HandymanHowto.com » Landscaping

How to Plant a Hanging Basket

BobJackson — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:49:28 +0000

Hanging baskets are a simple method of brightening up porches and verandas. Planting a basket is easy and shouldn’t take long to do, following these simple steps will ensure your baskets are the envy of all your neighbors.

Hanging Flower Baskets: Angel Wing Begonia and Creeping Jenny

What You Will Need

Watering can
Gardening fork
Gardening trowel
Hammer drill
Step ladder
Wood drill bits
Screwdrivers
Gloves
Hanging baskets
Scissors
Compost
Bucket

These items are all available from Ironmongery Online.

Prepare Your Basket

Place your basket onto a bucket to hold it steady and line it with a wood fibre liner or moss if needed. Place a water saucer or piece of plastic bin liner in the bottom of the basket to retain water. Prepare your compost by mixing a handful of controlled-release fertilizer granules and some water-retaining gel into peat-free multipurpose compost. Add to the basket, patting it down until it reaches 8cm (3 inches) below the rim.

Planting

If your basket is a wire one, begin by planting along the sides, starting from the bottom and working upwards; evenly spacing them in two layers. Soak the plants thoroughly with water and remove them from their containers, pull the root balls through from inside the basket and firm into place.

Once the side plants are all planted add some more compost and arrange the top plants into position. Firm the soil around the base of each plant and sprinkle another tablespoon of fertilizer over the top.

Food & Water

If the weather is hot and dry, water the basket and place it in a shady spot for a couple of days. If it is cooler and wet, wait until the weather warms up before watering it thoroughly. In warm weather it is very important to water hanging baskets regularly, especially in warm weather to ensure they don’t dry out, this could be as often as once or twice a day. The plants can be fed using a basket liquid fertilizer.

Hanging the Basket

Make sure you have the correct bracket for the weight and size of the basket. Choose where on the wall you would like the bracket fixing and mark the place for the screws. Using an electric drill and masonry bit make the holes and insert the rawl plugs. Now you can fit the bracket onto the wall and hang the hanging basket from it

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How to Fix a Leaking Lawn Mower Tire Rim – Part 2

BobJackson — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:28:09 +0000

This project is continued from Part 1.

A generous amount of tire bead sealant is brushed along the tire bead as shown. Don’t worry about getting the bead sealant on the sidewall because it dries quickly to a non-tacky finish that blends with the tire. Notice the newspaper under the tire and can to catch any drips.

Apply Tire Bead Sealant to the Tire Bead and Wheel Rim

After painting the bead sealant on one side of the tire, flip the tire over and apply bead sealant to the other side.

Reset the Tire Bead to the Wheel Rim

The tire bead is reset (popped back out) to seat it against the wheel rim by blowing a large volume of compressed air into the tire with the blow gun. The rubber tip of the air blow gun is held against the valve stem (remember – the valve core was removed so there’s no obstruction) and compressed air blown into the tire. This worked almost instantly to pop the bead back out against the wheel rim.

Inflate the Tire with the Air Gun to Seal the Tire Bead to the Rim

An alternate method for resetting the bead (especially if you have large tire) is to set a ratchet strap around the tire and draw it tight to squeeze the sidewalls and bead outward against the rim. Use the blow gun if you have one to reset the bead. If you don’t have a blow gun, reinsert the valve core and fill the tire with compressed air in the normal way. The tire bead will pop out against the rim.

The tire bead popped out nicely against the wheel rim:

Tire Bead Reset against the Wheel Rim with an Air Blow Gun

Once the bead pops out, it will stay in place when the blow gun is removed and there’s no air pressure in the tire.

Tire Bead Reset with an Air Blow Gun and Bead Sealant

Install the Schrader Valve Core

Insert the Schrader valve core back into the wheel valve stem. If your valve stem is damaged or dirty, you can buy replacements at the auto parts store for a couple of dollars.

Insert the Schrader Valve in the Wheel Valve Stem

Screw the valve core into the valve stem with the valve core removal tool:

Screw the Schrader Valve Core in the Tire Valve Stem

Inflate the Tire

Inflate the tire with the tire chuck and air compressor. The recommended air pressure is stated on the tire sidewall. This tire should be inflated to 44 psi (Pounds per Square Inch).

Inflate the Tire with Compressed Air

Check the tire pressure with the pressure gauge. The end of the gauge extends to the pressure reading. The pencil tire gauge is showing 42 psi.

Check the Tire Air Pressure with the Tire Gauge

Reinstall the Wheel on the Lawn Mower

Mounting the wheel back on the lawn mower caster frame is straightforward. With the lawn mower still on jacks, do the following:

Insert the axle bushing in the wheel hub.
Hold the tire up to the caster frame so the center is aligned with the mounting holes in the caster.
Insert the axle bolt through the frame and wheel.
Screw on the axle nut.
Tighten the axle nut with the two socket wrenches.

Lawnmower Tire Installation

The axle bushing should be greased to replace any grease that was lost or wiped off when the bushing was removed. The bearing should also be greased for routine maintenance according to the lawn mower manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.

To grease the axle bushing:

Check the Zerk grease fitting is clean and in good condition.
Pump the grease gun until grease is flowing.
Press the grease gun coupler onto the Zerk grease fitting. Check the fitting is secure.
Give the bushing 3 or 4 squirts of grease.
To remove the grease gun, angle the coupler off to the side and pull firmly.

Grease the Axle Bushing with the Grease Gun

Sealing the tire bead definitely fixed the problem and the mower tires have held steady for several weeks. Before I was having to add air every two weeks.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Fix a Leaking Lawn Mower Tire Rim – Part 2 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Fix a Leaking Lawn Mower Tire Rim – Part 1

BobJackson — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:27:26 +0000

This project explains how to fix a leak between the wheel rim and tire bead on a lawn mower tire.

The tubeless tire on my zero turn riding mower had a slow air leak. I finally got tired (pun intended) of adding air every two weeks and decided to fix the leak once and for all.

Remove the Wheel

The tire must be removed to positively locate the source of the air leak by placing it in a bucket of water and looking for bubbles. After propping up the front of the mower on some sturdy blocks to get the tire off the ground, the axle bolt is removed with two 3/4″ socket wrenches. Two wrenches are required: one to hold the bolt head and another to remove the lock nut. A box-end wrench will also do fine, but a socket wrench is quicker.

Remove the Lawnmower Tire Axle Bolt

The wheel will drop free from the caster after removing the axle bolt:

Lawnmower Wheel Removal: Axel Bolt and Bushing

The axle bolt rides inside a greased bushing and the bushing will slip out of the wheel if the tire is tilted, so best to remove it to avoid a grease stain on the floor.

Water Bucket Leak Finder

The tire is cleaned of dirt and grass clippings so as not to muddy the water. The tire is filled with compressed air to bring it up to full pressure, then placed in a bucket of water filled to just below the axle – best not get water in the bearings – and the tire is slowly rotated to look for bubbles indicating an air leak.

Tire in Bucket of Water to Find the Air Leak

I didn’t find any leaks in the tire face or sidewall, but there are several leaks between the wheel rim and tire bead. (The bead is the part of the tire that contacts the rim.) Four rim/bead leaks are seen in the video below:

One slow stream of small bubbles near the water line.
One slow stream stream of larger bubbles at the 1st blue pen mark.
Two fast streams of bubbles at the 2nd pen mark.

An alternate way for locating an air leak is to spray soapy water on the tire and looking for soap bubbles indicating an air leak. This is convenient if you don’t want to remove the tire or if a large enough bucket isn’t available. However, the underwater method is the surest way to find even the smallest air leak. On occasion, I’ve even used the bathtub to check a large diameter tire for leaks, for example a 26″ bicycle tire.

Tire Bead Sealer

Tire Bead Sealer is a thick fast drying rubber compound that’s painted on the tire bead and wheel rim to fill small imperfections and make an air tight seal. While bead sealer isn’t a glue, it does have has adhesive properties and can make the tire harder to remove from the wheel rim.

I purchased a quart can of bead sealer from NAPA auto parts (many brands are available) and used the following tools to repair the lawn mower tire:

Pencil tire pressure gauge
Tire valve core removal tool
Air blow gun with a rubber tip
Air tire chuck for inflating tires
Portable electric air compressor (not shown)
Wire brush (not shown)

Tire Bead Sealant and Air Tools

Deflate the Tire

The tire must be deflated to relieve the air pressure that presses the tire bead to the wheel rim. Hold the deflation pin of the tire gauge against the Schrader valve as shown until no more air comes out.

Deflate the Tire

Remove the Schrader Valve Core

The tire valve core should be removed to ensure there is no residual air pressure in the tire and allow for “bead breaking” in the following steps without building up pressure in the tire. The valve core removal tool has a slotted head and hollow tip that fits over the valve core to unscrew it from the valve stem. Remember: “Lefty Loosey, Righty Tighty” when unscrewing the valve core.

Tire Valve Core Removal Tool

After unscrewing the valve core, pull it out of the valve stem with your fingers. Put the valve core aside in a safe and clean place. It’s small and easy to lose.

Schrader Valve Core Removed from Tire

With the valve core removed, the tire will “breathe” freely as the tire is worked to break to the bead.

Break the Tire Bead

The tire bead bonds to the wheel rim over time due to the tire rubber adhesion, rust and dirt buildup. The bond must be broken to clean the rim and bead before applying bead sealer.

You can work all day if you don’t know the correct way to break a tire bead. A garage will have a tire bead breaking tool, but since I rarely have a need for one, a simple way is to use a 6 foot long 2×4 placed under the work bench as a lever on a wood block as shown:

Break the Tire Bead with a Simple 2x4 Lever and Block

The 2×4 lever and 2×2 block made simple work of breaking the tire bead:

Breaking a Tire Bead with a 2x4 Level and Block

The 2×4 lever and 2×2 block were random pieces of wood I had lying around my workshop and worked perfectly for breaking the tire bead:

2x4 Lever and Wood Block Tire Bead Breaker

Next, flip the tire over and break the bead on the other side.

Clean the Wheel Rim and Tire Bead

There was dirt, a few bits of grass, paint chips and rust between the wheel rim and tire bead. I cleaned the rim and bead with a brass wire brush (brass is softer than steel) and wiped it down with a cotton rag. This took several passes to get it clean.

Clean the Wheel Rim and Tire Bead

Next, I used the air gun to blow the bead clean with compressed air:

Clean the Tire Bead and Wheel Rim with Compressed Air

This project is continued in Part 2.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Fix a Leaking Lawn Mower Tire Rim – Part 1 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 5

BobJackson — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:19:41 +0000

This project is continued from Part 4.

Here’s a close up view of the 2×6 cedar porch rail sitting on the 2×2 support picket before fastening with screws.

2×6 Porch Rail: 2×2 Support Picket

Full view of the porch rail sitting on the post- and wall supports showing how it all fits together before fastening with screws.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Rail Sitting on Post and Wall Supports

2×6 Porch Rail Installation

The 2×6 top rail is fastened to the 2×4 support block by drilling 1/8″ strain relief holes to prevent splitting the cedar board, then three (3) corrosion resistant 2-1/2″ screws are driven. Take care to the drill and set the screws vertically so as not to break through the face of the 2×4 support block, which would weaken the joint.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Pre-drill Holes for Screws

1/8″ holes are drilled in the 2×4 side rail to prevent splitting, then the rail is fastened to the picket with two 2-1/2″ corrosion resistant screws.

2×4 Side Rail Attachment to the 2×2 Support Picket

Take care to drill the holes and set the screws straight for maximum joint strength.

2×4 Bottom Rail and 2×2 Picket Construction

The 2×4 bottom rail is set 36″ below the subrail (which is the length of a 2×2 picket), leveled and fastened to the 2×2 support picket with two screws just like the side rail in the above photo.

The other end of the bottom rail is fastened to the 8×8 porch post with two 3″ stainless steel screws set at a slant in a toenail fashion. To set the toe screws:

Drill a shallow 1/8″ hole straight into the face of the subrail with a 1/8″ diameter drill bit. The purpose of the starter hole is to prevent the drill bit from sliding across the face of the 2×4 bottom rail when drilling at a slant. Try it first on a scrap of wood and you’ll see what I mean.
Slant the drill bit 45° in the starter hole and drill the pilot holes for the toe screws.

Porch Rail Construction: 2×4 Bottom Rail and 2×2 Pickets

Prepare the pickets by marking and drilling 1/8″ stress relief holes for the 2-1/2″ screws in the 2×2 pickets.

Set the first picket, check for plumb with the carpenters level and fasten it with 2-1/2″ screws to the side- and bottom rails. The 2×4 spacer block is perfect for setting the pickets on 5 inch centers with a 3-1/2″ gap between pickets.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Installing the 2×2 Pickets

Every 5 pickets or so, check the picket is plumb with the carpenter’s level to prevent drifting off the vertical.

The 2×6 cedar porch rail with after installing the pickets:

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Finished Picket Installation

Caulk the Joints

I caulked the joints along the wall and 8×8 porch post with white GE Silicone II* Paintable Silicone caulk to prevent rain water from wicking in behind the boards which would promote rot. Click on this photo for a full size view to see the caulk lines.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Caulk the Joints

I also placed a dab of caulk on all the screw heads, smoothed the caulk and painted the caulk lines.

Finished 2×6 Cedar Porch Rail

Here’s several photos of the finished project – turned out really nice if I do say so myself. I tested the rail with my 215 lb weight, leaning, pulling, pushing and sitting on it and found it to be very rigid and strong.

2×6 Cedar Porch Rail Construction

Outside view of the completed 2×6 porch rail:

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Outside View

The porch rail improves the house and gives it a “finished” look:

2×6 Porch Rail Construction

All the rail needs is a couple of flower pots or maybe a flower box.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 5 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 4

BobJackson — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:17:59 +0000

This project is continued from Part 3.

While holding the 2×6 porch rail flush and level against the wall, the top corner of the 2″ x 2″ x 36″ picket is marked on the house wall.

Porch Rail Installation: Marking the Top Location of the Picket

The picket will be the anchored to the wall and serve as primary support for this end of the porch rail.

Porch Rail: 2×2 Support Picket Installation

1/8 inch holes are drilled in the picket at four locations so the screws don’t split the wood. By the way, I’m using the DeWalt drill/driver that I rebuilt in this project – it still looks shiny and new.

Porch Rail Installation: Drill Screw Holes in the 2×2 Picket

To install the porch rail support picket:

Mark a vertical plumb line on the wall in pencil with a carpenters level, beginning at the top corner position marked previously (see the first photo above).
Hold the picket against the wall at the exact height and position marked. Drill pilot holes through the cement stucco with a 1/8″ masonry bit using the pre-drilled holes in the picket as a jig (i.e. guide for the drill bit).
Prime the stucco pilot holes with a dab of exterior silicone caulk to seal the screws.
Partly set the four 3″ stainless steel screws in the picket for convenience (see photo below).
The top and bottom screws are driven about 3/8″ through the picket to serve as indexes into the stucco holes.

The above steps are summarized in this photo:

Porch Rail: 2×2 Support Picket Attachment to the House Wall

The 2×2 support picket is anchored to the wall with 3 inch stainless steel screws:

Porch Rail: Fastening the 2×2 Picket to the House Wall

Cedar picket after fastening to the wall with four (4) stainless steel screws:

Porch Rail Installation: 2×2 Support Picket

Porch Rail Load Bearing Capacity

You may be asking yourself “How do I know a 2×2 picket is sufficient to support the porch rail plus the loads imposed by a person leaning, pushing or sitting on the rail?!” Answer: The exterior corner of the wall is made of 2×4 framing which the 3″ inch stainless steel screws are driven into, making the picket a very sturdy load bearing attachment. I was confident the screws hit the wall framing because resistance steadily increased as I drove the screws and I never “punched through” into a void, confirming contact with a 2×4 framing member.

Each #8 wood screw typically has a shear strength of ~300lbs and in the neighborhood of 1,360 lbs tensile strength – values are for the Deck Mate® screws, the Grip-Rite #8 stainless will be similar. The estimated margin of safety to allow for the uncertain holding strength of the cedar picket and wall frame attachment is:

Shear strength: 4 screws * 300lbs/screw = 1200 lbs.
The building code requires the rail to support 200lbs., so the safety factor is:
1,200 lbs / 200 lbs = 6, meaning a factor of 6 margin of safety in shear.
Tensile strength: 4 screws * 1300 lbs/screw = 5,200 lbs.
5,200 lbs / 200 lbs = 26 factor margin of safety in tension.

These holding strength values are theoretical based only the strength of the screw. The wood will be the weakest point and typically fail long before the screw breaks. The depth of the screw threads in the wood is extremely important in estimating the actual holding (or pull out strength) of the joint. If you want to do the math, see Chapter 8 in the Wood Handbook Wood as an Engineering Material by the Forest Products Laboratory. However, it’s reasonable to believe with theoretical margins of safety of 6 and 26 in shear and tensile strength respectively, the rail-to-wall joint will meet the 200lbs load bearing capacity required by the building code. I verified this later as I worked my 215 lb body weight against the rail.

Your situation may be different if the porch rail meets the house away from a corner and all you have is the siding and oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing inside the wall for load bearing support. Siding and sheathing isn’t strong enough to support a 2×2 picket as I’ve shown here. Instead, you’ll need to install a 2″ x 6″ x 39″ wall plate to distribute the load and set 5 pairs of screws (10 total) equally spaced along the length of the board as highlighted in yellow in this diagram:

2×6 Porch Rail Blueprint Drawing with Load Bearing Wall Plate

Use a stud finder and maybe you’ll get lucky and find a 2×4 framing member in the wall where the 2×6 wall plate will go to better set your screws. If you install a wall plate, the top and bottom rails will be fastened with screws set in a “toenail” fashion, meaning the screws are driven in at a slant angle.

Porch Rail: 2×4 Post Support Installation

Using the mark I made on the temporary 2×4 support block at the end of part 3, I transferred the mark to a painted 2×4 cedar block and beveled the outside edge with the Dewalt Miter saw. See the photo after this one for a better understanding of the construction method.

Porch Rail: 2×4 Support Block

This photo points out the pencil mark for the outside edge of the 2×6 top rail. I simply marked (no measuring required!) the positions of the top rail outside edge and post corner on the painted 2×4 cedar block, then made the cuts on the miter saw. You can see the purpose of the bevel was to remove a sharp edge that someone could bump into and cause an injury.

Porch Rail: 2×4 Cedar Support Block

The temporary 2×4 support block is removed in preparation for installation of the permanent 2×4 support block. The holes in the post are filled with caulk.

Fill the Porch Support Post Holes with Caulk

The permanent 2×4 support block is fastened to the 8×8 porch support post with 3″ stainless steel screws. The top of the block is even with the 41 inch high level line drawn in pencil on the post. The block extends beyond the porch post because the house wall and porch post are not aligned.

2×6 Porch Rail: 2×4 Rail Support Block Installation

The rail fits perfectly on the 2×2 picket and the 2×4 support block. The rail is just sitting on the end supports in this photo, ready for permanent installation with wood screws.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction: Rail Sitting on the End Supports

This project is concluded in Part 5.

Regards,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 4 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 3

BobJackson — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:15:58 +0000

This project is continued from Part 2.

The 2×6 porch rail components were primed, painted and partially assembled in the workshop. It’s a fine Saturday morning for working outside. The porch rail will be installed between the wall and porch post as indicated by the red box:

Location of the New 2×6 Porch Rail

Install the Porch Rail End Supports

The porch rail is supported by a 2×2 picket anchored to the house wall and a horizontal 2×4 support block fastened to the porch post. The two supports are highlighted in yellow in this drawing:

2×6 Porch Rail Drawing – End Supports

The porch rail installation begins by determining the location of the two rail supports. The total height of the assembled 2×6 porch rail is 39 inches per the design drawing. Another 3 inches is added for clearance between the bottom rail and porch floor for a total height of 41 inches. I decided on a 3 inch bottom clearance because it “looks right” and won’t catch leaves.

To locate the rail at 41 inches above the porch floor, do the following:

Measure and make a tick mark in pencil at 41 inches high on the porch post.
Stretch a heavy construction string with a line bubble level between the 41″ tick mark and the house wall.
Adjust the string location against the house wall until the line level bubble is centered for a perfect horizontal line between the post and the wall.

Porch Rail Horizontal Support Block Measurement

After marking the level line against the house wall, I used the tape measure and found the porch floor slopes a bit more than 2″ from the house wall to the post, which would make the rail-to-floor gap on the house side a bit too narrow for my liking. To add a bit more bottom rail clearance, I decided to use the 41 inch position as the bottom of the 2×6 top rail – which is the same as the top face of the 2×4 subrail – and proceed from there. What you decide for the bottom clearance is mainly a matter of aesthetics and opinion, but it should be no greater than 4″ above the floor so a small child doesn’t get stuck underneath.

Post Support Block Installation

I marked a horizontal reference line at the 41″ mark on the porch support post with the carpenters level. This line marks the top position of the 2×4 horizontal support block.

Porch Rail Support Block – Horizontal Reference Line

I needed to know what’s inside the porch support post. Is it steel or wood, hollow or solid? This is critical so I can determine how to securely fasten the 2×4 horizontal support block. To determine the interior post construction, I drilled a 1/2″ hole where it will be hidden by the 2×4 block.

What’s Inside the Porch Support Post?

I was pleased to discover the porch post is made of an 8″x8″ wood post core clad with trim boards. An 8×8 nominal lumber size is actually 7.5″x7.5″. When I added the thickness of the finish trim boards, the width of the post measured exactly 8 inches square.

Porch Support Post – 8×8 Wood Post Core

The determination is I can confidently install the 2×4 support block with 3 inch stainless steel screws.

I have a minor installation challenge because the porch support post is not in alignment with the corner wall of the house. Instead of attempting a lot of error prone measurements, I took the simple and sure method of mocking up the deck rail and marking actual locations. The mock up starts with an extra long 2×4 temporary support block as shown with a piece of 2×4 scrap cedar:

2×6 Porch Rail Installation – Temporary Support Block

Fitting the 2×6 Porch Rail

The 2×6 porch rail is measured and fitted to span the distance between the house wall and the porch post by:

Mark and saw a 1.5 inch notch in the 2×4 subrail and 2×5 side rail so the 2×6 top rail can rest on the temporary support block. The cuts were made with the Dewalt Miter Saw and finished with a handsaw so as not to mar the bottom of the 2×6 top rail.
Place a four foot long carpenter level on the top rail (as shown below) to mark the level position of the rail against the house wall.
Mark the length of the top rail against the house wall to saw the rail to it’s exact length.

The left side of the rail is being supported by my son while I make measurements.

Fitting and Measuring the 2×6 Porch Rail

The next photo illustrates how I sawed the porch rail an inch on the long side in the workshop so it would be easier to carry and maneuver. Two marks are made:

Horizontal level mark in pencil against the corner of the house for the top of the rail.
A straight line parallel to the outside wall for the exact length of the porch rail between the wall and porch post.

Marking the Exact Length of the 2×6 Porch Rail by the House Wall

The porch rail is sawed to fit the distance between the wall and porch post. The rail is positioned to set flush with the wall using the 4 foot carpenters level as a straight edge.

Aligning the 2×6 Porch Rail with the House Wall

While still holding the top rail flush the wall, I marked the outside edge of the other end of the 2×6 rail as it sits on the temporary 2×4 support block fastened to the 8×8 porch post.

This project is continued in Part 4.

Thank for reading,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 3 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 2

BobJackson — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:13:56 +0000

This project is continued from Part 1.

After priming and painting the western red cedar boards for the porch rail, I sawed the 8 foot boards 1″ longer than needed to allow for a margin of error during final fitting. Next I laid the 2″ x 2″ x 36″ pickets on 5″ centers to ensure everything would turn out the way I expected. A 2×4 block is perfect for spacing the pickets on 5″ centers with a 3-1/2″ gap between pickets to satisfy the building code. Recall that a 4″ sphere cannot pass between the pickets per the building code.

Picket Layout for Porch Rail Construction

Note the vertical block at the left side to set the gap for the horizontal post support as indicated in the scale drawing (see Part 1).

2×6 Porch Rail Construction

I stacked the boards upside down on the sawhorses to illustrate how the top rail and pickets will be assembled. Nothing is nailed or screwed together here.

2×6 Porch Rail Concept (Upside down)

This photo shows how the porch rails are assembled with exterior screws:

The subrail is fastened to the edge of side rail with a Grip-Rite 3″ stainless steel screw.
The 2×6 top rail is fastened to the 2×4 subrail with a 2-1/2″ DECK MATE EVERCOTE™ exterior screw.

The screw length is important so as not to over-penetrate the boards. Corrosion resistant or stainless steel screws are a must for exterior applications and required per the building code.

Why use screws instead of nails? Because screws won’t back out over time as the boards expand and shrink with seasonal temperature changes.

2×6 Porch Rail Assembly and Screws

Porch Subrail and Side Rail Assembly

I could have built the deck rail in place on the front porch, but I’m working at night in the workshop to make progress. The porch rail is a little over 6 feet long, so carrying it outside to the front porch won’t be a problem.

The subrail is laid face down on the edge of the 2×4 subrail and fastened with 3″ stainless steel screws on 8″ centers starting about 2″ inches from the end of the board. Take care to drive the 3″ screw straight down so you don’t punch through the face of the side rail. The best way to align the subrail over the side rail is to double it with another 2×4 as shown.

Porch Rail Construction: Fastening the Subrail to the Side Rail

Here’s the 2×4 subrail after fastening the 2×4 side rail with screws on 8″ centers. Note the unpainted 2×4 board used as support while I was driving the screws.

Porch Rail Construction: Subrail and Side Rail Assembly

The screws are sealed with a dab of white GE Silicone II* Paintable Silicone caulk – I like this brand because it’s “30 minute paint ready” and silicone doesn’t shrink or crack and stays permanently flexible. The purpose of the caulk is to seal the wood around the screw.

Porch Rail: Caulk the Screw Heads

View of the assembled and caulked subrail and side rail (left side of photo). The 2×6 top rail on the right will be attached next.

Assembled and Caulked Porch Subrail and Side Rail

2×6 Porch Top Rail Installation

The 2×6 top rail will be fastened to the 2×4 subrail with 2-1/2″ DECK MATE EVERCOTE™ exterior screws as shown.

2×6 Porch Top Rail to Subrail Assembly

I set the screws on 8″ centers starting 6″ from the end of the board as shown, placing two screws side-by-side at both ends and the center to eliminate any possible wobble. The screws are set flush with the face of the 2×6 board so there’s no bump.

2×6 Porch Rail Construction

The screw heads given a dab of caulk and smoothed with 2″ putty knife to make the screws almost invisible. After the caulk dries, the top rail is given another coat of Sherwin-Williams Duration® paint. Always paint exterior caulk because it’s slightly tacky and will collect dirt/dust if left unpainted.

2×6 Porch Rail after Caulking the Screw Heads

Here’s the assembled and painted 2×6 porch rail and stack of 2×2 pickets. Most of the work is done at this point!

2×6 Porch Rail Construction

Illustration of how the 2×2 picket fits into the 2×6 porch rail. The rail and picket are stacked together in this photo.

2×6 Porch Rail and 2×2 Picket

This project is continued in Part 3.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 2 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 1

BobJackson — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:12:28 +0000

This project explains how to build a 2″x6″ porch rail from scratch using Western Red Cedar lumber.

The porch rail is a traditional rail-and-picket design that will be built between the exterior wall and porch support post as illustrated in this scale drawing:

2×6 Porch Rail Blueprint Design Drawing

The porch rail is designed for safety to prevent slip and falls over the ~3-1/2 foot high drop off the side of the front porch. I was motivated to install the porch rail after slipping on ice during a freezing rain event and almost went over the side.

Deck / Porch Rail Building Code Requirements

The type of porch rail that I’ll be building is technically a “guard rail” which is different than a “hand rail“. Guard rails are designed to prevent falls off the side of a high platform such as a porch, deck or balcony. Hand rails are for grasping and used for stability along stairs. The 2″x6″ porch rail in this project is too wide to serve as a hand rail, which is fine because it’s function is a guard rail and I prefer the wider surface of a 2×6 board.

The building code requirements for a deck/porch rail are defined in the International Residential Code® (IRC) with possible amendments or additions by your local Building Department. The principle building code requirements for a deck rail (guard rail) are:

Decks more than 30 inches above finished grade must have guardrails not less than 36 inches in height
Pickets are spaced to prevent the passage of a 4 inch sphere
Design load of 200 lbs/sq. ft.
Connectors and fasteners must be stainless steel or have a corrosion resistant coating
Lumber must be decay and termite resistant wood

A very nice deck construction diagram with rail height and picket spacing is posted on the Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning and Development website. Gwinnett County is in the metro Atlanta, GA area.

Also see the Simpson Strong-Tie® Deck Framing Connection Guide for an excellent overview of deck construction and connector solutions. You can find Simpson Strong-Tie products at Lowes and Home Depot.

If in doubt, call your local Building Dept. to confirm local code and permitting requirements.

Building with Western Red Cedar Lumber

I wanted a nice looking porch rail because it will be in a highly visible location next to the front door. I chose Western Red Cedar because it’s a very high quality, dimensionally stable (meaning it doesn’t warp), aromatic and naturally rot resistant wood. Cedar costs more, but is worth it when appearances matter.

Western Red Cedar versus #2 Pressure Treated Pine

I could have build the porch rail out of #2 pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine lumber which is widely available at any home improvement store or lumber yard, but chose not to because #2 pressure treated lumber:

Is very wet from the chemical pressure treatment process and must be allowed to partially dry and shrink over several weeks before using.
Shrinks badly and may warp over time as it fully dries. An 8 foot board can shrink up to 1/2″ leaving unsightly gaps.
Has many knots that mar the surface appearance. The knots tend to fall out leaving a hole as the wood dries and shrinks.
Can’t be painted until it dries.

I’ve built deck rails out of #2 pressure treated pine, but I’m careful in picking boards at the lumber yard – only about 1 in 5 boards passes my inspection – and I stack it for several weeks to let it dry before building.

Western Red Cedar on the other hand is a great building material. The boards are kiln dried without chemicals, straight and ready to use.

Western Red Cedar Lumber, Primer and Painting

The 2×6 front porch rail will be about 74″ (or 6 ft 2in) long. Based on my scale drawing (see above), the materials estimate is:

Three 2″ x 4″ x 8′ boards
One 2″ x 6″ x 8′ board
Fifteen 2″ x 2″ x 36″ pickets (Only 14 are shown in the photo. I bought 17 just in case.)

Western Red Cedar Lumber for Porch Rail

I bought the Western Red Cedar lumber at Norcross Supply Company for a total cost of about $65. Norcross Supply Co. has a large inventory of cedar, cypress and pressure treated pine lumber. If you’re in the Atlanta, GA area, give them a call to discuss what’s best for your project.

Porch Rail Picket Drip Edge

The bottom of each 2″ x 2″ x 36″ cedar rail picket is sawn at a 32° angle (this matches a standard notch in the saw table) so that rain water will drip off the bottom to minimize dampness and rot using a Dewalt Miter Saw. The Dewalt Miter Saw is essential for making precision cuts and a huge time saver. Notice that the saw blade is positioned at the outside corner of the cedar picket – the goal is to cut off a small wedge and not to shorten the 36″ long picket. No measuring necessary – just position the blade on the corner and go!

Sawing the Drip Edge on the Cedar Picket

Drip edge sawn on what will be the bottom of the cedar picket:

Drip Edge Sawn on Cedar Porch Rail Picket

Stack of cedar pickets with drip edges sawn ready to be primed and painted:

Stack of Cedar Porch Rail Pickets with Drip Edges

Prime and Paint the Cedar Porch Rail Lumber

Cedar wood looks great with a coat of clear sealer – warm with red hues. Unfortunately, a natural wood porch rail won’t match the architectural scheme of my house so I’ll be painting the lumber an off-white color to match the house trim. It’s also way easier to paint the boards before assembling the porch rail.

Cedar must be primed with a primer specifically made for cedar to prevent bleeding. I bought a gallon of Zinsser Cover Stain oil-based exterior primer sealer for $16.98 at Home Depot. I was really impressed with the Zinsser Cover Stain – it has minimal odor and dried quickly to a very fine textured surface similar to 1000 grit sandpaper. Not abrasive or chalky, it just felt like paint would readily stick to the Zinsser primer.

Priming the Western Cedar Boards with Zinsser Cover-Stain®

With rain in the forecast, I moved everything inside to the workshop and applied a top-coat of Sherwin-Williams Duration® exterior acrylic latex paint. Duration® is Sherwin-Williams top of the line paint with a lifetime guarantee. It’s much thicker than regular paint goes on with one coat. It’s expensive, so wait until it’s on sale if you can by visiting a Sherwin-Williams store and getting on their e-mail list to receive sale notifications.

Painting the Cedar Porch Rail with Sherwin-Williams Duration®

Tip: After painting one side of the boards, wrap the paintbrush in cling wrap (a.k.a. food wrap) to keep it from drying out between coats as shown in the above photo.

This project is continued in Part 2.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×6 Porch Rail – Part 1 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×4 Deck Rail on a Concrete Patio – Part 3

BobJackson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:37:05 +0000

This project is continued from Part 2.

Attach the 2×4 Rails to the 4×4 Deck Posts

I pre-drilled the screw holes with a slightly smaller diameter bit than the screw to prevent the wood from splitting.

Predrill the Deck Rail Screw Holes

Next, fasten the 2×4 top rail to the 4×4 posts and verify the top rail is level.

Fasten the 2×4 Top Rail to the 4×4 Deck Posts

It turns out the concrete deck is sloped away from the house (this is normal for rainwater runoff) and the left post is about 1/2 inch too high. I used the carpenters level to mark the proper height and angle as shown and cut the post to the correct length on the Mitre Saw. This is an instance where usingwood screws makes disassembly and corrections easy compared to nails!

Trimming the Left 4×4 Post to make Level

Locate the bottom rail at least 2 inches high (to avoid catching leaves) and set a single wood screw only on the left end – this allows opposite end to rotate for leveling. Level the right end as shown and fasten the two screws. Then fasten the remaining screw in the left end.

Fastening the Bottom Rail

The 2×4 face rail is attached with 3-1/2 inch screws evenly with top rail as shown. The balusters are laid out to show the overall progress.

Balusters and Deck Rail Frame

Attach the Balusters to the Deck Rail Frame

So far, the deck rail frame is just sitting on the concrete anchor pins. It’s a snug fit, but the frame can be removed by lifting straight up such as not to bind sideways on the pins. Since frame is small, I lifted it off the anchor pins and laid it face down on the patio for easy access.

To attach the balusters to the frame:

Pre-drill the screw holes in the balusters, otherwise the 2×2 post will split.
Screw the 1st baluster to the frame with 2-1/2 inch corrosion resistant deck screws.
Use a 2×4 block to set the gap to the next baluster and fasten it with screws.
Move the 2×4 block to the next position, fasten the next baluster, repeat.

Attaching the Balusters

Move the 2×4 spacer block over and attach the next baluster. Repeat for the remaining balusters. Note the baluster drip edge is facing the bottom 2×4 rail for a pleasing look.

Using a 2×4 Spacer Block to Set the Balusters

The newly assembled deck rail section is shown with the main deck rail (red) for comparison:

Fully Assembled Deck Rail

Deck Rail Final Assembly

The deck rail section is set on the concrete anchor pins. At this point, the deck rail is very rigid and fits snugly on the pins; any attempt at sideways movement will cause the 4×4 end posts to catch and bind on the anchor pins.

Deck Rail Mounted on the Anchor Pins

Side view of the deck rail:

Side View of the Deck Rail

To plumb and deck rail and ensure there will be no movement, I used Simpson Strong-Tie angle connectors and screws to attach it to the 4×4 deck rail post to the 4×4 stairwell post.

Simpson Strong-Tie Screws and Metal Angles

I plumbed the deck rail using a level – it needed to lean forward about 1/2 inch to be vertical.

Plumbing the Deck Rail Front-to-Back

And fastened the metal angle plate as shown in the photo below. Doing so fixed the deck rail in place very securely – almost no wiggle in any direction with heavy force.

Simpson Strong-Tie Connector Plate

Here’s how the completed deck rail looks. Note the short 2×2 section on the lower right to elevate the PVC condensate line.

Finished Deck Rail – Rear Side

Front view of the finished deck rail.

Finished Deck Rail

I’ll stain the new deck rail when the weather warms up in the spring.

Thanks for reading!

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×4 Deck Rail on a Concrete Patio – Part 3 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.

How to Build a 2×4 Deck Rail on a Concrete Patio – Part 2

BobJackson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:31:42 +0000

This project is continued from Part 1.

Install Concrete Anchors for the 4×4 Posts

The centers of the posts are marked with a + on the concrete as shown near the drill bit. In my case the deck rail is 43″ long. A 4×4 post is actually 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches. To find the distance between the post centers I subtract 1/2 width of each post, or 1-3/4 inches:

43 inches total width minus 1-3/4 inches (left post) minus 1-3/4 inches (right post) = 39-1/2 inches distance between the post centers.

To mark the post centers:

Locate the right post and mark the center as shown below.
Measure 39-1/2 inches to the left and mark the center of the other post.
Drill 1/2 inch holes with a hammer drill for the concrete wedge anchors.

Drilling the Hole for the Concrete Anchor

I used 1/2 inch x 5-1/2 inch threaded concrete anchors as shown. I bought mine from Home Depot.

Red Head – Trubolt Concrete Wedge Anchor

Concrete wedge anchors have a metal sleeve on the tapered bottom end that grabs tight when the anchor is pulled against the hole by the threaded nut. These anchors work extremely well.

Red Head – Trubolt Concrete Wedge Anchor

The concrete anchors must be set at least 2-1/4 inches deep. Drill the hole about 1 inch deeper (or 3-1/4 inches total) to allow for dust accumulation at the bottom of the hole.

Drilling the Hole and Checking the Depth

Mark the minimum depth line on the anchor (blue line) and tap the anchor into the hole. The 3-1/2 lb sledge hammer as shown here is overkill for the job.

Setting the Concrete Anchors

Place the washer and nut on the anchor and tighten. The anchor should grab fast with almost no slippage.

Tighten the Concrete Anchor Bolt

The concrete wedge anchor is set fast and tight:

Concrete Wedge Anchor

Install the 4×4 Deck Rail Posts

Drill a 1/2 inch hole in the bottom of the 4×4 posts to slide the post over the anchor pin.

Locate the center of the post by measuring and marking 1-3/4 inches on each side as shown by the black tick marks:

Measure 1-3/4 Inches to Locate the Center

Use a square to mark a straight line across the tick marks on each side to locate the center of the 4×4 post.

Mark a Line at 1-3/4 Inches per Side

The center of the 4×4 post is now located at the cross hair to drill the 1/2 inch hole to receive the pin of the concrete anchor wedge.

Mark the 4×4 Post Center

Drill a 1/2 inch diameter hole in the center of the post to receive the pin of the concrete anchor. I use Dewalt “pilot” type drill bits that prevents the large drill bit from “walking” when starting the hole. Drill the hole about 4-1/2 inches deep.

Take care to drill the hole vertical (i.e. not canted to the side). I use the carpenters square to periodically check my drill alignment with the post.

Drill a 1/2 Inch Hole for the Concrete Anchor

Test fit the anchor wedge to verify the hole is deep enough and the hole is vertical with the post.

Trial Fitting the Concrete Anchor

Place the post standoff over the pin to check the overall fit and assembly:

Fitting the Post Standoff

The post standoffs are attached with four 2-1/2 inch corrosion resistant deck screws as shown.

Fasten the Deck Post Standoff with Screws

Set the 4×4 post on the concrete anchor pin to check the overall fit. Repeat for the above procedure for the other post.

Trial Fit the Post on the Anchor Pin

This project is continued in Part 3.

Thanks for reading!

Bob Jackson

The post How to Build a 2×4 Deck Rail on a Concrete Patio – Part 2 appeared first on HandymanHowto.com.