Visited an old job site from 15 years ago and the fence I built still stands

I was driving through Brookfield last week and passed by a house where I put up a cedar privacy fence back in 2009. It was a 6 foot tall job with 8 foot posts set in concrete. I pulled over and walked up to it. The pickets had some gray weathering but not a single board was loose or warped. The gate still swung smooth too no sagging. Makes me wonder if the wood they sell today would hold up the same way. Has anyone else gone back to check on their old work and been surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

patkelly18d agoTop Commenter

That fence was built during the golden era of lumber quality, before they started harvesting younger trees that just don't have the same density. Modern treated lumber feels like balsa wood compared to what you could get 15 years ago. Did you use galvanized deck screws on that gate or was that back when everyone still drove hot-dipped ring shank nails? I've got a deck I built in 2010 that's still rock solid too, but I'm scared to look at anything I built after 2020.

gonzalez.wesley18d ago

Cracked up reading this because I literally just replaced a fence post from 2018 that crumbled in my hand like a stale cookie, and I'm not even joking. My neighbor's fence from 2005 still looks like it could survive a hurricane, while mine is basically held together with hope and prayer. I used whatever screws were on sale at the big box store back then, and now I'm paying for it with every creaky hinge on my gate. Take this with a grain of salt, but I'm half convinced the lumber yards are just selling us glorified toothpicks these days and laughing all the way to the bank.