Thread: Please tell me I'm not insane!

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I just got back from Home Depot where I'm afraid I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I got a wild hair and decided I wanted to do some kind of barrier like a faux stone wall around my yard, or at least in the front to keep the tots from running thru the props. I already have a type of "chain" fencing set up for my cemetary that is on the side (we live on a corner lot) so I bought a bunch of beige canvas, some 1X2 for stakes and my plan is to do a faux painting of bricks on it to kinda match the bricks on my house. Hopefully the illusion is a 3 foot brink wall. I went with 3 foot because I can get 18ft of "wall" out of each canvas and I figured it would be less likely to get caught by the wind. Am I insane or do you think this will work? I know I don't have much time but I work better under DEAD-lines.

when it comes to the addiction, we are all insane hehehehe "rubbing hands together"
sounds like a good idea, its all about trial and error..go for it

Yep. You're nuts. I'm pretty sure all of us here are nuts though. If we weren't kinda nutty, it wouldn't be so fun. Good luck, please post pics.

I like the concept but I have to ask how you are securing the canvas to the stakes. As in, are you really stretching 18' of canvas onto two stakes or are you breaking it down into smaller segments? I question the stability of an 18'x3' canvas with no top or bottom support. It might buckle or dip low in the middle. Also, have you stretched canvas before? It's hard enough to get it straight on a smaller set of stretcher bars, let alone a giant canvas like this.

My suggestion would be to cut the canvas into smaller segments, say 3' or 4' each, then stretch those onto a pair of 1x2s. You can do panels, so to speak, that will be sturdier and can easily be butted against each other when you install them. It would look something like this on a top view:

[]____[][]____[][]____[]etc.

With stretching onto those stakes, you would put a staple in the center of the side of one stake, then pull the canvas as tight as you can to the other stake before stapling in the center on the opposite side. Or, in plainer English, a staple on the left side of the stake, pull tight, a staple on the right side of the opposite stake. You then work up and down your stake, stretching taut, until everything is secure.

Again, I like your concept. I just don't want to see everything fall apart on the big night.

My plan was to put a stake every 4 feet and possibly reinforcing those with some rebar. I like the idea of butting smaller sections together like you suggested. It would be easier to work with smaller sections and if one was to get blown down it'd be easier to do a quick fix. Thanks for the input. If this works out I will definitely post pics.

Oh I can't wait to see pics of this. I did something similar a few years ago with stuffed paperbags. (don't ask, it was god awful ugly) I started two days before and rushed though it. I'm really interested how this works out for you.

Sounds like a cool idea to me. Good luck.

I like it cant wait to hear how it works out so I can copy that one. And yes your just like the rest of us COMPLETELY MAD

Great idea better to be safe than sorry and have a tot get hurt running threw you display.

*I'm pretty sure all of us here are nuts though*

Yeup... it takes "Nuts" to come up with cool stuff like we do :P

Sounds like a great plan.