I was starting to run low on stakes the other day and as was on the HD website I checked out the stake section. I have purchased grade stakes from the stores before when I was desperate or if I began to run out at a particular job and wanted to finish the same day. Anyway, I saw these sexy looking stakes on their site that looked just like the ones I usually get from my stake guy. Knowing from past experience that on-line items often come from different vendors than store items, I took a gamble and ordered a bundle to test that theory. Here's what was advertised...
?ÿand here's what I received...
?ÿStick with what you know and trust
I have begun using fiberglass driveway markers instead of lath to witness a monument.
They can be bought in half dozen colors online with free shipping in bundles of 20 for about $1.80 each for a 48inch pole and lath is about $0.80 each plus a 90-mile round trip to get them.
It is half to a third the cost of a tpost and works very well in metro areas plus they stand out when headlights hit them.
I drill a hole in the ground and put in a 6-inch piece of a 3/8 inch PVC that serves as a holder for the pole so they can be removed when mowing.
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I'm glad you mentioned this. I considered this idea a few months ago but it fell off the radar.
You can actually purchase these markers for less than lath when ordered in bulk.
@a-harris If you have mentioned this before on the board, I probably borrowed this idea from you. I've been using the driveway markers for about a year and a half now. Buying in bulk of 100, they run under a dollar per.
They are small and light enough to very easily carry, in one hand, enough to mark a good bit of line. In most of the soil around me, I can push them in far enough without even needing a hammer.
I had not considered the PVC holder idea for lawns that would need mowing, but I may consider stealing that good idea from you as well!!
Any time I have bought stakes from the big box stores, I always figured on loosing about 10-15% of them to breakage because they are always so knotty.