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Fences are meant to protect whatever they surround, whether it is a business, school or your own home and yard. A fence also creates a feeling of safety and formality. However, if the fence sustains enough damage, it fails in its mission to protect, voiding the entire structure. How can you help prevent damage to your own fence? Read on to educate yourself on things that damage fences and how to prevent them.

1. Trees

Trees are everywhere, and your fence line may not be fortunate enough to escape their influence. While beautiful and beneficial to the environment, trees can sometimes threaten the integrity of your fence and cause damage.

Toppling trees or falling branches are usually caused by a tree with rot, which manifests after an improper cut to the tree or damage to the roots. Be on the lookout for signs of rot in any trees, including:

• Dead branches
• Leaves falling outside of autumn
• Mushrooms growing at the base of a tree

You can also prevent future rot to overhanging and nearby trees by exercising care when moving heavy machinery around the tree’s roots and while mowing or maintaining your landscape. Also, try not to create any unnatural openings in the tree for the rot to grow in.

2. Weather

Extreme winds such as those found in tornados and hurricanes can easily damage sections of fencing. However, you can avoid damage from objects blowing around your yard by taking a few preventative measures.

Before a storm arrives, remove or secure loose objects in the backyard like lawn furniture and toys. This helps keep damage to a minimum when the wind kicks up. If you have foliage, shrubbery, and branches that extend onto your fence, keep them trimmed so they cannot rub or hit the fence during high winds. Keep on top of repairs of any weak or broken sections of your fence before wind or hail leads to further damage of the surrounding areas.

To reinforce the strength of the fence itself, have a professional inspect your fence and offer recommendations. Better yet, let the pros install your fence in the first place to guarantee it is firmly and properly installed from the start.

3. Vandalism

Teenagers and gang participants all over find it appropriate to spray paint logos, images, and messages on public works. Unruly people may also decide to shatter or break structures. Unfortunately, fences are a favorite target for vandals. If you have a home or business in an area with a lot of property damage, you may find your fence the recipient of unwanted attention.

However, you can help prevent vandalism to your fence in multiple ways. Fixing the vandalism as soon as it occurs discourages repeat offenses. Strategies like specific landscapes can help as well. Placing certain plants and shrubs near the fence discourages the vandals from accessing the area by making it difficult to approach. Idea include:

• Hedges with thorns like roses, firethorn, or holly
• Prickly plants such as cacti

Consider implementing hard-to-mark surfaces on your fence as well. Usually, the best option is a special paint that will not retain spray paint graffiti.

Beyond your fence, you can participate in community youth education programs about vandalism and gang actions to help prevent vandalism in your community.

Fences surround your property and help secure your home or commercial business. Trees, weather, and vandalism all attempt to ruin the integrity of your fence. Fortunately, you now know how to help prevent some of that fence damage. For help repairing existing damage to your fence or to obtain a quote for a new fence on your property, contact the professionals at Hartsell Brothers Fence Company.

Hartsell Brothers Fence Company

For many businesses, customers are always welcome, but only in a few controlled areas. In outdoor areas, this means restricting access with fencing. There are a number of reasons why a business would need to guide the flow of customers through its property. While some are security related, others are meant to improve the experience of customers and protect them from harm. Read on to discover five situations where fencing can help visitors navigate your commercial or industrial property.

PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS

The most obvious benefit of fencing is that it can halt would-be trespassers in their tracks. A security fence is a clear boundary that a typical citizen will avoid violating. The simple presence of a fence is often enough to deter vandals and petty thieves. If your business is home to more valuable materials and items, you may need to invest in additional features for the fence.

Your security needs will, more than anything, determine the fencing options available to you. Low-risk areas like play-grounds may only need wooden or chain-link fencing to stay safe. Solid, mesh, or palisade fencing will stop more serious invaders, particularly when paired with spikes, wire, or electric currents.

GUIDING CLIENTS TO THE RIGHT ENTRANCE

If your business has more than one entrance, you have probably experienced a customer finding the wrong way in at least once. While this is usually a harmless inconvenience, it can lead to liability and security issues. This is especially true for schools, medical facilities, and nursing homes. Perimeter fences not only secure your property; they also funnel visitors through the correct entrance to your building. A few signs posted along the perimeter provide extra navigation assistance.

Of course, any fence is only as secure as its gate. Depending on the needs of your business, you may want to leave the customer entrance open to create a more welcoming environment. Any area you want to protect, however, will need to be gated. Speak to your fencing contractor to get a better idea of where gates should be installed and how much protection they need.

CHOOSING WHAT VISITORS SEE

Many businesses, especially those involved in manufacturing or other practical industries, need an open outdoor space to complete tasks or store materials. You may, however, not want every potential customer passing by to peek in. Whether you work with trade secrets, stockpile valuable materials, or simply have a messy process, there are many reasons to preserve your commercial privacy.

SHIELDING CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION

Similarly, your business may be the site of a temporary construction or renovation project. These sites tend to be noisy, unsightly, and potentially dangerous to passersby. Your construction contractors may provide their own fencing if the project is big enough. Otherwise, consider temporary privacy fencing to block sound and shield your customers from the disruption.

USING TEMPORARY FENCING TO ORGANIZE EVENTS

If your business hosts outdoor events or sees frequent crowds, temporary fencing is an easy way to keep guests moving along efficient paths. This prevents confusing and unpleasant traffic jams as people cluster and then try to move on. When hosting an event like a wine or beer garden, this can also help staff screen visitors as they enter.

As you plan the fencing and landscaping of your commercial property, consider the fence not only as a barrier but also as a guide. A fence is a way to communicate with your customers even when you aren’t around, and it can defend your property if a trespasser decides not to listen. Give us a call at Hartsell Brothers Fence Company to begin discussing your security and aesthetic needs, and how our wide variety of fencing can meet them.

Charlotte, NC – Hartsell Brothers Fence Company

A fence is an essential part of both industrial and commercial properties. Fences provide the functional benefits of security and privacy, and enhance the look of your building. Aluminum is one of the most common types of materials used to construct fences, largely because of the distinct advantages and characteristics associated with it.

Understanding what an aluminum fence has to offer your home or business can help you figure out if it is the right choice for your fencing needs. Here are some advantages of aluminum fencing.

RUST-FREE

A huge advantage associated with aluminum as a building material is the fact that it is naturally resistant to rust. This means that water and weather exposure won’t cause structural degradation of your fence over time, which can help improve the life span of your fence and cut down on long-run repair and replacement costs.

This innate quality makes aluminum fences the ideal choice for coastal areas that suffer from higher humidity and salt exposure, which can contribute to rust and corrosion.

LOW MAINTENANCE

Additionally, fences that are made out of aluminum do not require a great deal of maintenance to stay structurally sound. Unlike wood and other types of metal, aluminum won’t need to be sealed or painted to maintain the appearance of your fence.

This is because aluminum is powder coated with paint, which means that the paint is fused to the surface of the aluminum instead of sitting on top of it — preventing flaking and chipping. This also means that the color of your fence will not fade over time due to UV exposure.

CUSTOMIZATION

Another advantage of aluminum fencing is the fact that it can come in a wide range of different shades and colors because the material is painted during the manufacturing process. This kind of manufacturing means that you can easily customize the appearance of your fence to match the design and aesthetic of the exterior of your property.​

VERSATILITY

Aluminum fencing can be racked, which means that it can be slanted or adjusted to deal with uneven surfaces. This versatility makes aluminum fences much easier to install in irregularly shaped yards, on hills and in ditches, which can cut down on initial costs.

With non-racked fence varieties, fencing has to be installed in multiple small sections in a stair-like pattern along the side of a slope — which often creates gaps. Because aluminum fencing can be fitted to irregularities and slopes, you can avoid having gaps at the bottom of your fence. For that reason, aluminum fencing provides greater security for uneven yards.

SECURITY

Aluminum fencing is a durable material that cannot be easily cut or broken through. If security is a necessity for your property, you can have spear tops installed on your fence and the posts dug several feet into the ground to make a near-impenetrable barrier to both human and animal intruders.

The durability of an aluminum fencing barrier makes it a great safety installation for pools and dangerous work areas as well. The use of metal panels can make your aluminum security fence an effective privacy barrier as well.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Finally, a major benefit of aluminum as a fencing material is the fact that it can be made out of recycled materials, and it can also be recycled after it is replaced. Recycling helps reduce the overall environmental impact of your property by making use of sustainably sourced materials.

For any questions or concerns that you may have about your fencing needs, please feel free to contact us at Hartsell Brothers Fence Company. Our team of experienced fencing contractors will be more than happy to work with you to find the best fencing solution for your residential or commercial property.

Hartsell Brothers Fence Company

If you own or manage an apartment community and need to put up some fencing, you may feel paralyzed by the vast array of fencing materials from which you can choose. But while vinyl, cedar, and pine fencing all have their places, there is one material that really stands out as a smart choice for apartment communities: chain link fencing. Here are five reasons why chain link fencing works so well for apartment complexes and housing developments

CHAIN LINK FENCING IS AFFORDABLE

If you do not have a lot of capital to put into fencing, chain link is a great choice because it comes at a lower price point than vinyl, cedar, and most other materials. This allows you to get a fence put up sooner, which makes your apartment community more appealing to residents.
Chain link fencing also requires less maintenance than other fencing types so that you will save money year after year on equipment and labor. All you need to do is hose the fence off a few times per year, and check it periodically for rips and loose fence posts.

CHAIN LINK FENCING IS SAFE FOR KIDS AND PETS

You would hate to have a child or pet injured on your property. Not only would this be unfortunate for the injury victim, but it may also mean increased insurance rates and time spent in court. Chain link fencing is a very safe choice for kids and pets. There are no splinters like there would be on a wooden fence, and since you can see through the fence, parents will be able to keep an eye on kids if they happen to be on the other side.

CHAIN LINK FENCING CAN BE MADE PRIVATE IN CERTAIN AREAS

The fact that you can see right through a chain link fence is often cited as a downfall. However, you can make a chain link fence private in areas where you need it to be.
Just slip privacy slats, which are long pieces of vinyl or plastic, between the chain links. This allows you to have the best of both worlds. Leave the fence plain where you want residents to be able to see through it and add slats right behind homes where you think residents may want to feel more isolated.

CHAIN LINK FENCING IS QUICK TO INSTALL

Carrying on construction projects can be tough in an apartment community. Residents need to get in and out to drive to work, and they don’t want the eyesore of a construction site in their yards. Chain link fencing is quick and easy to install, so your residents don’t have to put up with the construction for very long. This is especially helpful if you have prospective tenants come to look at apartments and want the community to look appealing.

CHAIN LINK FENCING DOES NOT ATTRACT PESTS

A termite or carpenter ant invasion can be a real nightmare in an apartment community. These pests may start off with a fence and then work their way into the buildings themselves. Getting inside individual apartments to exterminate can be a hassle, and tenants won’t appreciate the presence of pests. Thankfully, chain link fencing does not attract these pests the way a wood fence might. You don’t have to apply chemical insecticides, either.
If you’re in need of a new fence for your apartment community, get in touch with Hartsell Brothers Fence Company to learn more about our chain link fences. We offer custom fencing, gates, controlled entry features, and other features to meet your specific needs. You and your residents will be happy with the results