Marking property lines

[Mark]

The thread on bad neighbors has reminded me that my paint lines are in really bad shape. I plan darken them this winter and even add some around the entire perimeter.

Does anyone have any suggestions to make the process quick and easy. The spray cans are expensive and I was considering buying the paint by the gallon and using a cheap pressurized sprayer to mark the trees. Has anyone tried this? I suspect I may have to thin the paint for it to work well, and I'm okay with pitching the sprayer when done if needed.

What does everyone else do? I would love to hear.

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[bueller]

It may not be practical in some situations but I'm a big fan of spacing out posts along the line and running a single strand wire. It's not going to stop livestock, humans, or wild game from moving about but it clearly and permanently marks the line. Posts with signs and no wire works too but it's less visible and requires more maintenance.

 

[Bill]

I tried a sprayer once with paint by the gallon. I couldn't get it to flow through the sprayer tip. I didn't try to drill the orifice larger so that might work. In the end I used a brush. Spray cans don't seemed make a dark enough spot on trees for me.

I like the single strand of wire idea but thats a lot of work.

 

[Mark]

I do like the wire idea, but that sounds like more money and work than I'm willing to do this year. I would keep it in mind for the future though.

I do need to get it done this year as next I may not be able to see the existing line and wouldn't want to guess about where to make the marks.

Bill, by chance did you try using a paint thinner to see if it would spray then?

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[bueller]

Mark, I've read the label of some paint products that instruct to mix in a pint of mineral spirits per gallon of paint for sprayer application.

 

[Boll Weevil]

You might take a look at forestry marking guns. We use them for marking timber before a harvest and while you might have to fiddle with the nozzle and viscosity of your paint a bit, might be able to shoot the right size swath to meet your needs. You can fly right along if everything's operating correctly.

 

[JFK52]

I put in both metal and plastic poles to mark my property lines. The top parts get painted blaze orange or red. I space them out at intervals of about 50 yards. You can see one post from the next one in line. The paint has to be reapplied every 5-6 years or so to keep it visible. Corners were marked by the surveyors with round monuments and a large yellow post marks a spot where 4 40 acre pieces meet.
I have found that old surveys were inaccurate due to the limits of the technology at the time. My neighbor picked up 20 feet of land that she thought was mine when my survey was completed. Fence lines tended to be estimates of the boundaries. That is why a lot of unsurveyed properties are marketed as 40 acres MOL, (more or less).

 

[Big Snow Man]

After surveying I placed about 5 4x4 a long each 40 and painted the back side blaze orange and the front side has a no trespassing sign attached. The back is orange so anyone on my land won't wonder off my property. In between the 4x4 I have T posts painted orange. I add hardener to the paint so it's not really a mess to use. With all this you know my boundaries with a glance. Nobody wonders onto my property anymore.

 

[loshonhora]

if you want to go with paint, get any inexpensive latex paint in the color of your choice from home depot/lowe's/menards. buy a 5 gallon bucket with a roller grid and a 4" roller handle with a 3/4"nap, 4" long roller sleeve. easy to carry and roll onto trees. run low on paint? dump in another gallon. it'll put a nice, thick coat of paint on.

 

[John-W-WI]

Here's what I've used. Hard to argue with these installed:

http://store.ranchmate.com/collections/3d-posted-signs/products/no-hunting-3d-post-sign

-John

 

[Tree Spud]

I have used 5' metal fence stakes with 7-8' white PVC pipe slipped over the top to mark corners & lines.

You wrap with some blaze orange duct tape. Very visible in marsh, tall grass, or the woods and long lasting.

 

[H20fwler]

I'm not trying to mark as big an area as you are but I post the corners and all entry spots with metal "No Trespassing" signs attached to 1"X10"x12" pine board that I screw into 1 1/2" pine posts about five feet tall. I also put up cable gates at any turn in to the property with a sign hanging in the middle and two concrete cinder blocks on ground.
I have seen some nice hard orange plastic slide over posted markers to put on T posts at Menards.

When we run snow geese down south we see a lot of the purple posts...wish we would go to that system up here.

 

[wbpdeer]

I like a 6 inch roller, five gallon bucket with a grid and traffic paint in blue. Put on the worst pair of wholly pants you have and toss them when done.

I like to keep the paint marks within sight of each other. In other words, if I am looking at blue paint on one tree means I can see blue paint on the tree to the left and the one to the right.

This type of marked boundary last a long time IMO.

Good luck to you.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I agree with JFK52 at post#8. Old marks are unreliable and many times not correct. My camp's deed said 175 acres " more or less " before I arranged to have it surveyed. We have 218 acres !! The old deed said " from an oak tree, so many rods to a stone pile " ........ etc. Trees die or get cut down, old technology had it's limits, " meets and bounds " method of marking boundaries is rough at best. If in doubt, get your property surveyed first. Then mark / and add markers when the surveyor marks your corners. Rolled paint works real well on trees and lasts for about 10 years or so.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I would recommend light blue paint. Some of us are color blind, and red, or faded orange doesnt show very well. Light blue seems to be the best with my color blindness. I also like have little marker ribbons on tree branches, because the movement of the ribbon seems to help as well.