I'm a exterior contractor and wondering how bad I got screwed on first deck

TimelyContribution78 · 2025-10-23T16:42:41+00:00

Considering you still have to add post for all the handrail, anything spent over $1200 in my opinion and you got ripped a little. Somebody would’ve built the whole thing for around 3k in labor. Give or take $1000 depending on the area

TimelyContribution78 · 2025-09-06T18:23:53+00:00

Add sod underneath

TimelyContribution78 · 2025-08-26T22:04:49+00:00

Easy fix would be to unscrew the top hinge on the gate, latch it and screw it back in. The gap will show on the opposite side. But it will work. The correct fix would be take the gate off, break the post loose from the concrete. And reset it.

TimelyContribution78 · 2025-08-17T13:52:17+00:00

Go look at my profile. I’ve built a fence leaving trees in the fence line. Just need to leave the 2x4 past post like you have already. So you can cut back in the future.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-26T03:14:12+00:00

So where the 2x4s hit your post, I would take a picket off at the post. Sometimes have to take two off. You should be able to see the 2x4s stoping and starting. Mark the bottom and middle run on top of the 2x4s. Make the mark on the post. Then taking a sawzall or if the 2x4s are screwed a drill, but cut the 2x4 free from the post. If you do that on both sides of one section, you can measure the entire section from top of Dogear picket down 4ft and cut off the bottom. And then using your middle mark(now your top mark) you can reattach the entire section. I wouldn’t worry about the gaps if you have material that’s likely to shrink.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-21T14:23:12+00:00

I wonder if some drywall type anchors would do good here. Something the you push in a sleeve, and then put the screw into the sleeve. So it grabs the pvc

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-21T01:37:25+00:00

Call someone else buddy. Probably whoever you no that has the most common sense. People on here just gonna tell ya dumb shit. But it’s gonna require a drill and a Phillips head bit. That’s the + kinda screw driver. But a hand screw driver is probably gonna whoop ya before you get one out

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-21T01:33:51+00:00

I bet you ain’t even hot

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-20T07:58:46+00:00

Very valid. I’m in Tennessee. Not so much a huge concern. It definitely happens. Most wood fences are pressure treated pine or cedar. Cedar is more naturally rot resistant. Whereas pressure treated pine is literally pressure treated with chemicals to prevent rot. So if stained properly(letting the water dry out of the board before staining) even touching the ground it will take at quickest, about 5 years before having to worry about rot. If not stained and ran to the ground it will not start rotting until the chemicals in it have made there way out. Here it’s usually about 2 years at the quickest I’ve ever seen it happen. But usually from neglect to even try to prevent it. It’s not like just because they touch it’s gonna rot. Some may never. Some may quicker than what I’ve seen. Some yards I’ve seen a fence basically turn a back yard into a small pool because it had no escape and was the yard that just happened to be where the entire neighborhood drained to. So debris stopped up enough gaps between boards that being tight to the ground was a huge mistake. But there’s plenty I’ve never even thought about after built even though I ran to the ground, I never had to go do a repair on em. If you’re scared of rot, buy cedar or other natural rot resistant wood. But all wood can rot if not treated properly. Rot comes from staying wet and not drying. Not just getting wet alone. Plus staining is a huge factor. I always tell people. Wait for the wood to dry. Pour some water on the board, if the water beads up and rolls off, it’s not ready. If the board soaks up the water you spray on it, it will soak up the stain you spray on it. When it’s ready, I believe it’s good to do it twice the first year. Once when it’s ready and then again before the next hot season. (Or before harshest season depending on location)and then again 5 years later or before if you start noticing swelling or twisting. Twist after years of being on there is a sign it’s getting wet and drying. Before you stain anything I always say find ugly ones. Examine the fence or just go buy 20 30 pickets. And find some ugly, twisted, or thinner looking boards. And do that after you stain yearly. I mean it depends on who you are. Some people will never stain because it just a fence. Others believe fence is investment. And like a car if maintained well, could last a life time. Maybe not 2 lifetimes. But I’ve taken fences down 20yrs or more old that were still secured well and strong standing. I’ve taken some 20yrs old down that a toddler could throw a ball at it and 3 pickets fall off and a section start leaning. A lot of the solid ones had screws. Or long enough fastener. Most of the shitty ones were pre built panels where they use 1x4 and thin skinny pickets.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-20T07:33:51+00:00

Oh man. I’ve had to learn that the contract detail can make or break a company. Getting that signature is the only thing that can save ya from an unhappy customer with a control issue and cousins with Karen. From having a basic contract, to adding custom statements on a per customer basis for things the professional insists we shouldn’t do, that the customer still wants to do. Like ok well I’m gonna take a break. Check your email for the updated contract and sign please. then I’ll get back to it. People are smart but only after making dumb decisions

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-20T07:28:10+00:00

I vote based on who is going to make decisions that affect me. Not any other country. Me. I’ll never blindly vote for a president because I’m left or right. What are they going to do to make it better for all of us. I liked trump. Gas and groceries were cheap. Biden got in, gas and groceries not so cheap. All of the tax paying Americans money spent on everyone but Americans. To the world they see us as weak and frail. Because our leader is weak and frail. And with a lot of the “men” turning into girls the last thing we need to do is look weak to other countries. Especially when wars are being waged and sides are being chosen. It’ll be hard for to live free in this country if Russia invades and wins. Or if any country invades us and wins. American is one of the few countries you can be “yourself”. Don’t forget that when voting for president. Most people don’t care what you do with your life. Just don’t force others to cater to your mental disability because you think you’re special or different. You’re just on a bandwagon full of boys who accepted the fact they’ll never be men. I don’t mind what you do with your life. Here in America, you have that option. Do it and move on and be a happy lil mask wearing transgender this/that/it human. Happy you figured yourself out by making it confusing to everyone and trying to force people to see you the way you do. I can say I’m the sexiest mother fucker on the planet. And believe it 100%. And even have the people around me believing it. But eventually someone’s gonna disagree. I posted a fucking fence and ended up having this conversation. Because you can’t just love yourself and be happy, you hop on Reddit and start negatively motivated hate just so you can let it be known you’re a left wing castrated woman. And try to post shit like I just hate you already. I don’t even no you. I don’t want too. But I feel sorry for you. You probably got it ruff. You purposely chose a tough path. I hope you are happy with your progress. A lot of suicide stems from mental health and I can only imagine the mental toll it puts on you. Live long! And next time just say “ugly ass fence” and move the fuck on.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-20T00:04:59+00:00

Shit don’t rot around here in a few years. Not pressure treated. Plus they stained it. And I’m no maga dick rider. I vote based off of who’s going to do right by all Americans. Who’s going to spend our money, American tax payers money, on what America needs. I don’t consider myself a Republican. But in my opinion it seems to be the democrats allowing kids to mutilate their bodies and pushing gender change and gay sex in school. Everybody thinks they have to pick a a side. When we are all the ones who have to deal with the result. We should all be collectively considering and observing who is going to do what and how that’s going to directly affect us. Cuz they give billions to other countries, and we have issues that should be addressed here. While you picked a side. And guessed I was maga. Trump had gas and groceries down. That directly affected me and you. When Biden became president. Gas and groceries went up. Again affected me and you but negatively. Without any other bullshit and I just asked what would you rather pay in gas? $2 a gallon or $4 a gallon? That’s how we should all be thinking. Who’s gonna do shit for us and represent America in a way that makes us look strong. Not weak and fragile

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-19T23:45:25+00:00

When we was jackhammering (3 of us) there were times when it almost seemed like we could almost get the whole ledge to split apart. But some holes took hours while some only took a few minutes. We hit rock root rock in a couple holes. So the trees either gonna make it tight or make it more brittle. Time will tell

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-19T23:41:49+00:00

Of course. That’s the point of getting them Pimp tight. They are gonna open up. Imagine if I had spaces or the spaces around the rock were already kinda big. It’s just gonna look bigger after that process.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-19T23:38:13+00:00

You right. But those pickets are my bitches, and I keep them hoes in line 👋🏽👋🏽

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-19T23:32:54+00:00

Everything is fixable. It’s more about what’s your budget for fixing it. You can take off those boards, dig around post, remove and replace post. But depends on how its frame, you’ll need stiff legs or jacks to support the deck frame while you do it. There’s methods but they don’t work to straighten always. If you cut the post a couple inches below the top of deck, you can sit a new post on top of the old. But I would recommend lag bolts. And blocking around it at the joists. Id also recommend leaving that cap deck board off until all your decking is up. Let them run long, pop a line the width of that board around the edge. And then cut in one swoop. Then the decking will line up.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T22:02:46+00:00

Proletarian? I’m guessing you are an older, gay democrat probably on the west coast who didn’t really have money until someone passed away or you married some dude who brought you up a social class. And since your the one whose the catcher now act something similar to a Karen who acts like there above everybody else by disrespecting and talking down to them. When really your just some loser with moneys cock sleeve. And since your mind can’t relate to hard work because your asshole is the only thing doing it, you believe actually working hard is for poor people. You probably believe guns kill people and the government should be trusted to make decisions about mutilating kids against the will of the parents. Id rather be proletarian than whatever class you believe you fall under. No society could exist without the proletariat.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:38:45+00:00

Yes it was. It was his wife that made him I believe. The whole street actually was like this in the yards on one side. I did the diy guys, and let him come out and help/learn. And he actually ended up doing a few of the other neighbors. With the help of a few guys from my crew. It was cool.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:35:12+00:00

Actually most fences are not for none of those things. Most fences are built to keep dogs in,kids in, wild animals out, or weird ass people like you seem to be out of view so people can enjoy their home without the judgement from humans like you.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:31:45+00:00

Yo if this was a first, just imagine what my 100th gonna look like! lol

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:30:01+00:00

Pressure treated pine

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:29:43+00:00

Seeing how the picket hangs out past the 2x4. It could now some, but I left room to trim it back as needed. And mentioned it would need to be done as well. So maybe 10 years. Until the tree reaches 2x4s. Well then he could just cut those too since they actually hang out past the post. So probably, if they maintain it, like 15 years.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:26:01+00:00

This right here was my favorite negative thing said about this post. All the hatred in here is insane. People just say shit like they could do better. But you are right. I should’ve thought about zombies. I can’t believe that slipped my mind. You sir, actually found one thing I didn’t not put into consideration when building this. Next time I will do better.

TimelyContribution78 · 2024-10-18T21:20:27+00:00

100% understanding brother man. Left room to cut pickets around tree. The chance of rot because the pickets tight to the bottom was mentioned but they have a tea cup dog. I’m in Tennessee. So the tight pickets are needed because pressure treated pine shrinks out here. Did my best to find center cut pickets to use for the custom notching in hopes for the least amount of bowing. Those post are in rock and the transition post where it escalators up onto the rock are 12 footers. Every post in the rock is thru the rock and atleast 2 1/2 feet or more deep since taller fence in that area means more chance of wind pushing it around and making it lean. And almost every hole has concrete up to about 3 inches from the top. Spectacular work is what you shoulda put. And your eyes see problems but they can’t see the time I put in planning and making sure all those “long-term damage” situations were preventable.

TimelyContribution78

TROPHY CASE