Finally saw the difference a plumb bob makes after 8 years

I put up a section of vinyl fence last week in a yard that slopes pretty bad, like 3 feet over 40 feet. Usually I just eyeball it with a level and hope for the best, but I decided to actually use a plumb bob for every single post this time. Spent an extra 10 minutes per hole just checking my lines, and dang if the finished product didn't come out straight as an arrow. My helper even said he never noticed how crooked my old fences were until he saw this one. It's one of those things you know you should do but always skip to save time. I think I finally learned my lesson on this one. Anyone else have a basic tool they ignored for years that ended up being a game changer in the field?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan_young291mo ago

You say you spent an extra 10 minutes per hole but how many posts are we talking here? Sure it looks good but I gotta ask if an hour or two of your time was really worth having a fence that's maybe 2% straighter than before. Most people driving by aren't going to whip out a level on your work and honestly your helper only noticed because you told him to look for it.

parker1831mo ago

Does it really matter if only he and his helper know when nobody else will ever notice the difference?

ivanross1mo ago

Yeah because nothing says "time well spent" like arguing with a 4x4 post about being perfectly plumb. I bet his helper was just being nice to shut him up about it. Next time just save the 10 minutes and buy your helper a beer, he'll say it looks great either way.