Before we could move into our new place, with two “raptor smart,” over-sized Dobermans… 

Therefore we needed an over-sized fence. This house had been fence-less for 64 years!

(Good sign, it was that kind of neighborhood for that long!)

Two big problems though:

1) Anyone could walk up the driveway and access the backyard

2) Sutter and Sierra would escape to go on neighborhood squirrel hunting safaris.

Before we could officially move in we needed fences. There were two conditions:

1) The fences had to be really tall (Sutter can look over fences when he stands on his back legs) and really strong…(So escaped dobes would not terrorize the neighborhood.)

2) They also had to swing open to the backyard. Since the fences would double as garage and backyard access. (Maybe someday with automatic opening capability…pause for dreamily sighing)

Essentially these fences would be very big and very heavy!

We were in the midst of wedding planning and packing so we had a friend build them for us…

(At times, certain projects needed to be left to the pros.)

Or this would’ve been my poor hubby…

(He was already suffering through all the girly wedding planning and weekly jaunts to the in-laws)

Overall, and sadly have to admit, we forgot to stain our newly constructed fence doors. They lost their beautiful redwood sheen, and started to yellow from the elements. Which brings me back to re-staining the fences…“lazy- man style”

I used a staining brush, about $5-$6 home depot and a lower VOC Pacific Redwood stain by Preserva Wood ($26)

…See this Home Depot link for the proper use…but keep reading to see it done “lazy man style” http://howto.homedepot.com/videos/watch/1860740242001/Preserva-Wood-Howto.html

Laying down some left over (super thick) painting paper to protect the concrete we went to work on the fences. I tested a few spots to check if the color was right.

Second hubby was my brave “spider killer” brushing out all the nooks and crannies with a broom. (As people in Sacramento know how prevalent black widows are)…GET’EM HON, GET’EM!

(That’s me the scaredy cat with the extender pole above)

The staining was turning out well till, I spotted a gnarly BW…Yikes! Promptly ditching the hand brush and attached the painting pole onto it.

Overall staining was easy, it only took about an hour to complete two fence doors (front and back) Drying time was quick, and we scheduled the staining for a hot weekend. The one casualty in this project was my favorite golf hat which I had forgotten to take off. Nice red stain drops=New favorite painting hat

Considering how easy it was, we plan on adding this task to the “TO-DO” calendar for next year…Cinco de Mayo = Fence Re-staining day! A good excuse for a cervesa afterwards.

After shot…Cheers!