This might be small potatoes for some people, but I am pretty thrilled with myself.
When we bought this new house, we didn't realize how bad the chain-link fence was. It was almost invisible due to overgrowth. When we cleaned up the yard, it became apparent that the fence wasn't in great shape. Most of the fence was "fine" but the front of the fence with both gates was almost entirely rusted through at the bottom of each post. Then we had hurricane Matthew, which knocked some trees over the fence and completely ripped one gate and its posts off.
I used logs and other items to create a temporary barrier. We have dogs and the fenced in backyard was a major need. We called a couple fence companies, which was a hassle in itself because of storm damage increasing their demand. We got quotes for replacing the fence with wood, replacing it with vinyl, and repairing it. All the quotes were high. To make matters worse, my wife was really saying that if we were going to spend any significant amount of money on the fence, then we should really replace it because of the age. We discussed spending $4000-$5000 on this project.
After some talking, we both agreed that it would be best if I could fix it myself. I figured, "how bad could this be?" I talked with my dad, and he's done this before and knows what to do. He came over. After some investigation, we determined that 6 poles needed complete replacement. The chain screen in some areas was ruined and needed replacement. A few top-rails needed to be cut/replaced. And, both gates were completely rusted and not salvageable. This was more than I thought we would need to do. I even said it might not be worth it.
"Nonsense," said my father, "it's going to cost nothing compared to having someone else do it."
I swear, for someone with a $60k truck loan and a 200 mile/day commute, he has a buried mustachian inside.
We could reuse much of the hardware, which saved a little. We ran out and grabbed the new fence materials and concrete. Total cost was a bit over $300. My dad insisted on paying and refused my attempts to pay or pay him back. I didn't expect that. I still consider is a $300 project, because I was/am willing and able to pay for it.
The first day was tear-down. We dug out the old posts. Set the new posts and poured the concrete. It took a while. Lots of sweat equity. There were way more roots than I expected. Plus, removing a post that's broken off right below ground level and is cemented into the ground is about as easy as you might expect. We did end up placing one of the new posts slightly too far (gate wouldn't latch), and had to move it the next day.
The next afternoon was just stripping usable hardware off the old fence parts, cutting some top-rail to match, attaching hardware and new screens. It wasn't without minor hiccups, but the time was worth it. Now I have a functional fence and easy to open gates on both sides of the house.
My only worry? My city wants black fence. Now I might have to ruin my beautiful new fence by spray-painting it black (just the part visible from the road).
I was able to repair this for less than 10% of the amount we originally considered spending. Actually, thanks to my dad, I was able to repair it for free.
