Y'all Been Checkin' Lumber Prices?

[MossRoad]

You forgot that it was also cheaper than wood

I looked it up last night. The block and mortar and sand came out to around $12,500. Wood came out to over $30K. However, you'd need some sort of foundation/footing, excavation, etc. to support a 6' high block wall, and I decided not to pursue that. It's just the time is so short at 2 days. And no mention of the foundation/footing. Or labor. That would take quite a few people to do 800+ feet of wall in just 2 days. (I used to work for a brick mason when I was in high school, and just two years ago I watched my employer have a large block building built that had about that same length of walls.... it took weeks for each 8' floor to be completed with dozens of people.)

 

[dfkrug]

In our town almost no one is building fences with wood. A guy down the street just build a 6ft high block walk around his 1 acre yard. Was cheaper than wood. Done in 2 days. All new fencing leans towards block.

That's good. I think that getting away from wooden fences is very important, esp in the Western US. They are extreme fire hazards, and not just in rural areas. Suburban population centers are also vulnerable to wildfires, as we have seen recently in Colorado, and in Paradise, CA. Wood fences are basically kindling.

There are numerous types of non-flammable fences, including CMUs (concrete blocks), pre-cast panels, and steel. Some parts of the US (e.g. Phoenix & Vegas) have a tradition of CMU fencing, so it is very competitive in cost, despite the need for permits and reinforcement.

 

[Jstpssng]

Am I the only one who puts in a moisture barrier when building wood on concrete? Usually a strip of tar paper, but if I'm just setting it on blocks a shingle works just fine.

 

[CADplans]

A square acre is about 835'.

835' of block wall 6' high in 2 days?

300 block layers, and 2 guys to bring them blocks,, no problem,,, `~`

 

[CADplans]

It is gardening season,, I decided to try starting plants in a "COLD FRAME",, or whatever they are called.
I needed some wood,, if I went to the big box store,, the wood could cost me $40,, it would be treated, (bad for the soil, and plants)
The gas to get there would be another $25,,,

BUT,, there is that locust that has been down for 5 years,, and it has not rotted,, CUT some boards out of it with a chainsaw!!

Yea, I was bored, so I made a board,,
not bad for freehand cutting,, I would bet the cold frame will outlast me,,


Now,, I gotta find some nails,, Could I use welding rods?? I got PLENTY of them!

 

[MossRoad]

Am I the only one who puts in a moisture barrier when building wood on concrete? Usually a strip of tar paper, but if I'm just setting it on blocks a shingle works just fine.

Probably.

Everything I read before building our garage addition said to use pressure treated sill plate with a sill seal gasket. So that's what I did.

 

[MossRoad]

300 block layers, and 2 guys to bring them blocks,, no problem,,, `~`

I did not enjoy my time working for the brick mason as a Hod carrier in high school. My job was to keep the mixer running, carrying bricks and blocks to the brick layers, and wheeling mortar to the brick layers when I wasn't doing demolition on the burnt out buildings that he'd buy to refurbish. Between that and my job as a lifeguard and swimming miles a day, I had the shoulders of a go-rilla. Swimming made me tired. Brick mason made me sore.

 

[MossRoad]

It is gardening season,, I decided to try starting plants in a "COLD FRAME",, or whatever they are called.
I needed some wood,, if I went to the big box store,, the wood could cost me $40,, it would be treated, (bad for the soil, and plants)
The gas to get there would be another $25,,,

BUT,, there is that locust that has been down for 5 years,, and it has not rotted,, CUT some boards out of it with a chainsaw!!

Yea, I was bored, so I made a board,,
not bad for freehand cutting,, I would bet the cold frame will outlast me,,
View attachment 737968View attachment 737969

Now,, I gotta find some nails,, Could I use welding rods?? I got PLENTY of them!

That's some really tough wood. We have an honest 10,000 black locust trees as counted by the state forester. I'll never run out of firewood in my life. Good luck driving nails into it if it's dry.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

There are numerous types of non-flammable fences, including CMUs (concrete blocks), pre-cast panels, and steel. Some parts of the US (e.g. Phoenix & Vegas) have a tradition of CMU fencing, so it is very competitive in cost, despite the need for permits and reinforcement.

Fences in the Tucson area were all block of some sort. Saw one wood fence go up in Tucson and the local insects devoured it in 2 years.

 

[bcp]

At Lowes, a 96 inch 2x4 is now more expensive than an 8 foot 2x4.

Bruce