screw that had a flat shoulder rather than the 82 degree countersink.  factotam - Did you have any trouble with the bevel tending to split the end of the rail due to the countersink of the deckscrews?  I looked at the GRK screws, but I'm not sure about the cost.

   From lindenboy: i would use a premium oil based (alkyd) semi-transparent stain

   I think I am in agreement with you.  The better Oil-based semi stains say the last up to 5yrs on fences and siding.  If they last at least half that long I don't think that is too bad.

   ais - I went to the cedar assoc site and learned quite a few things, like you need to finish Cedar before it weathers (less than 2 weeks).

1. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Oct 23, 2007 07:35am | #9

   Bleach does not kill all mold - this http://www.traskresearch.com/mold.htm is the kind of product the pros use.

    

   Jeff