Tips for exterior decorating???

[Ironside]

Hey guys,

As I have mentioned before on the forums, I recently purchased my first home and now have been thinking about going all out with the exterior haunting!

Since I still do not take possession until Oct.1st. and am going out of town for a week or so in October, there won't be enough time to build my usual haunted house.

So for this year, I thought I would set up a huge display in my front yard and in my garage.

I've been doing a lot of thinking and had some questions that i'd thought I would post up to see what you guys think who have been haunting your front yards for years (since this is my first house, I have never had an exterior to decorate so this is all new to me).

My biggest concern is people messing with my props. I thought I would mitigate the risk by putting the most expensive props on display in the garage (so I can shut the door at night so everything is safe). That being said, I still want to do a really good job elsewhere. What kind of negative experiences have you guys had with your stuff getting messed with?

Also, what is the best method to hang/attach things to your actual house without doing any damage?

What if I want to hang props or lighting or any kind of decoration on the house itself... what are some ways of doing it so it is both sturdy, yet non-destructive???

I saw the website for Raven Manor and was BLOWN away, I wouldn't mind doing something similar to that (at least with the whole fence idea around the yard).

Look forward to hearing from you guys! Thanks!

(Here's the outside of my house by the way... i'm on a corner lot at the end of the street so I have all of the front and left side that is exposed and ready to be decorated)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v103/IronsideXT/House/IMG00100-20090528-1725.jpg

[jaege]

Thats a nice looking lawn for a cemetery.... A nice fence and gates, a few poppers, maybe a groundbreaker. A little fog rolling across the ground? That big window to the left is just begging for a fcg ghost.

[steveshauntedyard]

Yah I wish my yard was that big and I have always wanted a corner lot. Damn you! For sure a nice fence and some chilled fog. Tombstones tombstones tombstones. Monsterlist.com and Hauntproject.com have lots of how too information on yard stuff check em out. Good luck and after you do it this year you will be hooked. This will be my first year doing the yard and the garage.

[nixie]

Congratulations on your new home! I agree with jaege- fcg in that window was the first thing that came to mind! The covered front step would be a good spot for webs and spiders (I've seen some great, creepy things along those lines on this site recently) I also agree, a cemetery w/ fence is a solid foundation for nearly any prop! From there, I would just decide what your style will be, look around, see what you're drawn to, and take it from there.
To hang things from the house, we use drop ceiling lags. They are small, unobtrusive, and rated for over 100lbs. We place them where we can use them for Christmas lights as well. We just screw them into the bottom of the facia so water won't get in.
Your home is beautiful! Have fun!!

[Vlad]

I think putting the most expensive props in the garage is the best solution at the moment. It looks like a great house in probably a very god neighborhood, but you never know.

[Ironside]

Thanks for the tips so far... keep 'em comin!

I think the fence around the yard is a must, how sturdy are these things? Can you anchor them to the ground so they dont blow over or fall over as soon as someone touches them? How expensive is it to get something like that up and running?

The front window is definitely an awesome place to put SOMETHING, haven't exactly decided on what to put there. All I know if I have to make sure it isn't ridiculous looking from the inside otherwise the wife wont go for it. :googly:

I may actually have WAY too many props since i'm used to FILLING an entire basement (you've all seen the pics of my haunt).

I suppose i'll have to pick the best of my stuff for this years display.

What is the best way of displaying everything? Do you have it on pretty well all night from sundown to dawn? Or is it best to do a 7pm-10pm kinda thing and turn everything off after that?

I'm really hoping a graveyard fence will be enough to keep punk kids off my lawn and away from my props... :xbones:

[Wyatt Furr]

I do the 7pm-10pm thing.
A few things have soundtracks, so I try to keep the noise level down until the big night.

[waldiddy]

You know, your question seems to be one that comes up constantly and there's no good answer. I'm anxious to get stuff outside as soon as possible, to free up space & time for later in the month, but at the same time, the idea of losing all that hard work is depressing. So, I personally will probably just run around like a maniac on the last couple of days trying to get everything wrapped up.

Anyone tried staking heavier items directly into the ground to discourage theft? I picked up a cool angel garden statue a couple of weeks ago and I also recently built a very heavy, wood toe-pincher. I'm thinking of anchoring those items somehow.

[jaege]

QUOTE=Ironside;349290]Thanks for the tips so far... keep 'em comin!

I think the fence around the yard is a must, how sturdy are these things? Can you anchor them to the ground so they dont blow over or fall over as soon as someone touches them? How expensive is it to get something like that up and running? :xbones:[/QUOTE]


I built my fence for about 10 bucks a four foot section. 8 - 1/2 inch plastic electric conduit(85 cents each), 2 - 1 x 2 furring strips (1.15 each), 60 cents worth of 4 inch PVC for the ring decorations and finials from King Archetectural Metals that were 16 cents apeice. I hammer 2 two foot pieces of tie rod into the ground and slide the conduit "pickets over them, then attach each section to one another. It is pretty sturdy.

http://www.hauntforum.com/album.php?albumid=376&pictureid=4499[

[jaege]

waldidy,

I plan on putting a "u" ring in my lid banger toe pincher and chain the thing to a nearby tree, to make sure it doesnt walk. A thick iron rod with a ring at the top driven about three feet into the gropund would work as good as a tree. I will do the same to any other valuable props.

[Just Whisper]

There is actually a thread on here that specifically talks about problems with theft, vandalism, etc. Maybe you can get some ideas.http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=17315

On your roof, in the V between the garage and the porch... I would love to see a crouching monster like he was going to jump down onto the ToTs, just peering over the edge. To attach things to my walls outside I use the screws that we use to hold our hurricane shutters up. They are about 5" long and go into the mortar. I attach props to it using string, wire, whatever and they keep stuff from falling over. Great house. Have fun.

[Ironside]

I built my fence for about 10 bucks a four foot section. 8 - 1/2 inch plastic electric conduit(85 cents each), 2 - 1 x 2 furring strips (1.15 each), 60 cents worth of 4 inch PVC for the ring decorations and finials from King Archetectural Metals that were 16 cents apeice. I hammer 2 two foot pieces of tie rod into the ground and slide the conduit "pickets over them, then attach each section to one another. It is pretty sturdy.

That fence looks awesome!!! How do you attach each section to one another?

Is this the same finial you used on yours?
http://www.kingmetals.com/default.aspx?page=item detail&itemcode=1-34

Do you have a picture of the finished yard with the entire fence built? I think i'm going to go this route since this style looks the coolest IMO.

Is it necessary to build the big columns as well? I know it would definitely add to the look but I may not have enough time to build those this year. (by the way, is there a good how-to that shows you how to build the columns? I'd be really interested in seeing how you guys get them to look like stone with the foam and paint).

You also said you just put 2' pieces of tie rod in the ground and then sit the fence sections on top of that? Ever have problems with them blowing down or being knocked over? Do they just sit on the tie rod or do you secure them somehow?

I think I may just order a bunch of those finials for MY fence... how many do you think i'm going to need for a yard that size? I wonder if 50 will do... maybe 100 to be safe??? :googly:

Also, let me know if that was the wrong finial, I just noticed there are a bunch of different sizes... I dont want to order a batch of the wrong ones...

[nixie]

We permanently installed our fence and keep it up year round. It's made with twigs and branches so in the off-season, when plants are growing all around it, it looks rustic cottage-ish (at least that's what I tell myself) and during the Halloween season, with fading plants and props around it looks creepy. It's certainly not for everyone's tastes, but I like it. A stately iron-type fence would proably have the same duo personality. Pricey, but just a thought...
Also, we anchor in as much of our display as we can, but I worry... We set up three weeks before Halloween, and first thing every morning I look out the window with baited breath. This year, we are installing bright white floods on a motion sensor for the after hours. I'd like to install a very visable camera, but it's not in the budget this year.

[dna1990]

For the first year and a short time frame (and don't discount the move itself...as terrible as it sounds, Halloween will not be your most important project this year with such a great new home) - I suggest the following.

Get a few cheap rolls of garden picket type fencing...you just need something to make a psychological barrier to your yard. These are generally about 18" high, made of thin wood pickets connected together with wire.

Get one or two motion detector lights with big bright white bulbs. Rig these up to a extension cord and mount low in the yard to provide coverage. If you get the one with two bulb sockets, point one bulb to a window on your house. That way you might be alerted to the motion from inside. (Roaming cats and wind do set these off too)

Go easy. Don't just dump stuff in the yard in a hurry and expect your new neighbors to love it. Go smaller scale the first time and keep it well-done. Test the waters so to speak.

Save some for Fri/Sat, don't put everything out early. Leave em wanting more. I always add a few items thru the weeks, and the kids get a kick out of seeing what is new on their way to school.

Lights. Even just a few props and a house front can be made creepy with some good lighting. Have you scoped out where the street light is yet?

If you plan to leave garage door down, cover it with a tarp or simple paper. Or perhaps use it for projection of something. If using the garage itself, remember that it likely will be full of moving boxes and assorted stuff still.

Even if not animated FCG, a blacklighted RIT dyed cheesecloth ghost in that big upstairs window will be a huge hit.

[Ironside]

For the first year and a short time frame (and don't discount the move itself...as terrible as it sounds, Halloween will not be your most important project this year with such a great new home) - I suggest the following.

Get a few cheap rolls of garden picket type fencing...you just need something to make a psychological barrier to your yard. These are generally about 18" high, made of thin wood pickets connected together with wire.

Get one or two motion detector lights with big bright white bulbs. Rig these up to a extension cord and mount low in the yard to provide coverage. If you get the one with two bulb sockets, point one bulb to a window on your house. That way you might be alerted to the motion from inside. (Roaming cats and wind do set these off too)

Go easy. Don't just dump stuff in the yard in a hurry and expect your new neighbors to love it. Go smaller scale the first time and keep it well-done. Test the waters so to speak.

Save some for Fri/Sat, don't put everything out early. Leave em wanting more. I always add a few items thru the weeks, and the kids get a kick out of seeing what is new on their way to school.

Lights. Even just a few props and a house front can be made creepy with some good lighting. Have you scoped out where the street light is yet?

If you plan to leave garage door down, cover it with a tarp or simple paper. Or perhaps use it for projection of something. If using the garage itself, remember that it likely will be full of moving boxes and assorted stuff still.

Even if not animated FCG, a blacklighted RIT dyed cheesecloth ghost in that big upstairs window will be a huge hit.

I like it! Pretty good advice!

That is one of my main concerns... I'll be in the process of moving in so I don't want to rush the Halloween setup and throw a bunch of junk all over the place.

Maybe I should hold off on the fence this year and stick with my big garage display (with a few lighting effects and props around the outside of the house) then go full blown next year where I can spend a lot more time getting it all ready.

The basement in the house is unfinished so I hope to put all the moving boxes and junk down there to keep my garage free for the haunting!

This is going to be fun!!!

[jaege]

That fence looks awesome!!! How do you attach each section to one another?

Is this the same finial you used on yours?
http://www.kingmetals.com/default.aspx?page=item detail&itemcode=1-34

Do you have a picture of the finished yard with the entire fence built? I think i'm going to go this route since this style looks the coolest IMO.

Is it necessary to build the big columns as well? I know it would definitely add to the look but I may not have enough time to build those this year. (by the way, is there a good how-to that shows you how to build the columns? I'd be really interested in seeing how you guys get them to look like stone with the foam and paint).

You also said you just put 2' pieces of tie rod in the ground and then sit the fence sections on top of that? Ever have problems with them blowing down or being knocked over? Do they just sit on the tie rod or do you secure them somehow?

I think I may just order a bunch of those finials for MY fence... how many do you think i'm going to need for a yard that size? I wonder if 50 will do... maybe 100 to be safe??? :googly:

Also, let me know if that was the wrong finial, I just noticed there are a bunch of different sizes... I dont want to order a batch of the wrong ones...

Thanks, I just built the fence in the last two weekends, so I have not tried it out yet so no pics of a complete scene. Those are the finials, make sure you get the 3/4 inch ones so they fit over the 1/2 inch conduit. You will still have to file the ends of the conduit a little to square them up. Buy 100 and they are 16 cents each, thats what I did. It takes 9 finials for ech four foot of fence so just do the math. Of course the store front is about 10 miles from my house so I didnt pay shipping:jol: By the way I suggest you use PVC cement/glue to attach the finials to the plastic pipe. Holds really well.

You dont need big columns. Mine are actually only about 50 inches tall or so and about 18 x 18 inches square. I love the big columns I have seen here, but my front yard is small so they wouldnt work for me. Actually, you dont need columns at all really. Save those for next year. You will be building a lot of fence. As to "how to's", there are a load of them here. These guys know how to do columns, way way better than mine. There is some really beautiful stuff, here, or look at the ones at Moonlit Project. I love his.

I think the tie rods are 3 feet long. I just drive it into the ground about a foot, and then lower the fence over it. Two rods per fence holds it pretty well. I use a small 3 inch piece of 1 x 2 and run a screw through it and into the cross ties between the two pieces to hold each section together. Painted black you cant see it.


Feel free to ask me or anyone here questions. The fence was pretty easy to build, just a little tedious.