The lie? In reality, I hated my fence. Withered, weathered, and rotted out, my fence was falling down in so many places that I had to hold it up with wire and duct tape. The whole thing made me wince every time I left the house or came home, and I figured my neighbors were probably just as annoyed. I wouldn't let my little dogs outside because there were so many gaps they could escape through.
So this summer I finally made the decision to replace this abomination. After some research in a community social networking group, I found a wonderful, reliable fence guy, Gary Ambrose. He came to give me an estimate, and we chatted as he took measurements and sized up my yard. The more he talked, the more relaxed I felt. Then I realized a few things about the home construction project.
Get a specialist. Now let me say that Gary is strictly a fence guy, and he's been doing it for decades. He talked about fences the way I like to talk about Star Wars or Mexican food. And he made it interesting, too. Previously, a few handy-men had offered to replace my fence (such an eyesore, strangers passing on the street always made disparaging comments). But none of them were fence guys. I'm so glad I went with someone who specializes in fences and knows the ins and outs.
Think forward. My previous fence posts were rotted out, so instead of using wooden posts, I asked Gary to install steel posts. I want this fence to last for as long as I live in this house, and beyond that. I wasn't sure how it would look, but it's beautiful.
Be clear about what you want. Okay, I wasn't sure what I wanted until Gary gave me choices. Eventually, though, I came to make decisions on the type of wood, height, and style. Ultimately, I wanted something practical but attractive. We went with redwood with dog-eared tops. I am treating the wood with a clear sealant so it won't turn gray but keeps the wood color. It's more organic and has a beautiful redwood tone.
The project took only a few days. Demolition was pretty fast because, heck, most of the fence was falling over anyway. Without the old, rotting picket fence, my house felt exposed.
Poor, sad little yard. Needs a fence, no?
Then Gary and his crew came in and waved their magic wands. Okay, not really, but that's how it felt because anything like this is like magic to me.
They installed two gates within the fence.
Can you find the gate? No? It's hidden! Wow!
And it's BEAUTIFUL! The fence is high enough to give us a little privacy but low enough that we can check out what's going on in the world out there. The side fence by the driveway has a gate, but it is cleverly camouflaged into the rest of the fence. It's awesome. With a couple of park benches, we have a wonderful place to hang out in the yard. Everybody compliments me on the new fence--my next door neighbor even sent me congratulatory email!
It's our own personal park.
The dogs love it too.
So there we go. Now when I drive up to my house, I am no longer embarrassed by my sad little yard. Now I am proud of my gorgeous redwood fence.
If you live in the Los Angeles area and need some fence work done, I do recommend Gary Ambrose. He did a fine job, it's beautiful, and it has changed the whole look of my house. Thank you, Gary!
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