Staining Pressure treated wood fencing

Although I was going to include this blog later in the series, I have gotten many inquires about staining pressure treated wood. It seems the main questions are how long to wait to stain a new fence, what product to use, and how to apply it.

The length of time to wait to stain or seal a new fence depends on the material used to construct the fence. Most fences in the Raleigh area are built with pressure treated southern yellow pine. But the thickness of the picket and how dry it is plays a factor in the proper time to stain. The most common picket used in this area is a 5/8″ thick picket. This picket always seems to be very dry when purchased. Due to this picket being fairly thin, the sun tends to warp and split this picket type. This picket can be stained as soon as it is put up. As a matter of fact, the sooner the better! A 3/4″ picket tends to stand up to the sun better. It can warp and split, but is less likely to due so then the 5/8″ board. It is not completely dry when purchased, and needs to weather for 3-4 weeks before being stained. Then there is deck board, or 5/4″ board, which is a full 1″ thick. This board is very hearty and is wet when purchased. This type of picket needs to weather for 4-6 months before staining!

We do not recommend a specific product to use when staining a fence, but it does need to have a few things in it. Of course, it needs to be an outdoor stain. It also needs to have a water sealer and  UV protection in it. The water sealer keeps the water from getting in the wood and splitting it. The UV protection helps protect from the harmful rays from the sun that warp and split wood as well. A color, tint, or clear application will do fine as long as it has these items in it.

Application can be done by a brush, roller, or sprayer. We recommend a pump sprayer that can be bout at the home improvement store for about $30.00. Be careful not to spray bushes or flowers as it can damage or kill them.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment with any topics you would like to see a blog on!

Wooden Fences- Post Spacing

Setting the fence posts is an important step in fence construction. After all, it is the foundation of the fence. Just like a house, if you have a weak foundation, the structure on top will be weak as well. The same holds true for fences. Once a post is set in the ground, it takes alot of work to pull it out. Take the time to lay out the placement of the posts carefully. Here are some tips on spacing posts.

The first thing you want to do is locate underground utilities. This takes a call to the NC One Call Center. They will come out and mark the underground utilities free of charge. Once the utilities have been located, You will need a few things. Get some grade stakes and mason sting from your local home improvement store. It will also be helpful to get a can of marking spray paint (the kind that sprays upside down). You will also need a level, a hammer or mallet, post hole diggers or an auger, cement, a wheel barrow, and a shovel.

The first step is to find the property lines. It is best to find the iron pipe in the ground set by a survey company. If the fence is going to be close to the property line, tie one end of the mason’s string to the property marker. stretch the string to the other property marker. Pull the string tight and make sure it is not hung up on shrubs or grass. This will show you your property line. You will want to construct your fence so nothing below ground or above ground is off your property. Next, Drive a grade stake in the ground with a hammer or mallet at the locations of your corner and end posts. Run the mason’s string from grade stake to grade stake, making one continuous line.  Once you are done, the mason’s line will show you the layout of your fence.  Now its time to determine post spacing.

Post spacing is the distance between fence posts, commonly measured from center to center. It is our recommendation not to place fence posts more than 8′ apart on center. To make the fence have a uniform appearance, heres a trick. Measure one run of the fence, from corner post to corner post. Try to find a number between 7 and 8 (yes, it will be decimals!) that goes into the measurement equally. That will be your post spacing. Here is an example. Lets say the back run of your fence is 115′ long. You want to find a number that is between 7 and 8 that goes into 115 as equally as possible. In this case 7.65 goes into 115 15.03 times. Pretty even! If you set your posts 7.65′ apart on center, you will have even post spacing throughout the run. If you took this same measurement and set your posts 8′ apart, the last section of fencing would be about 2 1/2′ long. This could look awkward! Starting at the corner post, make a mark with spray paint on the ground every 7.65′. All of the sections will then be even. Repeat this for all the fence runs. Don’t worry if the measurements are different. Some may be 7.8′ and others may be 7.3′ apart. Once the fence is finished, you will never see the difference!

The next step is to dig holes and set the posts! Please check back soon to read this blog as well!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment with any questions, comments, or a blog you would like to see written. You can always contact me directly through our website: www.CarolinaCustomFence.com

Wooden Fences- Pressure treated retention ratings

When constructing a wooden fence, it is important to use a lumber that is rated properly for its use. When using southern yellow pine, the common wood in the Raleigh/Durham area, it is crucial that it is not only pressure treated, but also rated properly. This is referred to as the retention rating. The retention rating, simply put, is the amount of chemical the lumber retains after it is pressure treated. Lumber that is rated for ground contact has a retention rating of .40. Lumber that is rated for above ground use has a retention rating of .25, and marine lumber, lumber used at the coast and in boat areanas, has a retention rating of 2.0!

When purchasing fence posts, make sure they are rated for ground contact. Most 4×4 and 6×6 posts are rated for ground contact.  If the lumber is not rated for ground contact, the wood will decay when placed in the ground resulting in a fence with a short life. Although landscape timbers are less expensive than 4×4 posts, most landscape timbers are not rated for ground contact. You can read the back of the tag on the lumber and it will tell you the retention rating. The retention rating for in ground posts is very important for a long lasting fence. With that being said, there is no reason for overkill. Buying marine grade lumber with a 2.0 retention rating for a normal fence will not improve the life of the fence. It will only cost you more money and you will get the same results!

Pickets and runners also need to be pressure treated, but not at the same retention rating since they do not contact the ground. A retention rating of .25 is the common rating for this lumber. This rating protects the lumber from rain, washing the fence, and the normal elements, except for the sun. It is good practice to place pickets 1″ off the ground to allow for water drainage and to avoid constant ground contact. You can place pickets directly on the ground, but you may see swelling and splitting at the bottom of the picket over time due to constant ground contact. This also depends on the yard and area the fence is being installed on. If the fence is in an area of the yard where rain water drains, or the yard is naturally damp, the pickets will deteriorate more quickly if placed directly on the ground. This is a good subject to discuss with your fence contractor.

One element I have found to be a constant problem for wooden fencing is the sun. The extreme heat and exposure causes lumber to warp, bow, split, and grey. One way to protect form the sun is to stain the fence. You can use a clear stain or a colored stain. Either way, make sure the stain contains a UV protectant and a water sealer. Most stains can be applied with a pump sprayer and the job is fairly easy. Carolina Custom Fences does offer this service, but it is a job that can be easily accomplished by a home owner with a few hours to spare!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment with any questions or topics you would like to see!

Scott

Wooden Fencing- Wood types

Once you have decided you want a wooden fence, you need to decide what type of wood you would like to use. The common wood in the Raleigh Durham area is pressure treated southern yellow pine. It is available at all lumber yards including home improvement stores. Southern yellow pine is used for privacy fences, picket fences, post and rail fences, 2 and 3 rail fences, and more. Although this is the common material used, there are other lumbers available. Cedar is a popular choice for post and rail fencing. The cedar is slightly more expensive in this application, but has some good features to mention. Cedar post and rail fencing has a more rugged look than southern yellow pine. The rails are all different as it is not milled through a saw. Cedar also has natural oils that resist the elements, similar to pressure treated lumber. It will gray over time if a uv protective sealant is not applied. Cedar can also be used in privacy fencing. It comes in regular pickets and a tounge and groove. Cedar privacy fencing is expensive! Another option in wood type is bamboo. It seems to be a growing tend and accents pools and tropical gardens well. Bamboo is considered “going green”, as it too has natural properties that resist the elements and is not treated with chemicals.

When it comes to southern yellow pine, it comes in different colors, so to say. It depends on the chemical used to treat it. Traditional pressure treated lumber is a brownish green color. Most decks are built out of this lumber. This types of lumber is treated with arsenic. Although tests have shown it does not leak enough of the chemical in the ground to be harmful to humans, it is not reommended for use near live stock drinking water, or a human drinking supply. Using this lumber on a property that has city water or even well water is considered safe. Another option is the bright pressure treated lumber. It has a much lighter appearance and almost looks as if it is not pressure treated. The lighter appearance is from what it is treated with. The bright pressure treated lumber is treated with copper. Both materials can easily be bought from local home improvement stores and lumber yards. The pressure treating qualities and life of the lumber are the same. We have installed both types and have found that the design of the fence plays a major role in the color of the wood used. If you would like your fence to blend in with the woods and have a more subtle effect, the traditional pressure treated lumber is a good choice. If you want your fence to stand out, the bright pressure treated lumber is a good choice.

For people in the Raleigh/Durham area, we try to keep a sample of both with us when we come out to do an estimate or consultation. If you are not in this area or want to do the research on your own, its easy to do. Home Depot carries bright pressure treated lumber, Lowes carries traditional. One more thing- Never burn pressure treated lumber! The chemicals are not healthy to breath! Dispose of it in land fills where pressure treated lumber is accepted!

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment with any suggestions on articles you would like to see!

Scott

Wooden Fences- Overview

One of the most popular choices in fencing is wooden fencing. It comes in many styles, shapes, sizes, is durable, and is economical. A wooden fence can be designed and built to accomplish almost any fencing need, and the choices in the look of the finished product are almost endless!

This is the first blog in a series about wooden fences. The series will cover everything from picking the proper wood, the proper pressure treating rating, different ways to set posts, materials used to make runners, and what runners are, different picket options, thicknesses, finishes, and colors, proper gate construction, post finales, different fence looks such as arched, scalloped, picture frame, fence maintenance, and more.

Wooden fencing has always been a favorite of mine to install. This comes simply because of the different looks and styles of wooden fencing. Its always exciting to start off with some 4×4 posts, 2×4’s, and a bunch of pickets and have a masterpiece unfold right before your eyes! I am looking foward to writing this series and hope you enjoy the articles I post!

Thanks for looking! Hope you check back soon!

Scott

Fence Styles and Design

Fence style and design is an important part of planning your fence. Since your new fence will be a part of your home for a long time to come, picking a fence style you like and a design that meets your needs should be done before fence construction starts. I enjoy working with our clients in this area due to so many different options. Lets start with fence styles.

Fence styles relate to the material used and the look of the material used. Most fences are constructed of wood, vinyl, chain link, or aluminum. With each of these materials, there are almost endless possibilities of what the end product will look like. Take wood for example. Not only do you have different woods to choose from, you can also arch the top, scallop the top ( the arch goes down), dog ear, flat top, or a picture frame, just to name few. You can also choose different picket styles, widths, heights, thicknesses, and spacings. You can choose from flat top posts, french gothic posts, 4×4 or 6×6 posts, hidden posts, exposed posts, the combinations go on and on! Vinyl fencing comes in many styles as well. From privacy to garden fences, flat tops or lattice tops. Vinyl also comes in a variety of colors and textures! Chain link fencing now comes in colors also. The chain link is coated with vinyl to extend the life of the fence and to make it more attractive. Aluminum fencing, also know as ornamental fencing, also comes in a variety of styles, colors, and heights. Take your time and llok at the different fences styles and types and put together the fence you have dreamed of. I’ll post more in the future on the highlights of each fence style, but for now know you have many different options  to choose from. You can also visit our website to see pictures of the different fence styles and types at www.carolinacustomfence.com.

Fence design goes hand in hand with with fence style. Fence design refers to the function of the fence, and the fence placement on the property. For example, if you need a fence for a pool, you will want to design a fence that meets pool code. You will also need to decide if it defines the pool area only, or the entire yard or property. Another example, and a popular reason to get a fence, is animal containment. If you have a small dog, you will need to design a fence he or she can not get out of. An aluminum fence with standard spaced pickets may let the dog squeeze through. A vinyl fence with a steep graded yard may leave gaps in the bottom as it steps down and the dog can go underneath. Make sure you talk with your contractor to be sure the fence you want will fit your needs.

When it comes to fence styles and design, do your homework. Look at pictures online. Visit the manufacturers websites. Discuss your wants, needs, and concerns with your contractor. Ask them for suggestions. Once your fence is complete, you will be happy you took the extra effort!

To see pictures of Fence Designs, please visit www.carolinacustomfence.com/fencephotoalbum. This page is updated regularly.

We are always happy to work with our clients. We offer free onsite consultations in the Triangle area.

Please feel free to visit our manufactures web sites

www.onlinefence.com (Master Halco)  www.onguardfencesystems.com (Aluminum)

www.certainteed.com (Vinyl)