Where to buy T Posts near Zebulon NC

   The major home improvement stores in Knightdale carry T Posts, But I prefer to use Tractor Supply in Knightdale. Thay have a better selection, are more knowledgable about this type of fencing, and have competitive pricing. I have found that most of thier employees live on farms or have acrage, and they are very familiar with pasture, equine, and livestock fencing. Besides T posts, they have a good selection of welded wire, equine no climb, pasture fencing, farm gates, round fence posts, and electric fencing supplies.  Stop by or give them a call and they will be happy to help you!

Thanks for reading!

Scott

Dog Fences

    With the holidays coming, we are getting more and more calls for dog fences. People want to be able to put thier dog outside, unchained, when holiday company arrives. When getting a fence for a dog, or for any purpose really, you must make sure the type of fence you want is also the type of fence you need.

    When putting up a fence to contain a dog, there are a couple things to consider. The most important thing is more than likely the kind of dog to be contained. If you have a small dog, you will need to get a fence that goes all the way to the ground and doesn’t have any gaps. If you have a large dog, or one that can jump or climb, you may need a taller fence. If you have a dog that likes to “charge” , you will need to consider this too.

    Wood is always a great way to go with dog fencing. The fence is custom built so the pickets can go all the way to the ground. Just about any height can be acheived, although most HOA’s don’t allow anything over 6′ tall and anything over 8′ tall requires a permit. The pickets can be tight or spaced to allow the dog to see out, and outsiders to see the dog. You can even put “windows” in the fence. This is a square or rectangle cut out at the dogs eye level. The cut out is framed in with wood and welded wire. This lets the dog see out of the fence, lets outsiders see the dog (for security), and still lets you get privacy from your fence.  There are many options and designs with wood!

    Chain link has always been popular with dog fencing. Heights vary from 4′ tall and go up from there! A tension wire is used at the bottom of the fence to keep the dog from pushing out. A bottom rail can be substituted for this. A top rail makes it so the dog will not pull the fence down if he or she jumps on it. Of course the chain link fabric lets the dog see out, and outsiders to see the dog. Chain link comes in a variety of colors and gauges.

   Aluminum fencing is very attractive and can be a good dog fence. If you have a small dog, you will need to get “puppy pickets”, also refered to as “pool and play”.  The pickets are closer together so a “puppy” can not squeeze between them. The puppyt pickets do tend to get expensive as twice as many pickets are used! With aluminum fencing, you have to be careful your dog does not squeeze through the pickets. The pickets do have some give to them so they will bend a certain amount. I did meet a family that had an aluminum fence and thier Border Collie had figured this out! The taller the fence, the more the aluminum pickets will bend!

     Vinyl is a popular choice in fencing. It is not my favorite for dog fencing though. Its hard to get the vinyl to go all the way to the ground for the entire run of the fence. Although you can get vinyl to go with the grade of the land, its common for there to be gaps along the bottom.  Again, it depends on the kind of dog you are trying to keep in.

    There is also split rail with welded wire, no climb fencing, and invisable dog fencing. There are many options to choose from! Carolina Custom Fences not only installs them all, but can also help you design a fence that meets your wants and your needs.

Thanks for reading!

Scott

Down Payments in Fencing

    With the fragile economy, fence companies are trying to come up with new advertising techniques to attract business. It seems that some of these companies are trying to use techniques like the politicians running for office by trying to downgrade other companies rather than promoting themselves. This usually does not bother me as I believe we provide an excellent product, excellent service, and a fair price. I focus on what we can provide for our customers, and not what other fence companies are doing.

    I received a call from a personal friend and owner of another fence company yesterday. He had just finished up with a client for a new fence and was questioned about his down payment policy. His client said that he had read on a local fence companies website that companies that ask for a down payment may be “cash poor” and a sign of financial trouble. I took this a little personal as it is Carolina Custom Fences policy (along with 90% of the other fence companies in the area) to get a down payment to help with the purchase of material. We are not cash poor. We are not in financial trouble. We have never once not delivered what our contract says, and have a list of references to back this up.

    So why do fence companies ask for a deposit? Simply to help with the cost of materials. Over the last two weeks, we have installed 8 fences. They have been a mix of aluminum, wood, and chain link.  The total cost of the materials alone for these jobs was over $25000.00. Now we are not cash poor, but on the other hand, we don’t have $25000.00 laying around either! So we ask our customers for a down payment to help with the purchase of the materials for their fence. We take care of ordering the material and delivering the material to the job site. We have never had a problem with this. For our clients that do not feel comfortable giving a down payment, we will provide a complete material list, and our client takes care of getting the material.

      Now with that being said, there are some precautions to take before giving a deposit to ANY contractor. Do   a little homework. It will not only ensure they wont run off with your money, but also give you an insight on their quality of work, promptness, handling of warranty issues, and general customer service. It doesn’t take long to do, and will help you make a wise decision  your new investment.  Here are some suggestions.

   Meet with the contractor in person before you agree to anything. See what your gut feeling is. See if you feel comfortable with them. If they don’t feel it is important enough to meet with you and talk about your wants and needs before work begins, it may raise a red flag.

Check with the Secretary of State to make sure they are a licensed business. Also check with the better business bureau. These checks can be done online and only take a couple of minutes.

Call the contractor’s insurance company. Check the status of thier account.

Call Referances!! Ride by projects the contractor has already completed if time allows. Ask the references questions as to promptness, professionalism, quality of work, warranty issues.

   To put it all together- Meet with the contractor in person. See how you feel about them. Get their references and insurance information at this meeting. See how they answer your questions. The contractor will see the area of the project to help them see what will be involved. You will get to interview the contractor to see if they are qualified to do the job! Check the Secretary of States Office and the Better Business Bureau. This can be done online. Call the contractor’s insurance office to check the status of the account. Call References!!! Put it all together and see if you feel comfortable hiring the contractor to do your job.

    Down payments in fencing is a common practice. Take the time to check up on the contractors you are considering. Put more emphasis on the legalities of the business, the quality of work, and what former customers have to say. If the company you like offers no money down, great! Its gravy on the potatoes! If they don’t offer no money down, and you have done your homework,  you will still get a beautiful fence that meets your wants and needs!

Thanks for reading!

Scott

Worker’s Comp- Its a Must!!

   For those of us that write blogs and articles, we are always thinking of new and exciting topics to write about. This topic jumped out and almost bit me- literally! It goes back to the basics of contracting- Make Sure Your Contractor is Insured!!

     I was building a small fence in Durham over the last two days. While putting up the pickets, some of the boards had to be ripped (cut length wise) in order to finish the run of the fence. As I was ripping a picket, the saw kicked back and brushed over the top of my leg. Luckily it only hit my jeans and no damage was done. I have been building fences for many years and am used to the saw kicking back. It was a close call but it didn’t really shock me. I continued to rip the board and the saw again jumped, but this time in a way I was not used to. The saw jumped out of the board and passed over my arm that that I was holding the board with. To my suprise, it did not cut me, but it it got my attention!

     I use power saws almost everyday. I follow saftey precautions and try to be careful. This just shows that accidents can happen to any of us- experianced or amatuers! If I would have been injured, I have personal insurance that would have covered the expenses. I also have worker’s comp insurance that would have covered the injury to me or any of my employees. So if I would have been hurt (or one of my employees would have been hurt), at least the medical expenses would have been paid. But what if a contractor gets hurt on your property and he is not insured? He can sue the property owner for the medical bills! Here is an example:

    You hire someone to put up a fence for you. The contractor sends out one of his crews to do the work. One of the crew members gets cut on a saw, and the cut requires a trip to the hospital. The crew member will look for the contractor (his employer) to pay the hospital bill. If the contractor is not insured, he or she will have to pay for the expenses out of pocket. This seems simple, but here is the truth of the matter. The one who goes to the hospital is responsible for paying. If he or she can not pay, and the employer is not insured and can not pay, the hospital will send the debt to collections for the person that was treated. The injured crew member now has a hospital debt that he can not pay and his employer can not pay. Since he was injured on your property, he can sue you and you may be liable for his medical expenses!

    If the contractor has a worker’s comp policy, this protects you from this happening. The worker’s comp insurance pays the medical expenses and protects you, the home owner. As I learned putting up a fence in Durham, accidents can happen! I hope I never have to send one of my crew members to the hospital. But if an accident happens and they need medical care, I know the expenses will be covered and attention can be given to the welfare of the patient and his or her family.

  Please!! Make Sure Your Contractor Is Insured!!

Thanks for reading!

Scott

Relief Efforts in Texas from Hurricane Ike

I recently returned from Texas after a months stay helping with the relief efforts from hurricane Ike. Hurricane Ike hit the texas coast causing millions of dollars in damage and leaving many homeless. Galveston was hit the hardest by the storm, but I saw many homes destroyed in both Freeport and Houston. I met and spoke with many people in campgrounds and at hotels who had lost their homes in the storm. Most of these people had all of thier belongings with them, which usually equaled a suitcase with enough cloths for a week. The hotels and campgrounds were accommodating to the victims, allowing them to bring pets and stay extended periods of time. As we have all heard of the devastation that Katrina brought, it never hit home as hard as it did speaking with the victims of a storm. To have a person sit in front of you and explain that they lost everything, literally, was very humbling.

We will keep the victims of this storm in our thoughts and prayers. Many thanks to the men and women who are still in Texas and will stay in Texas for many months, or even years, until the cities are restored. A special Thanks to Brian Murphy of Triad Restoration for sacrificing all he has at home to help in Texas and letting me be a part of his team.