wood fences

How to Stain a Wood Fence Arbor or Pergola

admin · November 26, 2012 ·

Pergola_in_Cloisters_Pocket_Park_-_geograph.org.uk_-_823464

Pergola by Ruth Thomas via Wikimedia Commons

An arbor or pergola is a common feature found in many gardens. These consist of wooden fences and arcs where vines are allowed to creep and grow. A fully-vined arbor or pergola forming into a long, stretched tunnel will offer welcome shade and privacy.

In order to protect your wooden arbor or pergola, you should stain the wood, not paint it. This will highlight the natural beauty of the wood. We recommend Baker’s Gray-Away products to stain your wood, using the following steps as guide:

Curing, cleaning, and preparation

New wood needs to cure, or weather, before stain is added. There are four different wood conditions that require specific cleaning, curing, and preparation before staining is done: new and untreated, new and pressure-treated, old and withered, and previously-stained wood.

The recommended weathering period for new and untreated wood is 4 to 6 weeks, while for new and pressure-treated wood, a period of 1 year is needed. Old and withered or previously-stained wood don’t need any curing since they have already been subjected to plenty of weathering.

You can clean new or old unstained wood by using either a percarbonate wood cleaner or sodium hydroxide, with cleaning pressure not exceeding 1500 psi. If you don’t have either of these cleaning agents, you may use a water and household bleach mixture at a ratio of 1:2. Make sure you wear the right protective clothing, because some of these chemicals are hazardous.

For previously-stained wood, you need to strip previous stains and sealers by using a wood stripper. Make sure you test whatever stripper you use on a small, unobtrusive section of your wood before cleaning it, to prevent discoloration and damage of your fence.

After cleaning, you must prepare your wood for staining by restoring its pH. Use acidic wood brightener for this purpose on any wood condition. The table below will serve as a useful guide for determining the curing, cleaning, and preparation requirement for your wood condition.

Wood Condition	Weathering Period	Cleaning Agent	Cleaning Pressure	pH Balancer
New, untreated	4-6 weeks	Percarbonate or Sodium Hydroxide	1500 psi max	Acidic Brightener
Pressure-treated	1 year	Percarbonate or Sodium Hydroxide	1500 psi max	Acidic Brightener
Old, withered	NA	Percarbonate or Sodium Hydroxide	1500 psi max	Acidic Brightener
Previously-stained	NA	Sodium Hydroxide Wood Stripper	NA	Acidic Brightener

Properly mix stain and sealer products

Before applying the stain and sealer on wood, make sure that you properly mix it before using. Proper mixing will ensure that the stain and sealer will give maximum protection to your wood products and ensure good coloration.

Wood coating

Always apply 2 coats to the wood for the best results. You may use sprayer, brush, or rollers when applying wood stain. Apply a heavily-saturated first coat on the wood and allow the stain to penetrate until only a few or no wet areas are visible. Then apply a lighter second coat. Make sure that the second coating covers the entire surface of the wood. Then leave the wood untouched, allowing it to dry for 48 hours.

Keep the following in mind when staining and sealing your wood:

When using a sprayer, make sure that the pressure does not exceed 1500 psi.
When using a brush or roller, always work with the grain of the wood.
Don’t allow long periods of time between coats. An average of 15 to 30 minutes and a maximum of 1 hour is the recommended time interval. Make sure you keep this in mind, especially if you’re using a brush or rollers, because these take longer to cover everything.
For less absorbent wood (e.g. cedar), you need to wipe off excess stain after allowing the second coat to seep into the wood for 15 minutes.
Don’t leave puddles, since they will reduce the quality of the coating. Coat out these puddles using a brush.

After you’ve followed these steps, sit back and wait for your vines to cover your arbor/pergola, and enjoy the beauty it gives your property.

How Long Should a Wood Fence Last

admin · November 26, 2012 ·

When you’re planning on installing a new wood fence, make sure you think about how long it’s going to last. This mainly has to do with how long the wood that you’ve chosen is going to last, and how soon or long it’s going to be before the wood needs to be replaced.

Natural life of wood

The first thing you should know in estimating the life of your fence is the natural life of your wood. The most commonly used wood types for fences are cedar, spruce, and pine. Depending on the species, cedar may last for about 15-30 years, spruce may last for about 4-7 years, and pine may last for about 5-12 years.

Life of treated wood

Most treatment companies claim that when treated, most lumber will last more than 20 years. This holds true for pine and spruce, while cedar may last up to 40 years. Whatever money you spend on buying treated wood, you will more than make up for it in the long run.

Installation considerations

The biggest culprit when it comes to premature aging of fences is moisture. Be sure none of your fence panels or pickets touch the ground, where it will be in regular contact with a lot of moisture. But what about your posts? A fence is only as strong as its weakest link, and ground that is high in moisture reduces the life of a post by up to 3 years. Make sure your posts are stained or treated before you install them, and make sure you provide a concrete or gravel filler for your post holes to keep out moisture.

Maintenance

To get the maximum life out of your fence, you must regularly maintain it. Not maintaining a fence will take years off of its life. Make sure you stain and paint your fence, and reapply the stain every 2 years, or the paint every 4 years.

Now after you have considered all the factors listed above, take a look at the charts below to see how much proper installation and maintenance will make on your fence. The table below will show you how long your wood fence should last.

Cedar

	Untreated				Treated
Timber life (years)	15 – 30				25 – 40
Is your fence properly installed?	Yes +0		No -3		Yes +0		No -3
Is your fence properly maintained?	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0
Minimum estimated life (years)	17	13	12	12	27	23	22	22
Maximum estimated life (years)	32	28	27	27	42	38	37	37

Spruce

	Untreated				Treated
Timber life (years)	4 – 7				20
Is your fence properly installed?	Yes +0		No -3		Yes +0		No -3
Is your fence properly maintained?	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0
Minimum estimated life (years)	6	2	1	1	22	18	17	17
Maximum estimated life (years)	9	5	4	4	22	18	17	17

Pine

	Untreated				Treated
Timber life (years)	5 – 12				20
Is your fence properly installed?	Yes +0		No -3		Yes +0		No -3
Is your fence properly maintained?	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0	Yes +2	No -2	Yes +0	No +0
Minimum estimated life (years)	7	3	2	2	22	18	17	17
Maximum estimated life (years)	14	10	9	9	22	18	17	17

How to Pick the Perfect Wood Fence

admin · November 26, 2012 ·

Are you scratching your head over the many options and styles available for a new wood fence? Don’t worry, Fence Supply Inc. is here to help. We are just a phone call away and we will be happy to help you through this process. All we need is your measurements for your fence project to help you estimate what and how many materials you need. See our article Measuring For My Fence Project. This information is very important to give you an accurate estimate for materials.

Choosing a great Wooden Privacy Fence can be a very straightforward process. In fact, the process should begin with a simple question of how long you would like the wooden fence to last. The cost of a new wooden fence is important, but this should not be the deciding factor. Longevity and functionality is a much better fence decision maker.

Your first step is to pick one of the four types or species of wood.

Wood type or species	Traditional Cedar	Cedar	Treated Pine	Spruce/Pine
Longevity	20 – 25 Years	20 – 25 Years	15-17 Years	9 – 12 Years
Grade Options	Clear, #1, #2	#2 BTR	#2	Premium
Thickness	21/32”	21/32”	23/32”	5/8”
Environmental friendliness	10+	10+	10	10

Cedar Fence Options

Western Red Cedar has natural durability and exceptional beauty that bring warmth, character and longevity to your fence project. Western Red Cedar is great for both residential and commercial projects. Whether you choose a #1 grade, with small, tight knots, or the Cadillac of cedar grades, clear, Western Red Cedar offers virtually unlimited versatility and design flexibility.

Western Red Cedar is a truly sustainable fencing material. It has the lowest environmental impact when compared with other fence materials such as brick and stone. Go Green with Cedar.

Western Red Cedar is one of the world’s most durable woods. Natural resistance to moisture, decay and insect damage has long made Western Red Cedar the premier choice for either privacy or decorative fence projects. Fibers in cedar heartwood contain natural preservatives that are toxic to decay-causing fungi.

Western Red Cedar Fence Alternatives

Fence Supply Inc strives to help customers stretch their fence dollars as far as possible. We offer some great alternatives to western red cedar that last almost as long. Currently we offer two such products: Everwood and Aromatic Cedar. These are cousins of western red cedar and offer almost the same longevity and durability, at less of a cost.

Note: most companies will sell you these products and call them western red cedar. Fence Supply Inc. will not do this. We always want our customer to understand the product they are receiving. Come in and check out these two varieties yourself to see the difference.

If you are offered a “cedar product” from another company, and the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Ask lots of questions, and come in to Fence Supply Inc., where you will be sure to get honest answers.

Treated Pine Wood Fencing

Treated pine is a great product as an alternative to Western Red Cedar. It is more cost effective than cedar and has a good, long lifespan.

All of our treated pine is treated with MicroPro® technology, a revolutionary way to pressure treat wood for decks, fences, landscaping and general construction uses. MicroPro® pressure treated wood is treated with micronized copper preservatives, which help protect against termite damage and fungal decay. MicroPro® offers many benefits including significantly improved corrosion performance. MicroPro®-treated wood products are U.S. building code compliant.

Osmose MicroPro® technology is the first treated wood process to be certified under Scientific Certification Systems Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) program based on Life-Cycle Assessment.

Read more on how this treatment is revolutionary: Information About MicroPro^® Micronized Copper Treated Wood http://www.treatedwoodtruth.com/Treated-Wood-Information-on-Osmose-MicroPro-Lumber.php

A comprehensive review of copper-based wood preservatives can be found at http://www.treatedwoodtruth.com/pdf/Nov08-FPJ-Feature.pdf

Spruce Wood Fencing (commonly referred to as SPF)

Spruce is a great, economic privacy fence option. Fence Supply Inc. has a few different options when spruce fencing is the fence of choice. Spruce fencing accepts stain very well to extend the life of the fence and give a nice rich look.

Spruce-pine-fir

SPF refers to spruce-pine-fir, Canadian woods of similar characteristics that have been grouped for production and marketing. Four species, White Spruce (Picea glauca), Engelmann Spruce (Piceaengelmanni), Lodge pole Pine (Pinus contorta), and Alpine Fir (Abieslaciocarpa) comprise the SPF species group. All yield high-grade timber with relatively small, sound tight knots.

SPF lumber is seasoned uniformly in dry kilns to a moisture content of 19% or less. Kiln drying inhibits natural staining of the wood, improves its strength and stiffness, enhances its appearance and increases its resistance to decay and attack by insects.
SPF has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is well known for its outstanding working properties. It takes and holds nails exceptionally well and is easily worked with hand and power tools.

How to Line up Wood Fence Post

admin · November 26, 2012 ·

Fence posts are one of the most important parts of your wood fence when it comes to withstanding the stresses of time and nature. They bear the burden of holding the wood fence against the wind and whatever else nature throws at it. Installing your posts correctly so they are sturdy will help your fence last longer.

Wood post installations are not only a dig-and-fill kind of job. You need time, attention, and patience. Make sure you go through the following steps for your fence.

Establishing the area within you property line

The first thing you should do is determine the perimeter of your fence. Get a map of your property from your local government, showing your property line. It’s also a good idea to check with the government if you need any permits to build your fence. Use the map to plot out the perimeter of your fence on, or just inside of, your property line.

Setting and measuring the wood fence perimeter

Using the lot plan as reference, set your fence lines and mark them by using wooden stakes and string. Be sure that the fence line doesn’t go over the area of your property. Then measure each fence line and jot it down to use for planning the number of fence posts.

Determining the number of fence posts

The number of wood fence post depends on the measurement of each fence line, the type of your fence, and the kind of wood panels you’ve decided on.

Wood fence posts may be lined up 6 to 8 feet apart depending on the type of your fence. For privacy fences where the wood panels are placed next to each other, 6 feet is more appropriate in order to have enough post strength to carry the weight of your wood panels.

The type of wood in your fencing panels also plays a big part in the proper spacing of your fence. The heavier the wood variety, the smaller the distance between your posts should be. This is again for the purpose of having enough support for the weight of your fence.

When you have decided on the proper spacing between your fence posts you may then figure out how many fence posts you’ll need. Just figure out how many you need for each side of the property line, then add them all up. For any sides where you’ll have a gate, note that you should have two lines, one on each side of the gate (don’t forget to include the gate post!).

Corner posts should be buried deeper to the ground (at least 2/3 of the entire length of the post) compared to your line posts (at least 2 feet). Considering this, your corner posts should be longer and if possible larger than your line posts. The following formula will help you compute the number of fence posts you need. The gate posts should be larger and longer as well.

Lining up wood posts

There are two ways to choose on how to line up your wood posts. The first is to start from a corner post and line up each post equal to the distance you have decided in between posts. In this method, you may have the last post with a different distance to the corner post compared to the spacing of the others. This is the more economical way of lining up fence posts.

The next method is to space your posts equally. This will give you better weight distribution but might be more costly compared to the first method since you may need to cut your wood railings if the spacing is a nonstandard length.

Mark the points where your posts will be buried using wooden stakes. After this, you can now proceed to the installation of your posts and the entire fence.

Wood Privacy Fence Post Spacing & Post Selection Guide

admin · November 26, 2012 ·

Fence Post Wood Choice and Spacing Guide for Privacy Fence

Things you will need

The primary materials you will need in your privacy wood fence are the wooden post, the horizontal wood railings, and the wood fence panels. The number of these materials will vary depending on the length of the fence.

Choosing the right type and measurement of wood for these materials are essential for your fence. The right type of wood to be used depends on your preferences. For information regarding this, please refer to the article “A Choice Between Cedar and Economy Wood Fence”. For the dimensions use the following instructions:

For wood panels, you may choose to use wooden boards or pickets. The advisable height for wood panels is 6 to 10 feet, the thickness should be around 1 to 2 inch, and the width should be 4 to 6 inch. The advisable dimension is 1 inch by 4 inch by 6 feet.

Wood posts are the ones to carry the most of the fence weight so they should be larger than the panels and the railings. You should choose post materials with a 4 inch width and 4 inch thickness, giving you square wooden board for you post. The height will be equal the height of your fence plus 2 to 3 feet. The extra length is allowance for the ground hole where the post will be buried.

Wood fence railings should be 6 to 8 feet in height with 1 to 2 inch thickness and 4 to 6 inch width. The advisable dimension is 2 inch by 4 inch by 8 feet.

Aside from these wood materials, you will also need the following:

Hole digger or shovel;
Wood saw;
Hammer or nail gun;
Carpentry level;
Metal tape measure;
Stakes or marker;
String; and
Nails.

Bury your wood posts

The first thing you should do is to measure the perimeter of your fence and determine the amount of post that you will install. Bury a wooden stake at each corner of the fence and set the strings in these stakes for proper lining. Bury a wooden stake in between corners where you need to put a wooden post. Start digging on the spots where the wooden stakes are place. Make sure that the hole is at least 2 feet in the ground. Bury the wood post and make sure that they are standing straight by using the carpentry level before covering the hole. Use concrete to cover the post holes for increased stability.

Fix wood railings

The first railing should be close to the ground with a distance of around 1 to 3 inches. The next railing should be placed about 3 to 5 feet above the first one and so on. Fix the fence on the wood post using nails after making sure that they are properly leveled. Make sure that the end of each rail is placed at the center of the wooden post aside from the end posts. This is to ensure proper connection between railings. Cut wood railings to reduce length when necessary.

Fix wood panels

The last step in your fence installation is to fix the wood panels. Place the first panel at the end post. Then make sure that it is properly leveled and fix it on the railings using nails. Place the next panel beside the first and fix it to the railings using nails. Do the same for the succeeding panels until the entire fence is covered. Cedar and other wood types that are resistant to contraction due to heat can be placed next to each other. For other types of wood that are prone to significant contractions, sufficient space should be provided in between panels.

After installation, you may stain or paint your fence depending on your preference but least assured, you can now have the elusive privacy that you deserve.

Wood Fence Components Illustration

admin · November 19, 2012 ·

Fence Components

Pickets

Pickets are available in a variety of widths and finishes; the most common is the 1” x 4” and the 1″ x 6”. Some of the available pickets are full-cut and others are a nominal. This can be very confusing if we don’t speak the same language. Fence Supply Inc. will always tell you if it is a 1″ x 6″ or 1″ x 5 ½” for the actual width.

Pickets are available with different shaped tops. Flat top, Dog Ear, Gothic point and Virginia or French Gothic are available from Fence Supply Inc.

Brackets

Fence Supply Inc. offers two styles of brackets for installing your fence on metal post: a one piece bracket and a two piece bracket. Both of these brackets use 4 lag screws per bracket. High quality ¼” x 1 ½” lag screws should be used.

Rails

Fence rails attach to the post with brackets, or in the case of a wood post, are nailed directly to the post. This is a very important component for a successful fence installation. The most common size for rails is 2” x 3” or 2” x 4”. Maximum post spacing is 8’ between posts; thus, a 2″ x 4″ x 8′ rail would be used. If you are doing an 8’ tall fence, we recommend using a 2″ x 4″ x 12′ rail and setting your posts on 6’ centers.

Posts

This is the foundation of the fence. If you’re on a tight budget this is not the area to try to save money. Invest in the best foundation you can afford. When you figure for your fence posts, remember depth and distance apart vs.fence height. All posts should be installed using our Sakrete product, which is available in 80 lb. bags for ease of loading and use. When building a 6′ high fence, you should set your posts at a depth of 2′ at a distance of 8′ on center (O/C). When building an 8′ high fence, you should set your posts at a depth of 2′ at a distance of 6′ O/C. (See gate section for gate post depths and measurements). Fence Supply Inc. recommends a minimum of 2-3/8″ posts for building wood fences.

Kick-board

Kick-boards are installed at the base of your fence. This is an excellent way to protect the bottom of your fence and/or add height to your fence as needed. Fence Supply Inc. recommends using 2″ x 6″ treated pine for your kick-board needs, although other sizes and types of wood are available. These 2″ x 6″ boards may be “stacked” to give more height as needed where there are low areas that need the extra height. Treated pine holds up well in all types of weather and maintains its integrity throughout its life. Fence Supply Inc. has the 2″ x 6″ treated pine available in 8′, 12′ and 16′ lengths.

Cap board

Installation of the cap board will add the finishing touch to your new fence. A cap board adds beauty to any wood fence and will set your fence apart from the others. When installing a cap board, ensure that your posts and the top of your upper rail are the same height as the top of your fence. This will give you the width and support necessary when attaching the cap board. Most cap boards will be either a 2″ x 6″ or a 2″ x 8″ and can be either cedar or treated pine, depending on your fence type.

Trim board

Trim boards are the crown molding for your new fence. The ultimate in beauty is the double step trim. There are several installation types to choose from; 1″ x 4″ x 8′ is the most common use of trim board; however, a 1″ x 2″ may also be used either as a single trim board or in combination with the 1″ x 4″ trim board to give a stair-step look to the trim. You should choose a trim board wood species that matches your fence type.

Screws vs. Nails

With today’s technological advancements in coatings, the choice of using screw vs. nails may be strictly a personal choice based on tools available or ease of installation. Either is an excellent choice and today’s coatings will give years of beauty without bleeding. Fence Supply Inc. recommends the Duo Fast coil or strip nails to be used in conjunction with the Duo Fast coil or strip nail guns which can help in decreasing your installation time. Battery-powered drills with Phillips bits may be used with our coated screws for a faster installation as well. Fence Supply Inc. carries all these products as well as galvanized hand nails for those wishing to install their fence in this manner. (See tool rental for tools available.)

Fence Gate Hardware

Wood gate hardware is offered to complement your new fence. Powder-coated black hardware is made for years of use. For walk gates we recommend using 3 hinges for both 6’ and 8’ tall fences.

Types of Wood Fence Styles

Side by Side – Traditional picket fences are sometimes referred to as a stockade fence. Pickets are placed side by side butted up next to each other. One misunderstanding is that space needs to be left between pickets. This is not true; the pickets when placed in this fashion will shrink and should be placed tight to maximize privacy.

Board on Board – This is a full privacy fence; you have two rows of pickets with the rear pickets spaced to allow a one inch overlap when the top board is installed. This style fence will give you maximum privacy.

Shadow Box – Pickets are placed behind and in front of each on opposite sides of the rails, creating an almost full privacy effect, but allows for air flow with this spacing.

Decorative Picket Fence – A traditional picket fence, commonly with 4’ tall by 8’ wide sections. The pickets will have a decorative point or top cut into the top edge of the picket. This fence is commonly used as a property board or decorative fence used in conjunction with a privacy fence.

Basket Weave – This a unique style of fencing consists of post and pickets only. The pickets are normally 1″ x 6″ x 16′ cedar or redwood and installed horizontally in a basket weave pattern.

Split Rail Fencing – Split rail is most commonly offered in a 2-rail and 3-rail option. This is a great farm & ranch, garden board, or accent fence. The hand-split style of components has a tremendous curb appeal to this style of fencing

What makes Wood Fence a sustainable building option?

admin · November 2, 2012 ·

While wood has long been celebrated for its durability, beauty and value as a building material, a new belief is emerging, that alleges any alternative to wood is environmentally preferable. So how does wood stack up as a green building material? The answer is, quite well actually.

Many may not realize that wood is a renewable, recyclable and biodegradable material, with numerous environmental benefits. As one of the foremost energy efficient and effective building materials, wood is the only energy self-sufficient building material while being manufactured. Wood remains the number one industrial raw material, accounting for almost half of consumption, but only accounts for less than 5 percent of the total energy used during its’ manufacture.

Comparatively, steel accounts for only 23 percent of raw material, while consuming almost 50 percent of the total energy input. While steel’s energy input comes in the form of mining and burning coal, both non-renewable, the primary energy input for wood is from solar energy. Wood is also an energy-efficient building material when used in a structure, because wood is a natural insulator, it’s 15 times more efficient than concrete and 400 times that of steel.

It also takes nine times more energy to produce a steel stud than to produce a wood stud. Five times more energy is used for aluminum siding than wood siding. Steel, both new and recycled, uses 4,000 times more coal, oil, and gas in its refining, manufacturing, and fabricating process than wood does.

Wood is also environmentally friendly. The notion of the country running out of trees is a myth and a falsehood. While it’s true that early in our country’s history the forests were looked upon as a mineable resource, it’s important to consider the facts.

The real story is that almost three billion trees are planted in America’s forestlands each

year. Our forest growth now exceeds tree removals by 37 percent. While, things weren’t always that way, the adoption of the first Tree Farm Act and in 1944 changed the American mindset. Since then, America has grown more trees each year in America than it has used for making paper, houses, books and other things used every day.

Another environmental plus for wood is its impact on the global carbon cycle. Scientists challenge that rising levels of carbon are leading to global warming. Growing wood fiber in working forests is very beneficial to the balance of carbon in the atmosphere. The growth of one pound of wood absorbs 1.4-7 pounds of carbon dioxide and releases 1.07 pounds of oxygen. The simple fact is that trees act as natural air filters, absorbing unwanted carbon dioxide gas and releasing breathable oxygen.

Economically speaking, wood is among the most sustainable materials available. Americans use wood fiber in huge quantities, with the current annual per capita use of wood products being one “standard” tree. In the last 100 years, advances have provided our society with much more value from that same wood fiber.

Cedar specifically is thought of as one of the world’s most durable woods. Its naturally resistant to moisture, decay and insect damage make it the ideal choice for a surface that is exposed to the sun, rain, heat and cold all year long.

Our local choices truly have global consequences. Wood is the product of sunlight, earth, air and water—all natural elements. Trees grow back; strip mines, gravel pits and depicted oil wells do not. The responsible growth, harvest, processing and re-growth of wood fiber for building material is the most benign path to a sustainable future.

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How to Stain a Wood Fence Arbor or Pergola

How Long Should a Wood Fence Last

Natural life of wood

Life of treated wood

Installation considerations

Maintenance

Cedar

Spruce

Pine

How to Pick the Perfect Wood Fence

How to Line up Wood Fence Post

Wood Privacy Fence Post Spacing & Post Selection Guide

Wood Fence Components Illustration

Fence Components

Types of Wood Fence Styles

What makes Wood Fence a sustainable building option?

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