Why is This Even a Project?

Picture if you will, a yard.

It could be any yard.

For todays sake, let's imagine a back yard. From the house, it is about fifteen feet deep, and maybe eighty feet long. There is a low chain link fence around it, and some will say that it is a glorified dog run.

See all those confusing fence posts?

There is a shed in one corner, some chairs, and a barbecue by the house; so you could call it,  "Frankie's domain" if need be.

Now, to add to our imagined yard, let's put in a family who wanted to make this glorified dog run a more private sanctuary from their neighbors. We can assume that the chain link fence isn't the most attractive feature, and maybe, there was a time, when the neighbors yard wasn't very attractive.

So what would you do? Sink a hand full of fence posts and add a lumbar-yard-special privacy fence along the inside of the back of the chain link fence!

Of course, that is completely logical. Because, we already said, this could be any yard, right?

Well it isn't just any yard, this mess is right out back of Dueselhouse, and fast-forward a foreclosure and who knows how long later, there still stands that hand full of fence posts along the inside of the low chain link fence. Underscoring the fact that this feature isn't very attractive, the neighbors have upgraded their property and put up their own privacy fence!

It's ugly.

What's a new-homeowner to do? Build a fence to hide the neighbors privacy fence, the low chain link fence, and the useless posts? Terrible idea. Suck it up and ignore it? Not for more than a month or two. Sell the house? That begs you to consider my commute, not going to happen! Finally, it's time to face the facts, those posts need to come out!

So I dug one out.

Not too bad, I dug next to it to gain leverage, and the post was only sunk about two feet in. The cement footing was only six inches deep! Cake walk.

I filled in the holes with dirt and dead grass I had scraped off the driveway (another story to be written) and preserved what grass I could - thank you rain, for helping keep the sod alive!

I have to admit it was almost fun!

Here's the original process I developed:

This is a dumb fence post

STEP 1: Carefully dig sod from in front of post 

STEP 2: Dig more, set soil aside (preferably on a tarp, which I didn't)

STEP 3: Shake the everlivingshebam out of the post to get it loose. 

STEP 4: Pull the post from the ground, feel like a bear with the strength of ten bears! Dance around in celebration, realize no one is watching ("Katie, come outside and appreciate my masculinity!" to which you hear mumbles about busy microwaving dinner or Glamor magazine, or something)  Rub your spine and realize you're getting old. Then move on to STEP 5

STEP 5: Put fill soil into the now gaping hole in your once beautifully immaculate yard. Remind yourself that this will be a temporary step back to making it again beautiful. 

STEP 6: Gently rake soil into the hole, replace sod you mercilessly ripped from the ground earlier, tamp it down, step back, appreciate your work. Great job!

There's more than one post to a fence though. So Get back to step 1, you lazy so-and-so...

If you're feeling a little under appreciated, look for treasure in the digging:

Who says yardwork doesn't pay? That 1922 Quarter is worth $64k... or is it only 4 years old?

Now, I'm going to ask if you looked at the title, Why is This Even a Project? Because the 6 Steps sound easy. First, it digs a pretty big hole in the ground. Second, as I found out on post #3, sometimes they get stuck on something underground.

I had to cut some of the chain link fence that was trapped in the concrete footing (can we even call that a footing?) Yet it still wouldn't come out. Rather than pull every tendon in my spine out, I decided to think of what else I could do. I needed to pull harder than I could. My Jeep wouldn't fit through the gate, and I don't have a winch.

"Hmm... maybe my highlift will get the job done! I just drilled a couple holes beside one another, these would serve as a lifting point for the jack, and a couple of clicks and the post came right out.

This was almost too easy!

For the rest of the posts: I dug a smaller hole, just enough to get the foot of the jack under the concrete. From there, I jacked up to the top of the post, and filled back in the now smaller holes. It was super simple, and the yard looks GREAT!

Here's the new steps:

NEW STEP 1: Drill holes for jack, dig small hole at base of post.

NEW STEP 2: Get the jack in there.

 

NEW STEP 3: Lift the post out with a few pulls.

Bonus points if you get help from a friend.

NEW STEP 4: Fill in the gaping hole as in [old] Steps 5 and 6, and stack the posts wherever you transition your trash.

There is one post left, but it is buried in ivy and a tree stump. Also there is a clothes line post that is REALLY deep in the yard. That's a project for another day. Soon though.

And a special thanks to my assistant for the third half of the project!