Pallet Fence Construction - The Details

Today we started the construction of our pallet fence enclosure for the back patio.

We told you we'd share all the details and here they are. First, there are many, many ideas and creative plans on the Internet for pallet fences. We looked at what felt like hundreds, and finally found this one on Pinterest. We needed a plan that would anchor the pallets to a cement pad and to a building as well this one served our purpose, was easy to understand and required just a few items to complete.

Here is what you will need to build this fence:

1) Enough new or used pallets to enclose the space you have. We purchased brand new wood pallets for our project because I have dogs and didn't want them having an opportunity to chew on old or treated wood.  These pallets are 40" x 48".

2) You will need a hammer drill and a masonry bit. We used a  1/2" x 6" bit for our project . We also purchased a new hammer drill by Ryobi. For under $50.00 I have the power tool to complete this project and a good around the house drill for future projects. I also purchased a Ryobi circular saw for this but will need it for future work in the home.

3) You need good quality 2 x 2's with ample footage for the entire perimeter of the fence both inside and outside. We also purchase a 8'  2x4 for our building anchors.

4) Cement anchors for securing the 2 x 2's to the cement. We are using 1/2" by 4 1/4" anchors.

5) You'll need wood deck screws and some decking nails. We purchased 3" screws and 2 1/2" nails.

6) We also purchased some 5 1/2" by 6 foot red cedar pickets which will cover where the pallets come together and provide a finished look to the fence.

All of our supplies as well as the power tools were purchased from Home Depot.

Our fence needs to attach to the Florida Room on one end and to Sylvia on the other. There also needs to be a gate onto the back lawn. We started by attaching a section of 2 x 4 to the Florida room above the window ledge which squared off the edge to attach the first pallet.

Project engineer and my partner in crime with her son attach the 2 x 4

Because no project comes without at least one snag we had our first challenge with the very first metal roof support. After 43 years it had warped and twisted just enough that the pallet could not go in front or in back of it and line up with the edge of the Florida room... NO.. this pallet had to have the end board removed and be spread straddle of the support.

The pallet is in place straddling the support

We started by laying down our first 2 x 2 and making sure it was plumb and straight. Next came the hammer drill.. WOW what an experience drilling through 2" of wood and another 2" of concrete !!

The first anchor is in!!

With the outside 2 x 2 anchored to the pad we were now ready to place the pallets. Using 3" deck screws to go through the 2 x 2 into the base of the pallet.

Now it was time to add the inside 2 x 2 and anchor it to the cement pad as we had the first one. This method holds the pallet in between the anchored wood and provides a solid base for the fence.

Here you can see the gap where we had to slide the cut pallet over the porch post.

To correct the space between the two pallets we reinserted the end board from the pallet ( after removing the pieces of side board that were still attached) and secured it . Then slid the pallets together and used the cedar picket to attach them . We used one picket inside and one outside leaving it tall above the fence. Next year we'll add brackets and hanging plants to each upright picket.

And with that we ended day one of the construction. Tomorrow we'll finish the long side of the fence, turn the corner and install the gate and remaining pallet. This fence will be painted to match the new siding on the Florida room and will have plants added to it in the spring to provide a green living fence to my back deck..

We'll post again tomorrow as we complete this project..Until next time..

Read More

New Paint Job - We pick the colors and try out the samples!!

Two things left on our outdoor make over of Sylvia is new skirting and new paint.
I suppose there would be nothing wrong with matching her original colors ... but.. this old lady deserves a complete make over including a new color scheme.

Our skirting is the Thermal EverRock stone skirting. This stuff is fantastic and so affordable. For cold weather like we have here it is the perfect upgrade to traditional skirting. It provides an R7 insulation factor and reduces heat loss under the home by as much as 22 percent. It is also VERY affordable, easy to install and the look.. is WOWSERS!!

With that said we picked out colors that would give Sylvia that 1970's look with a wee touch of colonial as well

This is Bhar Marquee one coat coverage paint.. and here are the colors: Teton Blue, Ash Blonde and Cherry Cola.

It's hard to see the variance in the blue for old to new but the new is a bit more gray. The shutters now a dark green go to dark red and the white to tan. Combine the new paint job with the new skirting and this old gal won't go home from the ball alone!

Read More

Shopping For The Supplies For Our Pallet Fence

Well it was time to head over the the local Home Depot to pick up the supplies we will need when construction starts on our pallet fence.

We checked the measurements again and determined that the cement pad was sixteen feet by nine. We also decided on how we would mount the fence to the mobile home itself and still allow for enough room to switch out the skirting panels that  are next up on the exterior remodel. We also made sure we knew how it would attach to the Florida Room and allow for the new siding that we're installing in August. With all that done it was time to hit the highway.

One of the big decisions we needed to make was whether we would use 2 x 2's  to the attach the pallets to the cement or opt for the heavier 2 x 4's. That decision was made for us as the four and a half inch screws that we would need to attach the pallets to the 2 x 4's were sold by the "each" at a cost of over one dollar per screw... that would mean the base screws in and of themselves would come to nearly $100.00.

We found nice 2 x 2's and purchased 9 of the 8 footers which will give us enough for the inside and outside base plate. We also purchased one 8 foot 2 x 4 which we need to attach the fence to the Florida room and the trailer itself.

2 x 2's and the 2 x 4 waiting to be installed.

I laid one of the 2 x 2's out on the cement pad so you can see how the base rail will be attached.

We were surprised to find nice red cedar picket boards 5 1/2" wide by 6' tall on sale for $2.58 each. These boards will be used to add decorative detail as well as support by being installed over the joints where the pallets come together. Next summer they will provide idea support for hanging baskets. 

The natural color of these red cedar pickets will lend a nice touch to the wood fence.

Next came the hardware. We needed hinges, a gate latch, screws and nails for the project as well as the second box of wedge anchors for the base.

Exterior 4 1/2" nails will secure the pallets to each other and the top boards to the finished fence.

Hammered black hardware both for the hinges, lock and gate handle keep the outdoor look going.

3" deck screws will attach the pallets to the 2 x 2 base from both the inside and the outside.

And finally these 1/2" by 4 1/4" wedge anchors will pound into the concrete and be bolted down to secure the 2 x 2 base. We have our supplies, our plans, our hammer drill and circular saw.. 

Come this Monday... WE BUILD!!

With everything purchased I am overjoyed at the total cost of this project. 

We purchase 10  40 x 48" new wood pallets ( delivered to our door) for $364.24. Our supplies at Home Depot were $97.04.  Which means we add another private outdoor space to Sylvia for $461.28

My fur kids will have a safe and secure spot to enjoy the out doors.. my family and friends will have a great spot for BBQ's and relaxing and Sylvia will have taken one more step to becoming the home we set out to build.

Read More

Creating a Private Patio Space with Pallets

Stay tuned as we go about transforming the plain cement back patio into a relaxing and cozy summertime retreat using wood pallets.

I've waited all year for this project and now it's about to begin. The new wood pallets are on their way, the plans on how to install them are printed and the Hammer Drill and Circular saw are waiting to get busy creating this retreat for me, my friends and my fur kids.

Here is what the space looks like today:

The plans will transform it into a private oasis over the next couple of days. This area opens directly into the enclosed Florida Room which means there is an additional indoor entertaining area as well. The Florida room won't get an internal face lift until next year but the outside will get new wood siding this fall which will continue the natural "outdoor" look of the pallet fence.

Stay tuned for all the details.. supplies, step by step pictures and of course the final unveiling !!

The pallets arrived via a very large semi truck.. if you need pallets or frankly just about anything else for a business check out a company called ULINE.

We stacked them on the front cement patio because there is a day of rain and nasty weather in the forecast and we wanted them kept as dry as possible. 

However I did take one to the back just to get a preview of the fence. There is a little issue with how to straddle the fence around the metal support pillar, we thought it would go in front of the pillar but the alignment is all wrong.. I'm pretty sure we do have a solution so it's off to Home Depot for supplies.

Here's how the pallets will look .. without any additions or deletions of boards.

Can't wait for the weather to clear so construction can begin... 

Read More

Transforming An Empty Space to A Welcoming Garden

It's no secret that Sylvia was a plain Jane when she was purchased in the late winter of 2016. This early March 2016 picture shows just how plain she was.


Fast forward to summer 2017 and see the transformation that has taken place by adding the side garden to the property.

This image of the final plants prior to mulching shows the variety of colors and textures that will make this garden stunning for years to come. Surprisingly it wasn't as expensive as you might think.

We started of course with this beautiful mop head hydrangea that had been badly neglected. By pruning the dead wood and fertilizing it made a come back of all come backs... loaded with hundreds of blooms. With that and our Japanese Maple we started adding plants  to create ground cover with color and texture.

Here where the bed is the widest we added Coral Bells, Ajuga (Bugleweed) in green variegated and purple and a shrub rose. For information on varieties and how to grow these plants check out the links below:

Coral Bells Care and Information

Ajuga Growing Tips and Information

We gave the Bugleweed about 18" to spread alternating the two color plants. The green variegated plants produce soft pink spikes of color while the dark purple plants produce a lovely blue flower spike.

We purchased re blooming lillies from Spring Hill Nursery ( Lilies Sold at Spring Hill ) and started them off in window boxes while the bed was being readied.

Once the ground cover was established we added a shrub rose that we found at Wal-Mart on sale. This little beauty shows pink edged buds that open to pure white fragrant blooms. Grows 3 to 4 feet tall and spreads to about 3 feet wide.

Next we added the lilies along the back of the garden spreading them out to allow room for growth and of course the final favorite; assorted Hostas. Hostas grow quick, provide various shades of green and are hardy under almost any conditions. These Hostas had came dug earlier in the year from a friend and spent the better part of 6 weeks living in black plastic bags.. Proof they can survive ANYTHING!

There is nothing more calming then the sound of splashing water, so we used two colorful bird baths (Better Homes and Gardens) from Wal-Mart and solar fountains from Amazon to add two water features (one at each end)  These solar fountains are powerful, sending water over a foot into the air when the sun is at it's highest. The glass bowls are held by suction cups and the base folds flat for winter storage. They were a great value at less then $ 20 dollars each.

And finally after about six weeks of work and planning the garden is done. The total cost of this garden and the base of the back garden is under $500.00 with $200 of it being for the top soil. We shopped garden sales and mark downs at both Home Depot and Wal-Mart to make this elegant garden come to life

Also we had the donation of the Rose of Sharon shrubs and the Hostas from a dear friend. We found Rose of Sharon shrubs from a number of different suppliers ranging in price from $15 to $35 dollars and Hosta plants ranging between $4 and $7 per 3" pot . Had we purchased these from a garden center it would have added about $250.00 to the total cost.

 Now we will sit back and watch and wait for the plants to settle in and enjoy one more step in the transformation journey of a Mobile Home We Call Sylvia

Read More

Landscaping Transformation

Last year we posted about doing some basic landscaping and clean up to "perk" up the outside of Sylvia..
This year it was time for a total transformation ... We'll give you some specifics but let's start off with a recap:

Picture slideshow made with Smilebox

There was a lot of work to be done if we were going to have a shot at having the shrubs and plants survive.

With the arrival of a new home on the next lot we set out to provide a living privacy screen. For that my best friend provided the solution.. transplanting some of her Rose of Sharon bushes.

We started by moving the Rose of Sharon's very early in the season, well before they were starting to bud. This would help in reducing the shock of being transplanted.

Rose of Sharon are hardy shrubs , and these proved to be no exception.Since they were moved from one private residence to Sylvia during their dormant period we have no idea what color they will be .. BUT they are budded and starting to bloom.. 

The next problem we had to solve was the heavy clay soil that Sylvia's lot is made up of. After a heavy rain  water will pond in certain areas.. and drown any plants that tried to grow. We started by purchasing 5 cubic yards of sifted top soil

Most of this would be moved to the back bed which would replace the scrub brush and weeds along the creek bed.

But it would also be used to mix with the soil from the side bed that would stretch the entire length of the home.

One of the first things we decided on is that the side bed needed a focal point to accent the back patio area. Here the existing hydrangea occupied the entire end of the bed but it was here that the bed swept in to run it's length. We went on a search for a lace leaf Japanese maple.. and thanks to the plant lady at our local Home Depot we found this:

This four foot tall Tamukeyama Japanese Maple would provide stunning color and interest for the bed. Planted in a wooden barrel tub and set on a circle of raised paver stone it would add color and a stunning weeping effect to our landscape.

We found it a good size tub for under $ 40.00 at Home Depot in their lawn and garden department.

Before we could place our beautiful tree we need to remove all the sod and add the new top soil to the area.

The next step was to dig a trench so we could pound in our stone look edging. We found a great edging at the local Wal-Mart in a price range we could afford. At around $16.00 for 10 feet it was not only affordable but looked great too!

The edging only required a small trench which also served as a guide to get it straight.

Pounding it in took less then a couple of hours with a good rubber mallet.

With the top soil and edging in place we added our Maple tree and it was time to move on to the back bed by the creek

The creek bank drops off sharply to the water some 12 to 15 feet below the lot. It had been neglected for years and only 4 daffodils  were left to remind us of the beautiful garden that had once been there.

We started with the basics. We removed all of the scrub brush, suckers and weeds from an area approximately 50 feet long and 6 feet wide. With the vegetation gone we laid down landscape cloth to control regrowth and used a 5" high black garden edging along the back and ends to provide a back drop for the new soil.

Since we will add climbing vines to the back of the bed we needed to give them supports to climb on. No fencing is allowed in the park, but these beer barrel wood trelis' from Home Depot will serve as the perfect support.

Added along the entire back of the bed they will give the new honeysuckle vines something to crawl along and eventually provide a lush and colorful backdrop to our garden.

Leveling the top soil and breaking up the chunks took some time but after a couple of afternoons of work the base of our new garden came together

So now it's time to decide on plants and where to put them.. the back bed will get black dirt with peat moss added to it later this fall when it's time to put in the hundreds of spring and summer bulbs. Next spring should be a fantastic show of color and texture!!

But for this summer growing season we'll focus on the side bed. I want perennials that will spread and return year after year so it was off to the garden center to find some interesting yet colorful plants

We'll do a separate post with that information soon... keep reading!!

Read More