With the installation of the new French doors approaching, we were faced with an interesting problem. What do we do with the dog when we have a big hole in the side of the house and once the doors are installed, how do we keep the dog from escaping. The solution to the problem of the escaping dog is to build gates to close off each exit.
Normally, I'd ask my father to help me in the construction of something like this (he did build the deck) but since he will be helping install the french doors, I didn't want to consume all of his free time this spring. Since I wasn't asking for any help, it was up to me to design and build the gates.
Earlier this week, I sat down and drew up plans for each gate and figured out what I needed to get for supplies. As the week went on, I refined the design after having discussions with co-workers and Jess. Along with the supply list, I also had to figure out what tools I needed for the project. Being a fairly new homeowner and a computer nerd, I don't have an incredibly impressive tool collection so each time a new project comes around, it's an opportunity to get new tools. This project would require an easy way to cut the wood and a powerful drill/driver. I settled on getting a compound mitre saw to do the cutting. I've used my father's in the past and it was easy for me to cut things in straight lines (often impossible for me using any other cutting device). Also, because I'm don't have a great deal of cash to spend on this project, I settled on a corded drill to put the screws in. My cordless drill is lacking in the balls department (this was learned when we built the deck and my drill was only able to drive the deck screws halfway in) so I needed a drill with a pair to get this done.
Saturday morning we headed off to the hardware store to get tools and supplies. We settled on a Hitachi Compound Mitre Saw (with the laser of course) and a Dewalt 3/8" corded drill with keyless chuck. I would have loved to get one of those elite Dewalt 18V cordless drills but at $199 I just couldn't afford it. We also got our supplies (all pressure treated) - 4 2x4x8s, 1 4x4x8, 16 42" balusters, 4 hinges, 2 latches, and 2 boxes of screws. In total we spent about $350 on tools and supplies for the project.
Now let's start the construction part of this story by stating this...there were very few (if any) people who thought that me (nerdy programmer, hopeless carpenter) would be able to construct anything resembling a gate. I knew that I had the ability in me because I come from a long line of carpenters and somewhere inside of me this ability exists. After unpacking and setting up the new tools, I got to work measuring and cutting my first pieces. As I screwed the first pieces of the first gate's frame together, I was amazed to find that what I had built was actually square and looked like it could be a gate. Now I had to rip a 2x4x8 into strips that can be used for the railings. Never in my life have I ripped anything on the table saw. I've only assisted my father when he was doing it. Well after screwing up the first attempt, I tried again and actually got it done correctly. I took the ripped pieces back to the deck and put the railing together, put that into the frame, and all of a sudden it looked like I had half a clue as to what I was doing. Next I hung the first gate using the heavy duty hinges I purchased and it actually looked and worked like a gate should. The latch proved to be the only part of the first gate that caused me any trouble. I gave up after about half an hour of fighting with it (the sox game was coming on and I had to shower) and said I'd solve it in the morning.
This morning I got up went outside and within 10 minutes I had found a way to get the latch working on the first gate. I then went to work on the second gate and got the whole thing built in a few hours. The challege with the second gate was also the latch. This was a problem because it had to latch to the side of the house. I was able to get that situation all worked out after half an hour of trial and error.
After getting everything together and the deck cleaned up, I let Nikki loose to see how everything works. She ran right up to one of the gates (one of her normal escape routes) and was blocked so she sat there and used this as a new way to people watch and spy on the neighbors.
At this point it appears that the mission was a success and to be honest it came out much better than even I thought it would. This project was a test of sorts to see if I can do more when it comes to building things around the house. Right now I think I've passed this test so hopefully I can use these new skills to build more things.
To see a gallery of the new gates, click
here.
