Building a wooden "guard"

[Mack77]

Hey all:

Just got a new customer a few days ago, and around his children's swingset area are a bunch of boards. This kind: http://205.196.138.20/3/84/849f7dfc-2b7b-4f49-ba14-bb868276f395_3.jpg

Anyway he tried to stack three of these boards on top of eachother all around the swingset area. This is about a 40' X 30' mulched in and he tried to put these boards as a "wall/buffer" from the mulch to the grass. A good idea, but he did nothing to make sure the boards stayed on top of eachother. No nails, drilling, nothing. So the wall that was constructed just fell apart.

What would be the best way to fix this? There are just regular boards lying all over the ground. Nothing was done to them, no holes or anything. He said I could use the boards to fix the current wall, but how? I've seen boards conjoined together in other places. Drilled all the way through, my question is, what do you use to connect them and stablize them into the ground securely?

[Dirty Water]

Drill completly through the bottom two, and drill halfway through the bottomside of the top one.

Drive 3' sections of #4 Rebar into the ground. Slide the first two over the rebar, and drive the rebar down so that the top piece sits flush.

On the mulched side, I would drive wooden stakes every 5' feet deep enough that they will be wellcovered with mulch. Then I'd nail the boards to these stakes.

I'd also use a decent sized spike to toenail the corners together for added strength.

Perhaps some sort of glue to fasten the rebar to the wood?

[Green-Pro]

Drill completly through the bottom two, and drill halfway through the bottomside of the top one.

Drive 3' sections of #4 Rebar into the ground. Slide the first two over the rebar, and drive the rebar down so that the top piece sits flush.

On the mulched side, I would drive wooden stakes every 5' feet deep enough that they will be wellcovered with mulch. Then I'd nail the boards to [/B[B]]these stakes.

I'd also use a decent sized spike to toenail the corners together for added strength.

Perhaps some sort of glue to fasten the rebar to the wood?

Great solution Jon, only thing I'd maybe change is to use 3" deck screws instead of nailing, easier on you & should hold together better nails even ringshanked have a tendency to work themselves out easier than the screws.

JMO

-Geoff

[rick2752]

How about using concrete form stakes with nail holes in them instead of driving wooden stakes into the ground? Just thinking about them rotting eventually.

[Dirty Water]

How about using concrete form stakes with nail holes in them instead of driving wooden stakes into the ground? Just thinking about them rotting eventually.

If you want to pay $15 a stake go ahead.

The wooden border itself will be just as rotten as the stakes are, besides the stakes are more to pin the border together, as the rebar would do the job of holding it to the ground.

[rick2752]

If you ever need concrete stakes PLEASE CALL ME!! I could use a $12 profit per stake. The wood on top of the ground will not rot as quickly as the wood that is underground. It was a suggestion for the poster, not against your idea. :)

[Mack77]

Thanks for all the help on this project guys :)

I followed the advice given to drill through two of the boards and halfway through the third. Slide them over the rebar and mount them level. This gave the wall a very professional finish that the customer loved! Thanks for all the replies and help!! :waving:

[Dirty Water]

Thanks for all the help on this project guys :)

I followed the advice given to drill through two of the boards and halfway through the third. Slide them over the rebar and mount them level. This gave the wall a very professional finish that the customer loved! Thanks for all the replies and help!! :waving:

Your welcome :)