Daily Fence News

I often get asked if I do custom gates.  It was a little scarey first starting out.  I had always built chain link, wood, and ranch gates, but wrought iron gates are a different breed.  There were some upfront costs involved:  mig welder (hard to weld gates with a stick welder), pipe roller, and other necessary tools.

The best thing about doing custom gates is that there are no two gates alike.  There is always a challenge to the next gate.  I have had some customers order gates that I had previously completed, but they were just as fun.

All of my gates are built with the specs below:

2" 11 gauge frame minimum

1/2"-1" 14 gauge picket minimum

Elite Power Hinges or equivalent (non grease-able, lifetime hinges)

Powder-coated your choice of color

Logos, emblems, or stars available in center of gate

1 year warranty on workmanship

Gate operators available!

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I remember in 1998 at the Fence Convention in New Orleans, vinyl was BIG!  It was the new kid on the block.  There are two main types of vinyl fence:  rail fence and privacy fence.

Vinyl rail fence can be 2, 3, or 4 rails.  This is the most economical of any vinyl fence.  A 3 rail vinyl fence can be installed for around $10-12/FT on average.  The biggest thing to look at when purchasing vinyl is the thickness of the material.  You can find low price vinyl, but it is probably paper thin.  Most rail fences are for horses (4 rail), the thickness of the material is important when it comes to keeping your livestock in.  Below is Legend's spec for Equestrian fence:


Vinyl Post and Rail Ranch Fence
Five-inch square posts help give this equestrian fence its superior strength.

Ranch 2 Rail
Height: 36" (height of post out of ground)
Length: 8' (post spacing, center to center)
Rails: 1-1/2" x 5-1/2"x 16' (2 ea, ribbed for support, .100 wall thickness)
Space: 10-1/2" (between rails)
Post size: 5" square (.150 wall thickness)

Ranch 3 Rail
Height: 54" (height of post out of ground)
Length: 8' (post spacing, center to center)
Rails: 1-1/2" x 5-1/2"x 16' (3 ea, ribbed for support, .100 wall thickness)
Space: 10-1/2" (between rails)
Post size: 5" square (.150 wall thickness)

Ranch 4 Rail
Height: 54" (height of post out of ground)
Length: 8' (post spacing, center to center)
Rails: 1-1/2" x 5-1/2"x 16' (4 ea, ribbed for support, .100 wall thickness)
Space: 6-1/2" (between rails)
Post size: 5" square (.150 wall thickness)


The privacy fence aspect of vinyl, in my opinion, really hasn't taken off yet.  It is so expensive.  Prices range from $35-50/ft installed prices for 6' privacy.  I get calls all the time for prices on vinyl privacy, and once the customer hears the price, they change their mind.  Again, there are dealers out there that sell a cheaper product, but the quality is no good.  There are many designs and colors to choose from when it comes to vinyl privacy.  So if you can afford it, you will have much to choose from.

When buying vinyl fence, check out Legend or Buff Tech.

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When I first started working for my wife's grandfather, we would load sand and gravel on the truck every morning, and then pick up sacks of portland cement on the way to the job.  We would mix the 3 ingredients in a wheel barrow on the job-site and make our own cement.

Nowadays, we use pre-bagged ready-mix in 80 pound bags.  Most will simply pour the bag in the hole, add water, and mix in the hole.  The biggest advantage to ready-mix is the time savings.  Even if mixing in a wheel barrow, we still save the time of not having to load the sand and gravel (and then unload).

There are many companies that manufacture ready mix, from TXI to Quickcrete.  TXI sells ready-mix to Mccoy's Corporation (a smaller lumber company) in Texas and Quickcrete is sold to the big chains (Home Depot and Lowe's).  I prefer the TXI, it seems to mix better.  The Quickcrete is too gravelly and doesn't set right.

Ready-mix comes in many sizes and varieties, from fast setting to anchoring cement, so be careful when purchasing and make sure you are getting the right product for your needs.

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Most people are not big fans of chain link fence.  Probably because most of the ones you see are galvanized and remind you of a prison.  But they serve a purpose, and if done right, can look quite good.  Also,  chain link now comes in a variety of vinyl coated colors, most notably black and dark green.

Residential chain link has many purposes.  Most use it to keep their dog enclosed, but yet allows it to see out beyond the fence, which some believe helps with barking.  I raise Great Dane's and Chihuahuas, and believe me, nothing helps with barking when it comes to them!  Chain link also helps keep out  larger varmints.

Fifteen years ago, chain link was an economical fence, but in today's economy we have seen the price spike upward.  Steel shortages and China are mainly to blame for the cost almost tripling in fifteen years.  A 4' chain link fence in 2000 was installed for $4.50 a linear foot (materials and labor).  Today it is installed for $12 a foot.  A 6' chain link fence is virtually the same price as a 6' privacy fence.

If you are thinking of having a chain link fence installed (residential), consider the following:

4' and 5'

11 gauge fabric
16 gauge posts and top rail

6'

11 gauge fabric
sch 20 pipe for posts and top rail

There are other gauges of posts and fabric.  I would not recommend 12.5 gauge wire and 18 gauge posts and top rail for a residential fence.  It just means everything is real light.  Also, remember post depth when installing chain link:  half the height of the fence!

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There are many products to choose from when it comes to field fence.  There's Class I, II, and III and high tensile.  High tensile (wwww.staytuff.com) is by far the best product on the market.  It is a fixed knot fence and it will not fold.  Goats can not bend this wire out like they do with class III wire.  High tensile is more expensive, but it is actually in the long run less expensive than normal field fence.  Using high tensile allows you to space your tposts farther apart (up to 20' versus 10-12' on Class III), saving half the costs on tposts.

High tensile comes in many varieties also:

Bison, cattle, elk, deer, goat, horse, hog, sheep, and dog.  Please visit their website to see the pattern and heights of each one.  (www.staytuff.com)

Below are benefits to using high tensile versus any other:

-Economical—total construction cost is less than standard net wire with barbed wire
-Save money on materials. Stay-Tuff needs half the posts required for standard field fence, and there’s no need for barbed wire
-Save money on labor costs as knots are stripped on both ends of the fence, ready to tie, saving 20-30 minutes per roll
-Resists rust & corrosion—lasts 3 to 4 times as long as standard farm fence
-Superior strength—3 times stronger than standard net wire
-Impact resistant—the fence fabric gives with pressure and does not stretch out of shape
-Won’t sag or squash with downward pressure
-Low-to-no-maintenance fence
-Multiple function designs

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The depth of your fence posts will be the single most important issue in building a fence.  It will determine how long your fence remains standing.

A simple rule is, height of fence, divided by 2.  4' fence, posts need to be 2' in the ground.  And so on.  Soil conditions determine depth of hole, but in my case, I have a Kubota tractor with a Belltec auger.  That means I can dig through 5' of solid rock, with up to 8,000 pounds of down pressure.  That far exceeds anything a Bobcat or conventional tractor and auger can do.  The bottom line is, there's a means to get the job done right.

A 6' privacy fence with posts 18" deep will blow over during the next storm.  The average customer spends over $5,000 on a privacy fence (300' backyard), take the time and ensure you're getting what you are paying for.  Not that you need to eavesdrop or spy, but ask questions.  There are a lot of fly by night, or wheel barrow and bucket guys as I call them, out there ready to pounce on your naivete.  I mean no offense by assuming your naive.  I'm simply trying to help!

This rule does not apply to ranch fence.  4' post depth minimum is needed for all 4-5' fences, and 5' depth for all game fences (wildlife).  We will get into field fence tomorrow, so stay tuned.

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When we hear wrought iron, we normally think of it has solid steel.  Today, it is considered by most to be square tubing, but the proper terminology would be ornamental iron.  The market is flooded with many choices to choose from, but there are only a few that are worth your money.

Ameristar (www.ameristarfence.com) in my opinion is on top of the mountain.  They have numerous model lines to choose from,  offering steel and aluminum products.  All of their products are a bracket and bolt install, no welding.  The most affordable is the "Montage" line, which comes in residential and commercial grades.  It offers a 20 year warranty on the powdercoat.  That is unbeaten!  I have personally been in their plant in Tulsa, Ok.  It was quite a site to see.  Here is their product line:

Residential Fencing

Montage Plus
Montage Plus Pool, Pet, and Play
Montage
Montage Pool, Pet, and Play
Echelon Plus
Echelon Plus Puppy Panel
Echelon

Commercial Fencing

Montage Commercial
Montage Plus
Aegis Plus
Echelon Plus
WireWorks Plus

Industrial Fencing

Montage II
Montage Industrial
Aegis II
Echelon II

High Security Fencing

Impasse II
Impasse II Anti-Scale
WireWorks Anti-Climb
Montage II
Aegis II
Matrix
Delta Force
Stalwart IS
Stalwart II
Stalwart Plus
Stalwart

Merchants Metals, one of my fence distributors, has their own product line of ornamental iron that is pretty good as well.  If you're looking for aluminum, Alumi-Guard out of Florida has a good product. 

If cost is the biggest issue, then the Chinese product is for you.  It is inexpensive and powdercoated, but you are getting what you pay for, an inferior product.  It is generally about $8-10 cheaper per foot.  Be ready to maintain it in a few years.

Ornamental iron prices will vary based on linear footage and the product you choose.  A general number for 6', 3 rail (2 rails at top and 1 at bottom) residential would be between $25-35/ft.  Are you thinking it can be built and painted for less?  No, it can not.  Custom ornamental fence would start at $50/ft.

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Children's, as well as people's safety should be your biggest concern when purchasing a gate operator.  Slide gates are far more dangerous than swing gates, but both have the ability to kill a child or person. All your gate operator components should be UL 325 compliant.

   
Understanding the New UL 325 Standard

The new UL 325 standard is a safety standard for door, drapery, gate, louver, and window operators and systems. Specifically, it applies to electric operators for doors, draperies, gates, louvers, windows and other opening and closing appliances rated 600 volts or less.

This new standard is the result of industry leaders working with Underwriters Laboratories (UL), with the common objective of providing products that are safe for the general public, as well as for preventing fire and electrical hazards.

The UL 325 standard allows all applicable products to be tested at a nationally recognized testing laboratory. The new standard also:
Contains the basic qualifying factors with which products must comply in order to be documented (listed) and marked (labeled) under the requirements of the UL 325 voluntary listing and labeling program.
Pertains to methods for testing products for safety.
Cover installation of products under the requirements of the National Electrical Code.
Address fire and electrical safety, as well as safety of the public.
The new UL 325 standard went into effect March of 2000.  This web site will begin to explain Ul325 and how this standard will affect you.

Why UL 325 Should Concern You

All parties in the door, drapery, gate, louver, and window operator and systems industries should be aware of the new UL 325 standard in order to provide the highest safety and liability prevention available for these systems. These parties include the manufacturer, designer, specifier, dealer, installer, technician, and end user-all of whom are responsible for the safety of these systems. The new standards affect how the systems are specified, installed, serviced, and used. Compliance by all parties will provide maximum safety.

Here are some gate operator components that will ensure your gate is SAFE:

1) Miller Edges (www.milleredge.com)                                                               
- Stops entrapment between gate edge and hinge or latch post.  Best form of safety for children or people at latch point.

2) EMX or OMRON Photo Eyes
- photo eyes offer safety across one side or both sides of the gate, but not the   track of the gate.   These are mainly used for car safety when the gate is in the open position.  If something is breaking the photo beam, the gate will not close until the beam is re-established.  On a slide gate application, a photo eye cannot stop the gate from closing if a child or person is sitting at the latch post in the middle of the track.

3) Safety Loops
- Safety loops are loops installed in the driveway so when a vehicle passes over it, it will keep the gate form closing, or it will re-open the gate if it is closing.  Safety loops can be installed on both sides of the gate and are critical in slide gate applications

4) Siren
- all operators come with a siren, ask your installer to make it operational.  The sound may be annoying, but it could save someone's life.


Swing gates are just as deadly as slide gates even though death rates are less in swing gates.  Pinch points are the biggest consideration in swing gates.  Make sure the gate does not open up to obstructions, someone could get crushed or suffocate.  The latch point is the critical area.  An edge and a photo eye on the outside of the gate is the only way to ensure someone cannot be trapped at the latch post, wall, building, etc..

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As a fence contractor, I am not a big fan of wood fences, especially privacy fences.  Wood over time warps, rots, and fades.  There is one type of wood fence that I do like.  The Board on Board fence.  Check out my Fences page, second row of photos, far right.

A board on board fence offers complete privacy (no gaps, no shrinkage).  It is trimmed out with 2x6 cap and 1x2 trim for a more finished look.  It is better installed on 2.5" sch 40 posts and 3 rails (2x4's).  A normal privacy fence with have small gaps between the pickets, even a shadowbox fence can be seen through at an angle. 

Board on board fences are predominantly in the Dallas area.  I did a large one in the Preston Rd and Royal Ln area.  It was 8' tall on one end and 13' tall on the other.  It was all on a radius as well.  I have a picture of it on my site as well.  These fences will last longer than normal privacy fences.  The price is about $5 more per running foot, but 6 months after you install it, you won't regret it.  Especially after you look at your neighbors fence and it has shrunk and warped.

Update:

Good question David.  I do them in all the areas I cover, but most people don't know what it is, or haven't seen it.  You don't see them everywhere.  As I pass this information on to customers, hopefully they will be more noticeable and not just a Dallas thing.  Thanks you for your comment, keep them coming.

Mr. Moore, thank you for your comment!  I should have been clear that cedar is less apt to bow or warp than treated lumber.  We saw in your fence, the result of an all treated wood fence (WARPING!).  I think we saved it and it should last you a long time to come.

When shopping privacy fences, compare apples to apples.  Make sure you know exactly what material each contractor is using.  Make them provide you the specs.  Chinese cedar looks like cedar, but it is over half the cost of true cedar ($1.50 per picket vs $3.00 for true cedar). You may be paying $18 per foot for a 6' cedar privacy fence with three rails and a cedar picket, but your picket may be from China.  The $18 per foot fence should have been $15 per foot.  If you have a 500' fence, that's $1,500 just taken out of your pocket.  It will be to your advantage to see all estimates showing the specs so you can make the right decision for YOUR money. 

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