Let’s Hide the Gas Meter!
If you read my post about hiding the utility boxes, then you are aware that even though I don’t go to the West side of my front yard often (mowing and weeding aside), seeing the utility boxes and gas meter have always bugged me! Although they are painted grey and sorta blend in with the siding, I see them as an eyesore. If you haven’t had a chance to read about the Utility Box Privacy Screen, just click here and check it out!
Like with many projects, this one & the utility box one, were simply a ‘want’ to, not a ‘have’ to. But, after finishing the privacy screen, I was excited to build something to cover the gas meter!
Gas Meter Box
Since the gas meter needs easy access, I decided to make this box lightweight and only 3 sided. I didn’t have all the supplies on hand for this project like I had for the privacy screen, so the wood and lattice are new. I did buy a gallon of primer after finishing the screen to have on hand and used that on this project. I also had the screws, brads, and tools (drill, nail/brad gun, compressor, clamps) on hand. Below is the supply list.
Supplies – Gas Meter Box $19.50
- 2′ x 8′ vinyl lattice
- Two 8′ 1″ x 2″ boards
- Two 8′ 2″ x 2″ boards
- One 6′ 2″ x 3″ board
- Primer
- Paintbrush
- Twelve 1 1/4″ brass screws
- Clamps
- Saw
- Nail/brad gun & air compressor (*optional as small nails or screws could be used)
- Drill
I started this project with the lattice so I could determine just what length to cut the corner pieces (legs). I cut the lattice into three equal lengths. They are 31 1/8″ x 24″. The last time I cut lattice, I used a jigsaw, this time I used the miter saw. I was able to cut about 1/2 of it before turning it over to do the other 1/2. I did need to finagle it a bit to get to the very center of the lattice.
For this project, I decided to measure and cut the wood before painting. I think that takes longer so next time I’m working with wood, I’ll go back to painting first.
The reason I have 2″ x 2″ and also 2″ x 3″ is because the 2″ x 3″ was a scrap piece and was $1.26 🙂 I cut two 34″ pieces from both sizes. I’ll use these for the corner posts. I made them longer than the lattice so I can set them down into the rocks. For the supports, I cut six pieces the width of the lattice of the 1″ x 2″ board.
I applied two coats of primer to the wood after cutting them to length. Since this box will be outdoors, I chose not to sand the wood even though it is really rough in some spots. Once the paint dried, it was time to start the construction.
It’s still chilly here in North Idaho & our garage is not insulated, so I brought out a little space heater to help the paint dry.
I started assembling the front legs (using the 2″ x 2″ boards) by attaching a 1″ x 2″ to the top and close to where the bottom of the lattice would go with 1 1/4″ brass screws. I used a small drill bit to create a hole before drilling in the screws. Doing this helps prevent the wood from splitting.
When I was constructing the Utility Screen, I used two screws on each support. I decided to use only one screw on the supports for this project.
Once the supports had been attached to the front legs, I used one of the support boards I would be using on the side of the box to mark the position of where it would go between the front and back legs. I was offsetting the supports but you could use a Kreg to attach them flush with the legs so you could then secure the lattice on all 4 sides instead of just to the legs.
After I marked the first support, I decided to clamp the structure together before drilling the remaining spots for the screws. As you can see in the center picture below, the side supports are installed below the front supports. When all the supports were in place and secured with screws, it was time to attach the lattice.
To attach the lattice, I used brads in my nail gun. You can use small finishing nails if you don’t own a nail gun. Even though I was attaching the pieces of lattice just to the legs, they are nice and secure.
When all three sides of the lattice were installed, I covered the brads with a bit of the primer to both hide them and protect them from rusting. I tried to match the lattice on this leg since it is the one visible from the front of the yard.
After the touch-up paint was dry, I carried the box out to where the meter sits. I was surprised at how sturdy it felt and it has more weight than I had anticipated. After positioning it around the gas meter, I removed the rocks that were below each leg so the box would sit on the ground and be more stable.
As I said, this is a fairly lightweight, easy-to-move box/screen for the area around the gas meter so I didn’t need to it be beefy. If you are making one and want it more sturdy, I would suggest 4″ x 4″ posts for the corner pieces. A few months after I made this cover, the gas company replaced the meter. I could tell that they had removed it and set it back in place. I was very happy to see that my little cover didn’t prevent them from doing their job.
Finished Project
Instructions – Gas Meter Box
- Apply 2-3 coats of paint to all wood pieces
- Cut wood to desired length
- 2″ x 3″ – cut two 34″ pieces for the front legs
- 2″ x 2″ – cut two 34″ pieces for the back legs, three 34″ pieces for the cross bars
- Cut vinyl lattice into 3 equal sections
- Create structure by attaching 2″ x 2″ crossbars to the back side of the legs using screws or nails
- Attach the lattice to the front side of the legs using brads or small nails
- Set box around gas meter
If you have any questions, please let me know. Leave a COMMENT below with your thoughts on this project and let me know if you’ve done something similar — or plan to 🙂
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