My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence gate.
It's a stockade fence and I think the rough surface will try the kids'
patience. So, I thought about cutting a couple of 4x4 pieces of thin wood,
beveling the edges so rain runs off, priming them, and letting the kids use
those as their "canvasses. A friend at a paint store offered to add vivid
tints to several small batches taken from a gallon of white exterior latex.
Coat the finished masterpieces with polyurethane or something. Attach to
gate. We're already adding a gate roller because it tends to sag a bit. So
extra weight shouldn't be an issue.

Plywood seems like a bad idea for this purpose due to the exposed edges,
even if they're seemingly well protected. I can get 1/4" pieces of pretty
much any common wood. Any suggestions?

On Jul 30, 9:40*am, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:
My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence gate..
It's a stockade fence and I think the rough surface will try the kids'
patience. So, I thought about cutting a couple of 4x4 pieces of thin wood,
beveling the edges so rain runs off, priming them, and letting the kids use
those as their "canvasses. A friend at a paint store offered to add vivid
tints to several small batches taken from a gallon of white exterior latex.

On 7/30/10 11:40 AM, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence gate.
It's a stockade fence and I think the rough surface will try the kids'
patience. So, I thought about cutting a couple of 4x4 pieces of thin wood,
beveling the edges so rain runs off, priming them, and letting the kids use
those as their "canvasses. A friend at a paint store offered to add vivid
tints to several small batches taken from a gallon of white exterior latex.
Coat the finished masterpieces with polyurethane or something. Attach to
gate. We're already adding a gate roller because it tends to sag a bit. So
extra weight shouldn't be an issue.

Plywood seems like a bad idea for this purpose due to the exposed edges,
even if they're seemingly well protected. I can get 1/4" pieces of pretty
much any common wood. Any suggestions?


They may still make 4x8 sheets of concrete/composite sheathing that
looks like board & batten. It's pretty cheap, lasts forever, and cut
easily. It's also pre-primed and takes paint very well.

I used it on my shed and with the exception of mud splash and some
green-ish growth near the bottom, it looks new. I left it completely
untreated, btw.

I think it would be perfect for your project and could also square up
the gate.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

wrote in message
...

My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence
gate.

Use 1/8 inch masonite.
By the time it deteriorates, the grandkids
will have lost interest !


You sure about that? Masonite used to make siding for homes that was 1/4"
thick and it failed miserably in as little as 5 years. Been there done
that.

On 7/30/2010 7:24 PM, Leon wrote:
wrote in message
...

My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence
gate.

Use 1/8 inch masonite.
By the time it deteriorates, the grandkids
will have lost interest !


You sure about that? Masonite used to make siding for homes that was 1/4"
thick and it failed miserably in as little as 5 years. Been there done
that.


That was actually International Paper IIRC. "Masonite" as a brand of
sheet goods doesn't seem to exist anymore. The stuff you find at
lumberyards that is commonly called "Masonite" is really "hardboard",
with the "tempered" kind being reasonably weather resistant as long as
it is painted and the edges are protected.

On the other hand, the "right" stuff to use for painting an outdoor
mural is probably medium density overlay, which is plywood with a smooth
phenolic-impregnated paper facing that is designed to take paint
well--its intended use is billboards and the like.

I'd go for that - use a good can of kills or what it is - the stain or
over paint coat. If you paint the front - paint the back for certain
so moisture will be even if any.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
"Our Republic and the Press will Rise or Fall Together": Joseph Pulitzer
TSRA: Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Originator & Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member. http://lufkinced.com/

On 7/30/2010 12:21 PM, -MIKE- wrote:
On 7/30/10 11:40 AM, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
My girlfriend wants to have her grandkids paint a mural on her fence gate.
It's a stockade fence and I think the rough surface will try the kids'
patience. So, I thought about cutting a couple of 4x4 pieces of thin wood,
beveling the edges so rain runs off, priming them, and letting the kids use
those as their "canvasses. A friend at a paint store offered to add vivid
tints to several small batches taken from a gallon of white exterior latex.
Coat the finished masterpieces with polyurethane or something. Attach to
gate. We're already adding a gate roller because it tends to sag a bit. So
extra weight shouldn't be an issue.

Plywood seems like a bad idea for this purpose due to the exposed edges,
even if they're seemingly well protected. I can get 1/4" pieces of pretty
much any common wood. Any suggestions?


They may still make 4x8 sheets of concrete/composite sheathing that
looks like board & batten. It's pretty cheap, lasts forever, and cut
easily. It's also pre-primed and takes paint very well.

I used it on my shed and with the exception of mud splash and some
green-ish growth near the bottom, it looks new. I left it completely
untreated, btw.

I think it would be perfect for your project and could also square up the gate.

On 7/30/10 10:17 PM, Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
I'd go for that - use a good can of kills or what it is - the stain or
over paint coat. If you paint the front - paint the back for certain
so moisture will be even if any.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn


The paint/moisture thing is really a non-issue with that concrete stuff.
It doesn't soak or warp.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 7/30/10 10:17 PM, Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
I'd go for that - use a good can of kills or what it is - the stain or
over paint coat. If you paint the front - paint the back for certain
so moisture will be even if any.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn


The paint/moisture thing is really a non-issue with that concrete stuff.
It doesn't soak or warp.


Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.

On 7/31/10 2:13 AM, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 7/30/10 10:17 PM, Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
I'd go for that - use a good can of kills or what it is - the stain or
over paint coat. If you paint the front - paint the back for certain
so moisture will be even if any.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn


The paint/moisture thing is really a non-issue with that concrete stuff.
It doesn't soak or warp.


Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.


You may not need any roller, since you can use it to square the gate.
We expect pictures of the art, btw. :-)


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 7/31/10 2:13 AM, JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 7/30/10 10:17 PM, Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
I'd go for that - use a good can of kills or what it is - the stain or
over paint coat. If you paint the front - paint the back for certain
so moisture will be even if any.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn


The paint/moisture thing is really a non-issue with that concrete stuff.
It doesn't soak or warp.


Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.


You may not need any roller, since you can use it to square the gate.
We expect pictures of the art, btw. :-)


Dont depend on fiber cement panels or boards to be structural or to aid as
support bracing. It tends to be more of a veneer than anything else. Screw
or nail holes will wollow out in it if there is any stress added.

On 7/31/10 3:36 PM, Leon wrote:
Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.


You may not need any roller, since you can use it to square the gate.
We expect pictures of the art, btw. :-)


Dont depend on fiber cement panels or boards to be structural or to aid as
support bracing. It tends to be more of a veneer than anything else. Screw
or nail holes will wollow out in it if there is any stress added.


I would say that's good general advice, but it depends on the thickness,
really.
The stuff on my shed is at least 1/4" and it won't budge.

The doors are probably 7'x3' and comprise of full sheets of cement board
cut down to that size.
Their wood "frames" are screwed directly to the cement board and have to
mechanical fasteners or glue holding them to one another. In other
words, the cememnt board is doing *all* the heavy lifting and it solely
responsible for keeping the door square and up. Standard gate hinges
hold the doors to the shed and they haven't sagged in 10 years.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 7/31/10 3:36 PM, Leon wrote:
Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what
the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.


You may not need any roller, since you can use it to square the gate.
We expect pictures of the art, btw. :-)


Dont depend on fiber cement panels or boards to be structural or to aid
as
support bracing. It tends to be more of a veneer than anything else.
Screw
or nail holes will wollow out in it if there is any stress added.


I would say that's good general advice, but it depends on the thickness,
really.
The stuff on my shed is at least 1/4" and it won't budge.

The doors are probably 7'x3' and comprise of full sheets of cement board
cut down to that size.
Their wood "frames" are screwed directly to the cement board and have to
mechanical fasteners or glue holding them to one another. In other
words, the cememnt board is doing *all* the heavy lifting and it solely
responsible for keeping the door square and up. Standard gate hinges
hold the doors to the shed and they haven't sagged in 10 years.

I have replaced a majority of the Masonite siding on my home with Hardi
planks and built a store room about 7 years ago and used the same product.
Used the same product on a neighbors patio to close it in.

I used cross bracing to stiffen the studs on my store room, it wiggled like
crazy until I did that. Knowing that cement fiber board will wollow out I
was not going to trust just the Hardi and was advised also by the supplier.
They agreed that the fiber board is mostly for appearance.

My neighbors closed in patio did still wiggle a lot with the cement fiber
board until we added plywood paneling on the inside.

Your mileage may vary with local conditions but I live in hurricane country
and thankfully my shed held up wonderfully during Ike, 2 years ago, my fence
did not. ;~0

"Leon" wrote

Your mileage may vary with local conditions but I live in hurricane
country and thankfully my shed held up wonderfully during Ike, 2 years
ago, my fence did not. ;~0

And the lesson is that you should have built the fence with Hardi planks!
G

On 7/31/10 4:23 PM, Leon wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 7/31/10 3:36 PM, Leon wrote:
Sounds heavy. Maybe I'll need a more heavy-duty gate roller. But what
the
heck - it's for the grandkids. The older of the two (5) is a pretty
amazing artist for her age.


You may not need any roller, since you can use it to square the gate.
We expect pictures of the art, btw. :-)


Dont depend on fiber cement panels or boards to be structural or to aid
as
support bracing. It tends to be more of a veneer than anything else.
Screw
or nail holes will wollow out in it if there is any stress added.


I would say that's good general advice, but it depends on the thickness,
really.
The stuff on my shed is at least 1/4" and it won't budge.

The doors are probably 7'x3' and comprise of full sheets of cement board
cut down to that size.
Their wood "frames" are screwed directly to the cement board and have to
mechanical fasteners or glue holding them to one another. In other
words, the cememnt board is doing *all* the heavy lifting and it solely
responsible for keeping the door square and up. Standard gate hinges
hold the doors to the shed and they haven't sagged in 10 years.

I have replaced a majority of the Masonite siding on my home with Hardi
planks and built a store room about 7 years ago and used the same product.
Used the same product on a neighbors patio to close it in.

I used cross bracing to stiffen the studs on my store room, it wiggled like
crazy until I did that. Knowing that cement fiber board will wollow out I
was not going to trust just the Hardi and was advised also by the supplier.
They agreed that the fiber board is mostly for appearance.

My neighbors closed in patio did still wiggle a lot with the cement fiber
board until we added plywood paneling on the inside.

Your mileage may vary with local conditions but I live in hurricane country
and thankfully my shed held up wonderfully during Ike, 2 years ago, my fence
did not. ;~0


I think we have two applications here and both are worth taking into
consideration.
There really isn't much force being applied to the stuff when it's hung
like a door. It's rigid enough on its own to support itself and some
added framing.

Ask it to keep a building wall rigid and you run into the wobble at the
fasteners as you describe, because its too much force.

As to the OP's intended purpose: I think he could trust it to keep a gate
square, just as it's kept square as doors in my application.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"-MIKE-" wrote in message
...
On 7/31/10 4:23 PM, Leon wrote:


I think we have two applications here and both are worth taking into
consideration.

Yes! LOL I believe you are correct.



There really isn't much force being applied to the stuff when it's hung
like a door. It's rigid enough on its own to support itself and some
added framing.

Agreed, it can be fine in some applications.



As to the OP's intended purpose: I think he could trust it to keep a gate
square, just as it's kept square as doors in my application.


I visualized fiber cement board used as bracing instead of the usual wood
bracking and supports. Not in particular a larger single central piece.

"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
...

"Leon" wrote

Your mileage may vary with local conditions but I live in hurricane
country and thankfully my shed held up wonderfully during Ike, 2 years
ago, my fence did not. ;~0

And the lesson is that you should have built the fence with Hardi planks!
G

LOL, Hardi was not around in 1981 when the fence was originally built.