Looks great! Nice to have a handy man around, isn't it? What a great frugal idea! Oh, and thanks for the great visuals too!

DH is a great sport. This nonsense in NOT his thing, but he's better at sawing than I, so he does that and other stuff. I've been playing around with this silly fence for over a year. It's time for it to be an actual fence, lol. Most of these old fence boards are still good once you knock the age off of them. The ones I pick up are usually at least 30 years old and a few are lost at every step of the clean up, but around 80% of them end up usable.

Lately, I've had trouble posting photos on my threads. If I add anything to the message after posting the photos, the error message comes up and I have to start over. I type the message, pile on the photos, and hope it goes before it crashes.
Linda

lindasewandsew...LOTS of work...but GREAT results! Thanks for the good visual instructions! Old wood can last for years & years...and I always love to see it recycled! And the dollars you're saving, WOW! I also like the look of the braces across the back.

What is the black stuff on the bottom that you are applying? Is it the automotive paint that you use on some projects? Are your boards going to touch the ground?

Thanks for sharing this idea...recycling and garden junk...love it! Jeanne S.

Jeanne S, These boards are longer than I need, so aren't painted all the way to the bottom. That's just wood. They'll be attached to an old chain link fence on my slope and won't touch the ground. The chain link is 4 1/2 feet tall, the boards will be about 5 feet tall. I'll paint the bottoms after the final cut. A lot of them had been sitting on the ground in the old fences, but were only rotton at the bottom. Linda

You are just so clever Miss Linda. Those nice wide boards look great--but what allot of work! How many are you going to need? I'm still excited to see the fence all in place, especially the part with all the neat cutouts on the boards that you shared pics of before. Luvs

Thanks Luvs, the fence is 60' across the top of the slope, and 27' up each side. We cut enough for 17 more boards yesterday, and already have 8 put together. I'll mix them with the other boards so don't have to make the whole length out of these. Not sure if I want to do cut outs in these, and may leave them all blanks, or do something else on them. There are enough boards here for the back, and maybe one side wall, so I'm still on the lookout for them. Let me know if you spot any and I'll pick them up. Linda

Those turned out really nicely! And wow! What a LONG fence you have!

OK do you take them just piled on the curb or do you have to break sections apart with a hammer??? I'm trying to imagine that process!! In other words you have a lot more nerve than I do. I did get my nerve up after quake when part of my block wall was down & went & asked if I could help myself to pile in front of a house, they said sure,what are you going to do with them, I told them try to repair by blockwall. They laughed & said to each other, she'll never be able to use them with all that cement on & in them. Well, I chiseled it out & off & had enough to replace all of it. I like your white fence cause you can hang things on it. Mine you have to drill into a block! Glad you have a sweet hubby to give you a hand!! Jan

* W * O * W !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it...
Thanks for the Idea & the Pics !
L@@Ks GRRRRRRRRRRRREAT !!!
God Bless !
SusieSunshine (

Usually, I get them when the fence is being replaced. Around here, they tend to knock the fence down and haul it away the same day, so you have to be on the lookout. Sometimes, they're already taken apart and bundled for the trash. Every time I've asked for them, they were more than pleased that someone would haul them away. I have gloves and tools in my car, a long nail puller, crow bar, hammer, etc., so just pry them apart. They're usually fastened to 2x4s, and most of the old boards are nice when you hose them off and sand them. I'll attach the 2x4s to the chain link, then attach the boards with screws. Here are pics of the slope. We're going to terrace the slope and plant cactus and succelents on it. The pool has been gone a little over a year.(yay!!) Excuse the junk, lol. Linda

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lindasewandsew...thanks for those pics of your fence area...your new "old fence" is going to be so COOL! I'm scanning a pic and attaching it...

This is the time of the year I always check out lots of gardening books (even if they are same ones I've looked at before)...always new ideas! This pic came from "Better Homes & Garends Step-by-Step Yard & Garden Projects, spiral bound and published 2003. It's a fun bk with "hundreds of easy projects, tips & techniques to make your garden more beautiful and comfortable"...sounds good to me!

Anyway, this pic brought you to mind...an idea: {{gwi:132500}}

Whatever you do, you hard work will pay off! Jeanne S.

Thanks Jeanne, That's a cute idea. It also looks like those wide fence boards that I'm trying to copy. Got a few more assembled today. Linda

My DB had the same problem at his old house(it was new house & looked great at 1st-he's moved) anyway after a bit the neighbor above him put in a big cement pad & barbq right so they all sat & watched his backyard. He planted 4 fruit trees that in summer "covered" the problem but it is often nice in winter & when we ate outside 1 xmas, we had "uninvited eyes" then neighbor got sick & let his hill go to pot & other neighbor sold & new people never did a thing to the hill. So maddening but you are just stuck. So in Ca. where we don't have acres & storage barns, "fences" indeed do make for better neighbors or at least you don't have them staring at you. I love the pic Jeanne put on & you can incorporate some of that probably on the side walls as going up & down those hills gets to be a chore. It is a great place for fruit trees tho!! Thanks for telling us how you got the boards, I couldn't imagine as they are usually in 8 ft sections. Jan

Thanks Jan, We've always had great neighbors here. When we ask any of them about making a change, even on a property line, we've always gotten the same answer, "Whatever you want to do is just fine with us." If you're lucky enough to have neighbors like them, then you're lucky enough!
Wood fences are sold in 8 foot sections, or assembled from boards and 2x4s. They all come apart the same way. It took years for me to realize that they can be installed right onto the chain link. Now, if I can just get it done, lol. Linda

Yay, Linda!! I'll be your cheering section over here, I know you're very happy to be working on it again! You can't beat the price, and it's going to be great. Think of all the cool stuff you can add on this side of the fence!

If you need more boards to complete the project, call a fence installation company. They should tell you where they are changing out a fence so you can pick up the wood. Here in TX, they have to pay to take the old fence to the dump so you would be saving the fence company money. Just use the words recycle, birdhouses, garden art, succulent garden and they should understand. We got pavers from a landscape company that way. We saved him crew labor and dumping fees. He gave us patio and walkways- Susie