Styles of Wooden Fence

There are many different wood fences types to choose from. Wood fencing in the west coast is primarily western red cedar, it's natural beauty shines in the privacy fences that adorn many residences. You can also find douglas fir becoming a bit more popular because it is much less expensive than cedar. In the midwest, wood fences are often installed with pre-made fence panels. Fence installers come to your house set the posts and then place the panels. In the Pacific Northwest it is more common for the fence to be built on site because the terrain is very uneven and hilly, making it difficult to use pre-fabricated panels.

The most ubiquitous wood fence is called the estate style fence. The estate fence is built with a 2×4 as the bottom rail of the fence panel and a 2×4 as the top rail. Most often wood fences are built with 6 foot tall fence boards that are approximately 1 inch think and 4 inches wide. Most large fence builders will use posts that measure 4 1/8 inch by 4 1/8's inch. These posts are much bigger than posts you will find at Lowe's or Home Depot which commonly measure only 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches.

Experienced fence builders know that you need to set your posts in concrete between 18 and 24 inches into the ground. For the sturdiest posts you should let them cure at least 24 hours before you come back and build the fence. Setting your posts is the most important step in building your fence, if you get off line the whole fence will be crooked, so make sure to take extra care on this step!

If you're looking for a fence that is more intricate than a basic estate style fence, try looking into a modified panel fence. A modified panel fence has a 2×4 that runs on top of the fence boards to give the fence a much cleaner, more sophisticated look. In addition, there is a 1×4 and a 2×4 that run just under the top 2×4. When you finish the fence off with custom post caps, it's easy to see why this fence is extremely popular.

Styles of an Aluminum Fence

Aluminum fences are available in a wide variety of styles, designs, colors, and heights. The use of appropriately designed aluminum fences can enhance the looks of your home, pool, yard, or wherever they are used. Most aluminum fence styles come with matching gates to provide a neat, finished look.

A picket fence is a variety of fence that is used mostly for domestic boundaries. Aluminum fences have become a very popular material for picket fences.

Aluminum fences in traditional wrought iron deigns are very popular. They are available with picket points placed as the customer desires. Staggered picket points, evenly placed picket points, pointed pickets, or smooth edged pickets are the choices available to consumers. If you are not very fond of jutting picket points, there are styles that run a top rail over the pickets to enclose them. You are even given a choice of enclosed but exposed pickets or enclosed pickets with no exposed points.

On request, residential fences are manufactured using industrial grade aluminum. These can be designed according to your desires. By opting for this feature, one gets a hardy, durable, but stylish fence. Styles can be incorporated easily, as aluminum is easy to work with. Colonial styles with rounded railing over pickets are a very popular style for large fences.

Pool safety fences are generally made in no-fuss designs that make safety the primary consideration. Pool safety fences are made adhering to the regulations of minimum height required, gauge of metal, type and reliability of latch, no exposed pickets, and the like.

Features like a welded frame for extra strength, self closing gates, self latching gates, arched accent gates, and the like accentuate the looks and appeal of aluminum fences. The incorporation of such styles gives an elegant touch to aluminum fences.

What Fence Panles Do You Need?

When it comes to garden fencing using timber fence panels is a quick, convenient and affordable way to fence off your garden. Fence panels and how you use the panels can set off the best aspects of your garden or if you make a poor choice can provide disappointment every time your eye catches them.

Fence panels tend to be standard widths of approximately 6ft, so renewing fence panels at a later date is easy. Panel heights also tend to be standard going in 1ft increments from 3ft high through to 6ft high as a rule.

Fitting fence panels is straight forward, they can either be nailed to timber posts or slotted between concrete slotted posts. The only slight problem with installing fence panels is that on sloping ground the rigid panels have to be stepped down the slope so the top of the fence isn't a flowing line, more a series of steps.

If you are operating on a tight budget the cheapest option will be a lower height panel fence mounted on timber posts. The lower height will reduce your privacy and in all likelihood the timber fence posts will rot at ground level before a concrete fence post would, but you will get a serviceable fence that will give you a good many years service.

In the world of fence panels the most inexpensive variant of panel tends to be the waney edge panel. This is typically a lighter weight panel constructed with thin horizontal boards with a framed surround to the panel and a capping rail to finish off. These panels, once damaged are non to easy to repair and generally need replacing in their entirety. The sawn timber is generally dip treated.

Avoid Mistakes When Building Your Fence

Many people assume they know how to build a fence correctly because they know to place the fence posts in the ground, add rails, and add slats. The key, they believe is keeping the whole thing level. That is important, but there are little known tips that can help you build a fence that looks better and lasts longer.

Start building a fence by making holes every 8 feet for the treated posts, which are usually 4"x4"x8'. Dig two feet holes with a posthole digger. Here's the secret to ensure your posts are stable. Once the cylindrical hole is dug for the fence post, go in and dig at an angle creating a hole shaped like a ball. This will provide an anchor for the posts once it is set in concrete.

There is a danger to your fence of which few people are aware. That is the linger factor. When water runs down the face of the wood and lingers on the bottom lip it can be absorbed and rot the wood. This is the same reason why fascia boards are easily rotted and warped. Coating the top and bottom lip will prevent lingering water from ruining your fence.

A very common mistake is that people do not realize that wood does not stick to concrete. The simple solution to this problem is to paint the bottom two feet of the fence post with black roof tar. The tar will seal the posts and allow the concrete to stick to the post.

Once the posts are set and leveled give them a full day to dry. If you start nailing rails and slats to the posts before the concrete has had adequate time to set the posts will be knocked out of level.

Get Rid of Termites and Carpenter Ants on Your Fence!

Termites

Termites are another threat to the security of your fencing materials. There are several kinds of termites, each with different characteristics and behavior:

Damp wood termites. Damp wood termites are more prone to feeding from stumps and dead limbs of trees. These termites love wooded areas with a constant supply of moisture.

Subterranean termites. These are smaller in size than damp wood termites. They usually appear to be grayish-white and are around three-sixteenths of an inch long.

Dry wood termites. Dry wood termites are the kinds of termites that can cause a lot of damage to movable wooden objects like furniture, as they require no contact with soil to live. And unlike the damp wood termite, they feast on un-decayed wood with low moisture.

There are several ways to treat a termite infestation. One way to use a liquid termite treatment that kills or repels the insects. Another is to use termite baits. These work by spreading small amounts of pesticides through the worker class. Borate termite treatment is applied directly to the wood like a coat of paint. One of the best methods against the dry wood termite is to use fumigation. This is an efficient method of stopping termites that are hard to spot.

Carpenter Ants

The next biggest threat to your wood fence is the carpenter ant. These pests nest in moist wood, such as rotting trees, tree roots, stumps, and logs. Carpenter ants are known for establishing "satellite" nests away from their parent nests. These nests do not require moisture, and they can be found in insulation, doors and wood. The workers move between the satellite colony and the parent colony. In late summer, the queens and males may appear winged and emerge from the satellite colonies. They can invade structures in late winter and early spring from their satellite nests.

To keep carpenter ants from infesting, it is important to keep moisture content low. Any moisture damaged wood will have to go, or you risk a carpenter ant infestation. Firewood should be stored in a garage or shed to keep it dry and provide air circulation. Tree and shrub stumps and roots should be removed, as should low overhanging branches.

Enemies of Wooden Fences

The beauty of a well-made wood fence is quite a sight. However, if left to the rigors of nature, a beautifully built wood fence can become a haven for pests and parasites that can destroy your hard work.

The most notorious wood-destroying offenders come in the form of carpenter bees, termites and carpenter ants. These three species of insects are bent on using your wood fencing as their personal stomping grounds, and if not dealt with, they will have their way. In order to keep your wood fence safe, you will need to know how to identify these pests and protect your fence from an invasion.

Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees create nests and lay eggs in different wooden structures, especially those that have been neglected and exposed to the weather. This makes wood fencing a preferred nesting spot for carpenter bees.

Carpenter bees are fairly large. They are similar in appearance to bumblebees, but can be distinguished by their solid black abdomen, which has a greenish-purple sheen. The appearance of carpenter bees is quite intimidating, but it is important to note that the males cannot bite or sting, while females will only sting when they are handled directly.

Carpenter bees damage wood fences by boring holes deep into the wood. They do this to create breeding chambers for laying their eggs. These holes can be spotted by their size, which is about the size of a dime. One hole is not enough to cause any significant damage to your wood fence, but when it becomes more densely populated, the wood will begin to weaken and become vulnerable to damage from other pests.

In order to control an outbreak of carpenter bees, take measures to seal up any burrowed holes that you see. This can be done by using a liquid sealant to fill in the hole, and then covering the entrance with wood putty or steel wool. Pesticides can be used in cases where carpenter bee nesting is extreme.

Materials for Your Fence; What to Go With

Before starting work on your garden, it is essential to think about the material you want to use in your garden walls and fences that will best suits your requirements. Here is given a list of material mostly used in garden walls and fences.

Stone Walls

Stones used in walls are of different types and their appearance largely depends on the use and type. Dry stone walls usually don't have any mortar. These are thick towards the base and retain soil at one side for stability. In some cases a backward lean (batter) is needed for extra stability, if the wall is higher than 450 mm (18 inches).

Mortared stone walls on the other hand are relatively stronger and more stable. No backward lean is required for them. Two stone wide walls usually have a smooth face on both sides while one stone wide wall have smooth or fair face on one side. Manufactured stones are also available to build such walls.


Brick Walls

Bricks walls are also available in different styles and are always mortared. They require a considerable concrete foundation. In case your bricks are not frost resistant, engineering bricks can be used on the top of the wall or above ground level. Some sort of coping or tile creasing would be of great help. Both engineering walls and coping will give you a choice to add character to the wall. Stone and brick combination would give an attractive look to your wall.

Rendered Block Walls

Rendered block are comparatively more economical than brick. They are more prone to dampness and therefore measures should be taken to keep the dampness away from creeping into the blocks and push off rendering. Stippled finish (Tyrolean) or normal paint can be used to stain the rendered surface.