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Fence Tips & Expert Advice
Guides, maintenance tips and buying advice from a Lawrence fence contractor with 25+ years of experience.
Home / Blog
Guides, maintenance tips and buying advice from a Lawrence fence contractor with 25+ years of experience.
Cedar, pine, wrought iron, steel or aluminum? Here’s how each material stacks up on cost, looks, maintenance and lifespan.
Wood offers unmatched warmth and the best privacy per dollar. Cedar resists rot and insects naturally; treated pine is strong and budget-friendly. Plan on staining or sealing every few years.
Iron and steel deliver maximum strength and a stately, classic look. They’re ideal for security and curb appeal, and with proper finishing they last for decades.
Aluminum gives you the ornamental look of iron without rust. It’s lightweight, low maintenance and a favorite around pools and gardens.
Want privacy? Go wood. Want open views with security? Go metal. Not sure? Call us—we’ll walk your property and help you decide.
Sagging, dragging, or a latch that won’t catch? These are the warning signs your gate needs attention.
Usually a sign of a sagging frame or a leaning hinge post. We re-square the gate and add bracing or anti-sag hardware.
Posts shift with freeze-thaw cycles. We realign or reset posts so the latch catches every time.
Upgrading to heavy-duty hinges can make an old gate swing like new.
We replace damaged components before the problem spreads.
A wobbly hinge post is the #1 cause of gate failure. We reset it deep and solid.
A few simple habits can double the life of your wood fence. Here’s our maintenance checklist.
A quality stain protects against sun and moisture. Most fences benefit from re-staining every 2–3 years.
Mulch, soil and vines hold moisture against the wood. Keep a small gap at the bottom.
Constant watering speeds up rot and graying.
Replace a cracked board or tighten a loose rail before it becomes a bigger repair.
Both look great and both give privacy—but they’re built differently. Here’s what to know.
Overlapping pickets on one side of the rails. As wood shrinks, there are still no gaps—maximum privacy.
Pickets alternate on both sides of the rails, so the fence looks finished from either side and lets a little breeze through. A great “good neighbor” fence.
If total privacy matters most, go board-on-board. If you want an attractive two-sided fence with some airflow, choose shadowbox.
Property lines, permits, utility locates and HOA rules—get these right before a single post goes in.
Check your plat or survey. Building slightly inside your line avoids disputes.
Cities and HOAs may have height, style or setback rules. We can help you understand what applies to you.
Utility lines must be marked before posts are set—we coordinate this as part of the process.
Think about mowers, trash bins and vehicles. Gate width and placement matter more than most people expect.
Simple, reliable and endlessly customizable—swing gates remain our most-requested gate type.
Fewer moving parts mean less that can go wrong. A well-built swing gate can work flawlessly for many years.
We build swing gates in wood, iron, steel and aluminum to match your fence exactly.
Choose a single walk gate or double drive gates wide enough for trucks, trailers and equipment.
Skip the research—talk to a pro. We’re happy to answer your questions and give you a free estimate.