# Advice for DURABLE front yard decor



## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

OMG! I don't know WHAT happened but I woke up today CLEARLY bitten by the Halloween bug! :googly:

All the months leading up to today I felt tired, burnt out, not in the mood but then BAM! Just like that i'm BACK BABY!!!

Anyway, last year I skipped the full featured walk-through basement haunt that I used to do at my parents house and instead set up a haunted front yard and garage display at MY new house (moved in Oct.1st of last year)!

Well, I want to do that again this year (SO much simpler than doing the full haunted house)

Anyhoo... last year went pretty well but I kind of got thumped around with high wind and some rain. As a result, I learned REALLY quickly that most Halloween decorations JUST cant cut it when they are put outside no matter how well you nail/stake them to the lawn!

What are YOU guys doing in your front yards to withstand the weather!?

I'm thinking making LITTLE changes might go a long way... ex: instead of putting out cheapo (well, expensive, but cheaply made) styro-foam tombstones that broke in half in the high wind, I need to find something made of, say, hard plastic... or wood.

I know you can go a long way by being creative and building props, but thats out of the question for this year. I'm getting married on October 23rd, so I have NO time other than maybe throwing up some stuff from my expansive collection.

Any advice out there? :jol:

*Here's a RECAP of what I did last year:*


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Somewhere on here, someone had a link to some guy who took cheapie styrofoam drug store stones and somehow framed them (I think) so they wouldn't break or blow away. Anyone know what I'm referencing?? I need to find that link again myself, cuz my stones are in need of reinforcements..


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

As far as the stones go, I know of two options you can try.


Trace the shape of your stone onto plywood, cut out and glue this to the back of your stone, use metal conduit straps to attach PVC pipes to plywood back, place PVC over rebar pounded into ground.
Trace shape of stone onto thick 2" insulation foam sheets, cut out shape, route two 1" deep channels into foam, embed PVC pipe into channels, glue the whole lot to the back of stone, place over rebar pounded into ground.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Sound to me like time is the main problem for this year. If it were me I would consentrate on the garage interior. Its protected from the elements and its your best stuff. A few props that are weather resistant (water proof and heavy) can support the area in front of the garage. No inflates, or light weight blowmold props. If you want to, simple wooden crosses can be made and hammered into the ground for a graveyard effect. Your groundbreaker and heavy skeleton could be used there. 
Basically go smaller and better this time. I know its the desire to build bigger and better that last year, but this time a few polished gems will have to do.


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## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

Bone Dancer said:


> Sound to me like time is the main problem for this year. If it were me I would consentrate on the garage interior. Its protected from the elements and its your best stuff. A few props that are weather resistant (water proof and heavy) can support the area in front of the garage. No inflates, or light weight blowmold props. If you want to, simple wooden crosses can be made and hammered into the ground for a graveyard effect. Your groundbreaker and heavy skeleton could be used there.
> Basically go smaller and better this time. I know its the desire to build bigger and better that last year, but this time a few polished gems will have to do.


I always wondered how durable those inflatable props are. The one I have took a BEATING in the wind and rain but still held up.

They're more of a "kiddy" decoration so I wasn't TOO keen on using it (it was my parents) but I figured, I didn't have a ton of cash to spend so I might as well use what I have.

I actually kind of like them now, maybe I'll look into getting a different one (since this one, the ghost standing over the globe thing tends to blow over in high winds)

I also need to know the cheapest way to build a nice grave yard fence. I already have the little arrow-head shaped toppers (bought a couple hundred of them last year but never got around to building the actual fence)

Any ideas?


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## jaz86 (Jun 3, 2010)

For your fence I would suggest buying the bundles of surveying stakees you can get at any building store (e.g. Lowes). Top them with the spears and paint them black or if you want to get realy detailed to a rust effect


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

jaz86's idea is most likely the cheapest, but another option is to use 1/2 pvc and 1x3's for the cross pieces. The 1x3's would have to be drilled and the pvc slid through and locked in place with screws. I used this method and built them in 8ft sections with 12 inch spacing for the pvc. 
Remember, you have to move and store this stuff so I would keep the sections in the 6 to 8 foot range. And to save money on paint check out the "oops" paint. You can buy tinting or like I do just use tempar paint from the dollar store. (Exterior Latex is what your looking for).


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Jaybo said:


> As far as the stones go, I know of two options you can try.
> 
> 
> Trace the shape of your stone onto plywood, cut out and glue this to the back of your stone, use metal conduit straps to attach PVC pipes to plywood back, place PVC over rebar pounded into ground.
> Trace shape of stone onto thick 2" insulation foam sheets, cut out shape, route two 1" deep channels into foam, embed PVC pipe into channels, glue the whole lot to the back of stone, place over rebar pounded into ground.


I do something similar to Jaybo but even simpler. I have a 3/4"X12" tri-flouted drill bit that I drill a 12" hole up into the tombstone using a template. I always do this prior to doing ANY work on the stone other than rough Dimentions Just in case I "oops" with that long bit. I then use 1/2"X12" long PVC slide it in halfway, Spray Great stuff all the way around betweend the foamboard and the PVC, Slide it in the rest of the way and add more great stuff. Then I tape the PVC in place so the Great stuff won't push it out. Use 2' long Rebar for anchoring. It works FANTASTIC Especially when you use the dense pink or Blue foam. We had 50 MPH winds a few times last year and not one of my tombstones broke or blew over. Note: if you do "OOPS' with the drill bit it's usually not too bad... the Great stuff will just leak out and can be trimmed, then carved, or make a gruesome tombstone ...


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

We get really bad wind storms in Oct/Nov here so I have lost more than one prop to wind. 
My fences have never been a problem. I built mine similar as described by Bone Dancer...I used 1x2 cross pieces and 1/2" pvc. I pound rebar into the ground and insert the foot or so sticking out of the ground into my end pieces of PVC for each section of fence. My fence sections are all connected to each other by cable ties at the top and bottom. If they feel wobbly I use a small tie down with rope being careful to place it where ToTs will not trip.
My tombstones are made with 2 pieces of 1/2" pvc inserted into them and also set onto rebar for display. 
Anything tall and relatively permanent, like a mausoleum for example, is staked into the ground and probably has ropes to the stakes also.
Props that are high profile, like very tall tombstones or other similar props that I cannot stake or use ropes are brought inside during extremely high winds. I just won't risk losing any more of them. 
There are any number of ways to add weight to some props to make them more wind resistant, like using bricks or sand bags in areas not seen.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I made my fence out of 100% free old stockade fencing, but at this time of year, you shoudl be able to score LOTS of pallet wood, as many snowblower& SkiDoo shops are getting machines in & want to ditch the wood. I even found pallet wood at a landscaping company- they were pallets to hold stones & bricks. At Lowe's you can alos buy snow fencing, which is really cheapie wood stakes tied together with wire. 
Also- I dont use rebar for my fence- I use long metal fence posts that are used for wire rolls of fencing..I just lean my fence up next to it and floral wire it on. man- I wish I could post pics....


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