If the natural aesthetic and warm appearance of wood are just what you’re looking for in a residential fence, then you’re not alone. Wood is the most popular material for homeowners in the Springfield, MO area and you’ll want to know more about the materials used to construct your fence, and how to maintain it in the years to come. Read on to learn exactly what we use to install our wood fences.
The Makings of a Superior Wood Fence
There are many styles of wooden fences, such as stockade, picket, lattice, post-and-rail, shadow box, scalloped, concave, cap and trim, and straight top. But despite all these style differences, all fences share the same basic components. Understanding how a professional Missouri fence company like Ozark Fence builds our wood fences will convince you that our experience, quality materials, and superior techniques will ensure that you will get a well-built wood fence built to last!
Cedar Wood for Durability and Appearance
We recommend cedar for our wood fences because it’s extremely durable and holds up well to our Missouri weather conditions. A cedar fence will generally outlast fences made from softer, less durable wood, like pine, due to its abundance of natural oils which helps it to deteriorate more slowly.
We do recommend that you protect your Missouri wood fence with a water-resistant stain to prolong its life even further, and if you really like the silvery appearance that cedar takes on as it weathers, you can choose a clear, transparent stain for your fence.
Another feature that’s unique to cedar is its natural insect repellent nature. Many people use cedar wood chips to keep moths out of their clothing or pests out of their planting beds. More important to your fence, though, is cedar’s natural resistance to termites who do not like the taste of cedar oil.
Posts Are a Top Contributor To Fence Strength
Properly set fence posts will hold all the other components of the fence in place. They are the foundation for your wooden fence, and considerable care needs to go into their selection and installation.
In cold climates, like Missouri, posts need to be set quite deep in order to be immune to the effects of our winter freeze/thaw cycles. Our posts are set at two feet, deep enough to get below the frost line found in the Springfield, Missouri area.
Because posts are the components that are in contact with the ground, and as fences age, decay of the posts is quite common, and a common fence repair is replacing one or more posts. For this reason, we offer superior Postmaster Steel Posts which not only help to make a seamless fence but are designed to withstand up to 73 mph winds. These posts will not shrink, warp or rot like the regular wooden posts you’re used to.
Rails Make Your Fence Sturdy
Wood fence rails are the horizontal structural boards of the fence running parallel to the ground, which do the spanning work in wooden fences, connecting one post to the next. Top and bottom rails are always found in wooden fence styles, but unlike many other Missouri fence companies, we use a middle rail (a 3rd rail) for added strength. This extra step will avoid warping and bowing as seen in other poorly installed wood fences all across the Springfield, Missouri region.
The horizontal rails provide the attachment points for the vertical in-fill panels or boards, and their strength is essential to the overall strength and durability of the entire fence. In some fence styles, there is also a “cap rail” that covers the top of the posts and in-fill panels across the entire length of the wooden fence.
Ring Shank Galvanized Nails for Strong Hold
Sturdy attachment to the posts is the key to successful rail installation and a long-lasting fence. We use ring shank galvanized nails to install our Missouri wood fences. These nails are stainless steel so they won’t rust and the ring shank will allow them to hold extraordinarily well. Because a nail is metal and bleeding is inevitable even with a galvanized coating, we countersink the nail into the picket in an attempt to direct the bleed into the center of the picket versus down the face.
If you would prefer screws, we are willing to use them on your fence; however, keep in mind that it will increase the cost of your fence due to the increased time required during installation. Screws are also more likely to bleed than nails even if they are galvanized so it might affect the aesthetics of the fence.
The Main Event: In-Fill Panels and Boards
The vertical panels or boards are the chief screening component in any wooden privacy fence. The in-fill panels or boards can form a more-or-less solid screen that completely obstructs the view, or they can form a semi-transparent screen such as that offered by traditional picket fences, lattice fence panels, or staggered board fences, such as in shadow-box styles.
Maintaining Your Professionally Built Wood Fence in Missouri
Because the in-fill panels or boards are the most visible part of a wood fence, this is the component that gets most of the maintenance and repair attention. Wooden fences need annual inspection and regular repainting or re-staining in order to maintain their appearance and we recommend that you seal your fence in order to prolong the beauty of your investment. This can be done either by purchasing a penetrating sealant or stain of your choosing and applying per the directions or by hiring a contractor. Ozark Fence is proud to offer staining and sealing services and can take care of that part of maintaining and protecting your wood fence for you.
Ready To Get Your Wood Fence From A Professional Missouri Fence Company?
Ozark Fencing is the leading Missouri fence company in Springfield, MO, and we’re here to help you choose a wood fence that has the perfect balance of style and practicality to suit your needs. Our knowledgeable team of professionals is ready to answer your questions and guide you through the process of finding the best Missouri wood fence to meet all of your requirements.
We’ve got you covered! Call us at (417) 221-4433 or contact us through our website today for friendly, courteous service you can count on!