Texas State Fence Co. BLOG

Frisco Fence Company owner, Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., sees increase is fence repair requests each spring.

Spring storms tend to come through the North Texas area each year and at least one or two of those storms generate tremendous damage to fences. Straight line winds of up to 80 miles per hour are not uncommon and rotational wind events are also frequently reported. Every year Spring storms damage hundreds of fences in North Texas. Typical damages range from the level of a few pickets blown out of a panel up to complete failure of posts and hangers causing total loss of fence rows in the worst cases.

It is interesting to note that fences constructed with steel posts set in concrete have a much higher survival rate than fences with wood posts.  Naturally, newer fences are less likely to be damaged, however, sufficiently powerful winds can damage even well built newer fences.

When you find yourself needing fence repairs, maintenance, or replacement give the Frisco Fence Company owned by Sean Eubanks (Texas State Fence Co.) a call at 972-898-1307. Sean is always glad to make a personal visit and offer a no-cost evaluation of your fence condition and provide you with a quote.

Here are a few of the articles that we have written over the last few months that you may find helpful in your investigation into which fence company to choose.

Frisco Fence Company discusses fence design elemental basics.

The design of your fence actually says quite a bit about your personality and your station in life.  For a variety of reasons most people succumb to relatively basic…..

McKinney Fence Company offers fence design guidance.

When designing a custom fence it pays to be a careful observer of the natural environment. Good fence designers are good observers who pay close attention to the…..

Dallas Fence Repair Company advice for building your own fence.

You may want to do a little homework to do before you get your hammer out. The first thing to do is to check with your city zoning and building codes and Home Owners……

Plano Fence Company owner talks about wood as a fence material.

Mention the word fence and most people conjure up an image of a wood fence. While you can build a fence out of many materials other than wood the most……

Allen Fence Company: How to build around trees and obstacles.

Obviously the best course of action is to plan your fence so that the fence line avoids obstacles such as trees, boulders, and other……

Frisco Fence Company advice for dealing with slopes on fence lines.

Creating an elevation drawing prior to building your fence forces you to confront the fact that you fence line may traverse a slope. Fence lines are……

Frisco Fence Company offers huge selection of quality materials

Here is a list of the quality materials we use……

Frisco Fence Company provides an overview of wood fence types.

Trying to select which of the many options available from which to choose when you select materials for a fence can be overwhelming.

Frisco Fence Company Raises the Value of your Home with Cedar Fences

The pace of change is accelerating and in these modern times fences have become increasingly popular. Back in the 1950s and 1960s……

Frisco Fence Company owner advice for building your own fence.

We can simplify the process and presume that you have decided on a traditional wood fence. In future articles we discuss other……

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., knows that many people enjoy building their own fences. Sean offers the following advice:

Here are Some Basic Considerations

The initial decisions that you will need to make are basically very simple.

• You will need to choose a fence style that fits your aesthetic desires.
• You will need to consider Zoning and HOA restrictions.
• You will need to establish a budget.
• You will need to consider your ability to handle the construction required.
• You will need to decide on materials for the project.

We can simplify the process and presume that you have decided on a traditional wood fence. In future articles we discuss other alternatives, including fences constructed with Chain Link, Poles, Rails, Iron, Concrete, Bricks, Cinder Blocks, Vinyl, Steel, and with Landscape Elements.

Considerations for selecting a Wood Fence style.

Wood fences fall into three primary styles:

• solid panel with no spaces for maximum privacy,
• shadow box with spaces for wind flow and minimal visibility through the fence, and,
• spaced pickets for visual separation without much privacy.

Solid Wood Fences offer the most privacy.  Solid Fences have little or no spacing between pickets. This prevents prying eyes from seeing into the enclosed space. Certain styles of solid fences may have overlapping boards that further reduce the potential for others to see through the fence into the enclosed space. These types of fences are frequently used as swimming pool enclosures, and to cordon off areas of the yard that may be less attractive. Solid picket privacy fences popularity has increased rapidly over the last 20-30 years as the proximity of homes in subdivisions has increased exponentially and as homeowners have come to seek increased privacy for homes placed to close together in subdivisions.  Solid fences have one particular failing. That is that one side of the fence usually is finished and the other side appears unfinished. This feature of a solid wood fence means that one side of the fence receives a less pleasant view.
Shadowbox Fences are ideal fences because they provide an alternative placement of boards on each side of the rail and have a space between each picket that allows air flow.  This means that both sides of the fence will have the same level of finished look. If you are not omidn that your neighbors will be able to see through the fence on a diagonal sight line then the shadowbox fence is a good choice. It offers very attractive styling and it also offers a reasonable level of privacy while still allowing air flow.

Spaced Picket Fences are perfect for establishing a visual separation between spaces.  This works especially well for spaces such as between a garden and the remainder of the yard, or between yards. Spaced Picket Fences are also suitable for front yards and gardens but do not offer much privacy. Spaced picket fences are frequently used along with landscape components such as trees, bushes and other plantings to increase the visual separation and privacy. There are not very many styles of fencing that are more attractive than a spaced picket fences, however popularity has decreased in recent years due to the demand for increased privacy and for security.

Future articles will focus on materials and tools needed to construct fences and site preparation and on construction design and planning.

1. 2nd Article in Series: Plano Fence Company - fence design and layout guideline advice

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., provides quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind.  For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., uses Cedar Fences to improve property values for home owners.

Cedar Stained Wood Privacy Fence

The pace of change is accelerating and in these modern times fences have become increasingly popular. Back in the 1950s and 1960s many of the homes in urban communities did not have a fence in their back yards. There was nothing to separate neighbors from each other. Since the 1960s the number of homes with back yard privacy fencing has increased to become well over 90 percent in urban cities such as Frisco Texas.

Texas State Fence Co. understands that the most popular styles of fence are the board-on-board and stockade styles.  These wood fences are most commonly either built with cedar wood or they have a cedar stain. Contemporary fences are recommended to be installed with steel posts due to the greater strength that steel posts have when combating termites and strong winds.  Steel posts are an option that many clients select compared to the more vulnerable and less permanent wood fence posts. Another option that has become extremely popular is extending the fence height to 8 or even 10 foot tall for added privacy.

An increasing number of our clients desire are also adding  privacy fences to screen pool areas, dog runs, and security fence.  And do not forget about automated gates. Automatic gates are available with either track roller or swing styles operation. Mechanical drive that are available include chain drives, gear drives, and screw drives.

When you are considering selling your home keep in mind that that majority of prospective home buyers desire want a home with a high quality fence.  Make sure that you realize that buyers desire high quality fences in good condition. They want fences that will stand up to the strong winds that we get in Frisco. A high quality cedar style wood fence will help sell your home more quickly and it is a valuable asset to offer to home buyers. A high quality cedar wood fence can make the difference between a fast sale and a sale that takes a long time.

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., installs new fencing, repairs and maintains existing fencing, and designs integrated fencing systems for both residential and commercial clients in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Plano, Carrollton, Coppell areas of North Texas. As one of the largest and most established fence companies in Dallas, Texas State Fence Co. offers a full range of fence services, products and options. For more information please call 972-898-1307.

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., offers help in selecting the best wood  fence for your home.

A Cedar Stained Wood Privacy Fence

Form vs Function in a Wood Fence

Trying to select which of the many options available from which to choose when you select materials for a fence can be overwhelming. You will need to consider many alternative materials and styles then make a selection.  The choices that you make will affect the cost of the fence installation and it will also affect your property’s value for the long term. You basically have two decision that you must make, from which all other options will spring:

1. Form – style, etc.
2. Function – purpose, etc.

After research and careful consideration you can create a happy marriage of form and function, but that joyful union is not always easy to achieve. Consider chain link fences, and other types of metal fences. Chain link fences usually makes a high quality security fences, but their visual appeal is not a great as wood. Owners of residential properties must carefully consider selecting a chain link fence for the property because that can be an indication that security is a concern. Prospective buyers would of course to become concerned.   Imagine what signal you would be sending to a prospective buyer if you built a chain link fence with barbed wires on top.  Security fences are appropriate as barriers surrounding a commercial installation where valuable materials are stored but not for a residential setting. They are not generally appropriate for residential properties here in the U.S.

Wood Fence Types

Here is a general list of wood fence types which are generally appropriate for residential use:

• Split Rail – provides a very rural or ranch-like ambience to a property
• Picket Fences – appropriate for smaller properties, typically used in the front yard.
• Stockade Fences – whether rounded, squared, or pointed tops these are common in suburban areas.
• Board-on-Board Fences – generally are more sturdy that stockade fences and have a more luxurious look to them.

Functional Considerations for Wood Fences

Wood fences are very pleasing to the eye.  Wood fences may not always be the best choice depending on the property needs. If you want a fence for animal control, such as dogs, then a split rail or picket fence is not a good option.  There are fences that work well for animal control that can be used in conjunction with a more decorative split rail or picket fence type.  One modern solution is the wireless electronic dog fence which consists of buried cables that emit an electric shock to a special purpose dog collar. Electrified fences, which run alternating current through raw electric wires is useful for some types of animals such as deer.

1. Wood fences are a great choice for privacy fencing, whether needed as a noise barrier or, more frequently, as a visual barrier. Wood fences (and vinyl fences) provide the most attractive fence material options when your chief concern is creating a backyard sanctuary.
2. Stockade style fences are an example of a wood fence designed to offer a solid visual barrier between your yard and your neighbor’s yard.  Stockade fences result in almost total privacy. While it is true that masonry fences, such as those built out of brick can do the same, they cost a lot more than a wood fence.

Many people prefer a compromise between privacy and airiness.  These people often end up choosing wood fences with a certain amount of openness to them so that they can avoid fencing out the outside world completely. Tall picket fences can offer partial privacy, as can lattice fencing.

A popular alternative to the foregoing privacy fence selections is a hybrid fence design: such as a solid barrier for the bottom portion of the fence with a lattice on the top to add an element of openness and decor.

One factor to consider when choosing between the different styles of fences is their potential for integration with your landscape design. A solid wood fence can provide a compelling backdrop for landscaping, while the more open fence designs, such as split-rail and picket-style wood fences, may be used to serve as foregrounds or backgrounds for plantings.

Some examples of how wood fences can be made that work in harmony with other landscape elements to create a landscape design that is attractive and functional can be found in the photo gallery of fence pictures.

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., installs new fencing, repairs and maintains existing fencing, and designs integrated fencing systems for both residential and commercial clients in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Plano, Carrollton, Coppell areas of North Texas. As one of the largest and most established fence companies in Dallas, Texas State Fence Co. offers a full range of fence services, products and options. For more information please call 972-898-1307.

Frisco Fence Company (Texas State Fence Company) has a wide selection of material to select from when you consider building a fence.

Cedar Fence with Top Rail

Here is a list of the quality materials we use

Steel Posts

• Galvanized 2-3/8″ steel – designed to last a long time without any maintenance
• WAPO brackets with 1.5″ lag screws – very strong.
• Post set approximately 30″-36″ deep in concrete – for strength against winds.
• Post set approximately 6′ apart – to support the fence solidly
• Concrete mixed before it is placed into the hole – the only way to insure quality
• (Wood posts available, but not recommended because wood posts eventually split, warp, twist, and rot.) – available for clients wanting traditional materials.

Fence Pickets

• Premium grade, or clear upon request – higher quality means they last longer
• Clear is available at an additional cost – we offer options for every budget
• Available in 1″x 6″ flat top or dog ear – the choice is yours based on style desired
• Premium is defined as the best quality of wood available in the industry at any given time. Texas State Fence Co. uses more than one supplier to insure the wood we install is premium.
• Clear wood is currently unavailable in 8′ pickets – again, we offer the most choices

Fasteners and Nails

• 1-7/8″ screw shank – quality fasteners insure future strength
• For maximum strength, six nails for each picket on 6′ tall fences – better than required
• For maximum strength, eight nails for each picket on 8′ tall fences – again, we set the standard for quality

Fence Rails

• 2″ x 4″ Cedar Rails – we use the finest Cedar stock available

Side-by-side

• Provides privacy and security, but wood shrinks, leaving cracks. Some visibility through fence – proper maintenance helps to prevent shrinkage.
• 1-7/8″ screw shank nails – quality fasteners help to reduce shrinkage

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Company serves home owners in the cities of Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Coppell, Lewisville and Plano. Be sure to visit our BLOG.

Frisco Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., offers advice on how to deal with slopes when building a fence.

Creating an elevation drawing prior to building your fence forces you to confront the fact that you fence line may traverse a slope. Fence lines are often forced to traverse terrain that has some degree of slope and dealing that the slope correctly can impact the quality, beauty, and strength of your fence for many years to come.

There are three basic construction choices that you have for dealing with slopes when building a fence. Those choices are:

1. Stepped Framing
2. Sloped (Parallel) Framing
3. Hybrid Framing

• Stepped Framing

With stepped framing the fence is built in sections with each section resting level at a different elevation. On gradual slopes this looks good but on more steeply graded slopes the look begins to become less desirable.  Basically each section is built such that that panel is level at the top but the bottoms of the slats are cut to mirror the ground surface.

• Sloped (Parallel) Framing

With sloped (parallel) framing the fence is sloped to the same angle that the ground is sloped, mirroring the gradient of the ground slope.  This is usually the best approach with steep slopes or rolling terrain.

• Hybrid Framing

On very steep slopes you can intermix the stepped and sloped framing methods and set your posts as though stepped but construct your panels to a slope gradient that mirrors the terrain.

Frisco Fence Company (Texas State Fence Co.) installs new fencing, repairs and maintains existing fencing, and designs integrated fencing systems for both residential and commercial clients in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Plano, Carrollton, Coppell areas of North Texas. As one of the largest and most established fence companies in Dallas, Texas State Fence offers a full range of fence services, products and options. For more information please call 972-898-1307.

Allen Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., provides some tips for building around trees and other obstacles.

Obviously the best course of action is to plan your fence so that the fence line avoids obstacles such as trees, boulders, and other immovable objects.  When that is not possible you can make some adjustments to minimize the impact of the obstacle. 

In some cases you can create a little bump-out in the fence line to pass around the obstacle. If you must include the obstacle in the fence line, and if the fence includes posts, then you may find it useful to tinker with the framing plan on a scaled elevation.  If the obstacle is a tree you will likely be tempted to simply fasten the fence to the tree. That is, however, not the best solution.  Driving nails or screws into a tree can be detrimental to the health of the tree, but, since trees grow their diameter will increase over time and this expansion can damage or destroy the fence.

Of course another problem with trees is that setting fence posts too close to the tree roots makes digging and securing posts problematical.  The best solution is to set the fence post back from the tree and have an overhanging panel that buts up close to the tree, but with a little room to allow for a few years of expansion of the tree.  This avoids damage to the roots and also to the tree while providing privacy and security if constructed carefully.  While the overhanging panels will be weaker than the other portions of the fence you may have to suffer this lessened strength to avoid damage to the tree.

Allen Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks started his company, Texas State Fence Co., provide quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind.  For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.

Plano Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., talks about wood as a fence building material.

Mention the word fence and most people conjure up an image of a wood fence. While you can build a fence out of many materials other than wood the most common material, especially for residential properties in urban areas, is wood.  Wood is a beautiful material that can be easily worked and manipulated to form a nearly unlimited number of styles.  Wood is a material with which most people have some experience and which, at a basic level, requires virtually no experience to work with.

People have been building fences out of wood for thousands of years. It is very likely that the first fences were made with either wood or stone or both.  While that is true we no longer are limited to the wood that is nearby. Today the home owner has many choices of woods to select from when considering how to build their fence.  Certainly the choice that is made will affect tothe the look and the cost of the final product.

The most common woods used in North Texas Fences are yellow pine and cedar. While yellow pine is generally less expensive the cedar will tend to hold up longer, however, proper care of either material can lessen the difference in longevity. Be sure to ask plenty of questions about what types or materials are best for your particular vision of a fence to make sure that you get the best overall value.

Plano Fence Companyowner Sean Eubanks started his company, Texas State Fence Co., to provide quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind.  For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.

Dallas fence repair company owner Sean Eubanks, President of of Texas State Fence Co. offers advice to home owners installing their own fences.

Are you considering building and designing your own fence for your yard?

You may want to do a little homework to do before you get your hammer out. The first thing to do is to check with your city zoning and building codes and Home Owners Association. The last thing you want to do is put all that hard work and expense into a fence only to find out it violates your home owner association requirements.

If you have not already researched where the utility lines are located contact your local utility department to find out where the lines are laid. And do not forget it is always a good idea to visit with your neighbors and touch base with them before you start your project. They might want to be forewarned of construction noise and might have opinions as to the style of fence, especially if their house directly faces the fence.

1. You will need to figure out the number of posts, panels and gates for your fence. Take measurements along your fence line, but if you have the survey from when you purchased the home that would be a good tool to verify your measurements. Remember, always measure six inches in from the property line to avoid building on your neighbor’s property.
2. Select the posts panels and gates first. The measurements of those items will come into play when deciding how much material you will need.
3. Ideally, you should use as many full panels as possible. Inevitably, you will need to cut some panels down to size but try and avoid this as it will influence the overall design of your project. Try to place partial panels in corners, ends and places with lower visibility.
4. Be sure to carefully mark your property boundaries. Place the center of the fence post six inches from your property line. This will ensure that you build within your property line.
5. Before digging your post holes make sure you measure your panels and gates. Once you have the holes the best order for placing the posts is:
   a. End/corner posts, then
   b. Gate posts, then
   c. Line posts.
6. Purchase a heavy twine or string and tie it tightly between each post. This gives you a nice visual outline before placing your panels and gates.

Dallas fence repair company owner Sean Eubanks started his company, Texas State Fence Co., to provide quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind.  For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.