Screen 5/21/22

Our neighbor recently replaced the 50 year old fence panels on our joint property line. That provided an opportunity for us to place a screen around our trash bins using similar fence materials, something we thought about more than a few times since the borough mandated use of very obtrusive refuse bins. The build process, which took about 7 hours, is captured in the following sequence of photos.

Two treated corner posts were set in place to support the front row of pickets, making sure they were "plumb" in both vertical directions, and held in place with temporary braces.

The horizontal treated 2x4s from which the pickets would later would be hung, were attached in a level orientation using 3" exterior screws. Our neighbor agreed to let me connect the two right side horizontal 2x4s to a fence panel in order to avoid a third post that could damage nearby tree roots.

A level string was set up to mark the desired top of the fence pickets using scrap lumber and nails.

The pickets (in this case 5 1/2" wide x 3/4" thick treated yellow pine with "dog eared" tops) were cut to the desired length. The ground was relatively level, so the pickets were all cut to the same length allowing 1" of clearance between the picket bottom and the ground on the shortest picket (as recommended by my brother). Starting at the outside corner on the right side, the first picket was put in place - plumb and up against the top guide string - and then attached to the horizontal 2x4s with 1 5/8" exterior screws. The process was repeated for each picket. The left side of the two horizontal 2x4s on the front side were cut-off 1" short of the left side of the last picket, before that picket was put in place.

The enclosed space should accommodate future needs and mandates, such as additional or different bins.

The concrete block on which the bins rested, were already in place. Packed crushed limestone was added to fill and level the enclosed area.