Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

When I nod my head you hit it............

So, fixing the basement is going to cost us $6700 ish.
Then on Friday the I look out of the kitchen window and the 7ft high back fence is falling over.
One of the posts had broken beneath the ground, in the concrete a while ago.
Now 3 were broken and the bloody fence was leaning way over.
Pants.
Philip was not thrilled when I told him.
It needed to be fixed. Actually it probably needs to be replaced but we can't do that for a couple of reasons.
One, we can't afford to..........see above.......poxy basement.
Two, the fence sits on top of the retaining wall that we had to have replaced when that was falling down shortly after we moved in.
That cost almost $3000.
To replace the fence would mean digging out the concrete where the posts are. This in turn would destroy the poxy retaining wall that we have recently replaced.

The only alternative was to do a temporary repair. We did a bit a research at the stores. Wasn't looking good.
The bloke down the road came and had a look. He sucked air through his teeth a few times and suggested we prop it up somehow.
Oh that would look lovely.
Come and see the new Manitoba Hill Billies' garden...........posh new wall........propped up fence.
We eventually found some fence post supports that are made to bang into concrete and then attach to the posts.
Sounds so easy.

We bought 4 of these as they too are expensive. We could always get another two in a couple of weeks.
We bought a hammer too. We only have a little one. Now we have a bigger one.

It wasn't big enough.
After, sweating, cursing and hammering for ages the bloody metal supports hadn't moved an inch.
Round we went to the other side of the fence to try there.
It went in a little way.
The man next door came out and loaned Philip a big hammer..........bless him.
This did the trick. Not easily. Still much sweating and hammering but less cursing because the nice man was standing watching.
The supports went in a bit further, not as much as we would have liked, but enough to attach the posts and for the fence to be upright.
We are not sure for how long though.

There doesn't seem to be an easy answer to this one so we shall wait and see how it plays out.
Meanwhile, the basement chap came yesterday to measure up.
He brought me a couple of bags of wine gums and took away a large cheque.
One of the bags is sour wine gums.
I didn't know they made them. I haven't tried them yet but I am sure they will be yummy.

posted by Sue Banks @ 2:47 PM