Maddoggy
Active Member
I wouldn't suggest the plywood option with our Florida climate. Go with pressure treated lumber for the visual barrier. Don't even consider non pressure treated wood, it will start to rot the day you install it.
When we first adopted our adult sulcata we had chain link fence and he busted out because he could see through it. Since then, we enclosed his yard with 2 ft x 8 ft tin sheets with metal poles and 4 x 4's dug into the ground as supports. He uses it to turn around while making his laps but never again tried to escape since he cannot see through it. It also works wonderfully to keep the wind at ba
Check pricing on other sizes of 2x material. It may be cheaper to go with a higher stack of 2x6 or 2x8 than the 2x12. If you tighten up the spacing on the posts you might be fine with 5/4 decking or corral boards. Thick cut corral boards are 1 1/4" thick and tend to be cheaper than traditional 2x lumber but the price has been allI thought of that but was concerned that plywood would warp and distort in the high humidity and wet climate. I probably will try it because it will make the whole project more affordable. I will just have to coat the plywood with a good sealer and attach it so it doesn't warp. Thanks again Tom I have much food for thought. The beauty of this project is that I have the time to research and make it
Im still trying Toms idea with 16 in plywood strips. I coat all my lumber with two coats of Behr waterproof wood finish. It's about two hundred dollars for five gallon. I have completed several projects using untreated wood siding and sealing it with behr waterproofer. It's been about five years since its been outside and still looks good. Im giving it a try let you know if it worksWhen we originally set up our yard, we started with a siding plank that looked smoother, which we put up against our permanent fencing. There is almost no sign of wear, except for on one board that was originally used in an area that our tort could see underneath. In that spot he tried to dig his way to freedom, which wore down the board and frayed. In every place that we nailed down the board properly, there is zero bowing. The only bows come where our fence didn’t meet up with the top of the board (as seen in the picture). But even with the bow, everything is solid, and Toki thinks that’s the end of the path and turns around.
Our new fence is a less permanently made fence on purpose so we can easily remove when needed. However, it has been solid and works well. We bought a different siding with more wood crossing, which the Home Depot guys said is stronger. This one has not seemed to fray as the original siding we got did. (See pictures to see the difference between frayed siding and new siding).
We’re in this for the long haul. So we’re okay with the experience of trying new things and adapting to the needs. We’ll let you know in a few years how well it held up!
