Anyone have building plans/instructions for wood fence steps?

[ericinok]

I have vinyl fencing around my house, and barbed wire around my property. There are a couple of places I would like to put some wood steps to get over the vinyl fencing, which would probably be cheaper than buying a gate. I'm trying to keep the kids (and myself) from climbing on the vinyl fencing.

Does anyone have plans/instructions for bulding these kind of steps? I just want something simple.

[Pat]

Eric, What you describe is a stile. Here is a site with pix.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stile

In particular you may like the ladder style stile.

I too will likely be building some soon to make it easy to get past a proposed electric fence and to not have to put gates everywhere convenient to cross a fence.

If you find something you like really well that is different then share it with us.

Pat

[ericinok]

That's it exactly, Pat. Thanks. A stile - now I know. I'm new to country living, so I haven't got my vocabulary down yet.

I do like the ladder version. Think I'll give it a try in the next couple of weeks. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[egon]

There is also a walk through gate from posts forming a type of v that will let you walk through but cattle can't make the corner.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Eric, You were probably already familiar with stiles just not ladder style stiles. Turnstiles (turn stiles) are pretty common devices in cities. There is another style of stile you may like but maybe too late for some of your applications.

Here is a sketch. In the sketch the lines are fence material and the dots are posts. The "Y" shape is narrow enough that most 4 legged critters of decent size can't make the turn but walking upright we can easily negotiate it.

Advantages: You can't fall off it if you are young boisterous and not careful or it is icy in winter. Made from same fence materials so doesn't stand out as a visual anomaly.

Disadvantages: If it is a barbed wire fence it requires two stretch posts/fixtures (extra posts to cement in)or you need an overhead tension member to take the tension of the barbed wire. Can't mow it so more weed eater time or a bare spot due to using Agent Orange to kill the vegetation so you don't have to weed eat.

If you go with the ladder type made of wood, consider a good grade of treated wood and non-skid on the treads. I don't recommend spending 20-40 bucks on 3M non skid peel off adhesive "tape." I recommend painting the steps (couple coats) and liberally coating the wet paint of the second coat with really course sand. After the paint dries well you brush off the excess sand. Works good! You can even put a light coat of paint over the glued (by paint) in place sand to make the color nicer if aesthetics matter and it will still have non-skid properties if you used really course sharp grained sand. I use "OOPS" paint because the really good $30/gal paint is only $5 a gal when mistinted by the geniuses at the big box stores.

Pat