Month: November 2021

Here is how to make your fencing more bird-friendly.

There are an abundance of reasons that people decide to install fences. Sometimes, they want to protect their yards. In other situations, they may want to keep wildlife away. On occasion, a fence may go up for privacy purposes. Whatever the reason may be, fencing will always serve a purpose.

Unfortunately, not every creature benefits from fencing, and birds are among the creatures that can be harmed because of them. Sometimes, birds collide with fences and can become injured, sometimes even killed if they crash with enough force. If you’re concerned for the birds in your area, there are steps you can take to make your fence more pleasant for them. Here is how to make your fencing more bird-friendly.

Add Some Ribbons to Your Fencing

Ribbons are a simple yet effective way to improve your fencing for your avian visitors.  They make it easier to notice your fence, which means there will be fewer birds crashing into it and getting hurt.

Make Sure Your Fence is Maintained

Your fence can get damaged over time, resulting in possible hazards for birds, such as jagged edges or broken wires. These can pierce through birds fairly easily, especially at the velocity at which they travel. If you maintain your fence, you’ll notice when there are broken pieces sooner rather than later. This minimizes the time during which birds could get themselves injured due to these imperfections.

Don’t Make the Fencing Any Higher Than it Needs to Be

While birds do fly, not all of them fly too highly. There are some that fly near the ground, especially when they are looking for food. Because of this, your fence shouldn’t be any taller than necessary. By keeping your fence height lower, there’s a lower chance that birds will fly into it.

Install a Brush Line

Consider installing some vegetation along your fencing line. This makes it less difficult for birds to determine when there’s an obstacle in their path, which makes it easier for them to avoid your fence. Adding some greenery also has the benefit of making your fencing look more appealing, so there’s added incentive for making this decision.

Let Hercules Fence Help Set Up The Perfect Fence For You

Hercules Fence takes pride in being experts in residential, commercial, and high-security fencing. We have been serving our clients since 1955, with only the most knowledgeable of staff. Our staff is ready to serve you from Maryland and the Washington Metropolitan area. Our branch offices are in Manassas, Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, and Maryland.

Visit our website to see how we can be of service to you. Also, follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Linkedin to stay up to date with our latest news.

The post Making Your Fencing More Suitable for Birds appeared first on Hercules Fence.

When installing a new fence, there are many questions to be considered. First and foremost is: What type of material do you want your fence to be? At Fence Masters, we work with aluminum, wood, wrought iron, chain link and vinyl or PVC. We are happy to help you determine what type of material is best for your residential or commercial property. 

But exactly how many gates you want at your place is more of a personal decision. While we can offer some basic help, you will have to finalize what works best for your yard. We do find that having just one gate is typically not enough for ease of use and being able to enter your yard. Homeowners definitely need to be able to access their home from more than one point, so at least two gates are vital. 

A front yard gate will allow you to leave your home from this point and allow family and friends to easily enter your back yard from your driveway. While a gate that is positioned in the back of your fence will allow for movement of items in and out of the back. Do you have a shed or outbuilding outside of your fence’s perimeter? Then a gate should be positioned near this structure so you can bring equipment and tools easily in and out of your yard. The last thing you want a new fence to do is to make working and living on your property harder!

The size and width of your gates is also an important component to consider. A slimmer-sized gate will be best in areas where mainly people will be entering and exiting. A wider gate is needed for moving anything from lawnmowers to equipment from one place to another. 

Our team understands that putting in a fence at a business may be more for security and protection and more than one gate may be seen as a vulnerable access point. That is why we also recommend that you consider commercial gate operators. You do not want your property to be a fortress that is inaccessible! Gate operators are easier to use than manual gates as they move electronically. They also are limited to those who know the keypad number or have the proper key or card, so the gates are still secure. Again, business owners need to remember that they will still want to get into their property at different points, so strategically placed gates are key to the best fence installation.

We Are Happy to Help

Our Fence Masters crew can come out and view your project plans as well as discuss over the phone what you need and want. Decisions on all aspects of your project are part of what we offer all of our customers in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area. Connect to us through our online contact form.  

The post appeared first on Fence Masters

Here are some of the reasons you may have accumulated fence damage.

Fences are great to have for pretty much any property. Whether you need to keep pets or kids from leaving the yard, or you want to keep intruders away, a fence will always have a purpose to serve you. Over time, fences start to get worn down, though, and eventually, you’ll start to see hints of fence damage.

You’ll want to know why your fence was damaged because you might be able to prevent future damage from happening if you know the source of the problem. Here are some of the reasons you may have accumulated fence damage.

Fence Damage from Pests

There are many critters that can pose a threat to your fence, depending on what fencing material you use. Some people are gravitating away from wooden fences because they are more susceptible to damage from wood-boring beetles, carpenter ants, and termites.

When you see damage from pests, there are a few different routes you can take towards a solution. You could get in touch with an exterminator, or you may be able to purchase a spray to fend them off, depending on the pest in question.

Holes usually form when pests damage your fence, so make sure to patch them up. Otherwise, nests could be built inside of those holes, and you could have an even bigger problem down the road.

Weathering

Weather is a common reason for fence damage. There are all kinds of weather conditions, such as high winds, snow, rain, intense heat, etc., and they can all cause different kinds of damage. For example, intense heat and sun can discolor your fence, while rain and other moisture presents risks of fence rot. Think about what weather conditions are common in your area, so you can assess what types of fence damage you should watch for more often.

Physical Force

The last way your fence could get damaged is due to physical force. This type of fence damage isn’t as likely to occur, but you still have to be ready for that possibility. It’s more likely to happen if you have any pet dogs because they might try to jump over your fence, climb on it, scratch it, or dig underneath it.

Kids can also cause problems for fences when they climb on them because it adds more strain than the posts are meant to handle.

You can try fixing the problem by installing a highly durable fence, but it also helps if you establish that it’s not okay to play with the fence so that it doesn’t sustain unnecessary pressure.

Let Hercules Fence Help Set Up The Perfect Fence For You

Hercules Fence takes pride in being experts in residential, commercial, and high-security fencing. We have been serving our clients since 1955, with only the most knowledgeable of staff. Our staff is ready to serve you from Maryland and the Washington Metropolitan area. Our branch offices are in Manassas, Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, and Maryland.

Visit our website to see how we can be of service to you. Also, follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Linkedin to stay up to date with our latest news.

The post Finding the Reason for Fence Damage appeared first on Hercules Fence.

Today, we will review different kinds of fencing materials so you can determine which one is best for rainy weather.

There are some places that just seem to get more rainy weather than others. If you’re trying to install a fence in a rainy climate, some materials just aren’t going to cut it. That’s why it’s important to know which materials are best suited for damp environments. So what’s the material you should use? Today, we will review different kinds of fencing materials so you can determine which one is best for rainy weather.

Wood Fencing

Wooden fences are very popular due to how aesthetically pleasing they can be and because they are available in many different designs. The question for today, though, is, “how does it perform in the rain?”

The answer is…it depends. If you’re fine putting in the work to maintain your wood fence, it can be a fine option, even in rainy areas. They need to be stained, washed and sealed every year to stay in good condition.

However, even with proper care, some environments are just not suitable for wood. Fence posts make contact with the ground, and when touching the damp ground, it’s easier for these posts to rot and warp. Consider consulting a fencing company if you aren’t sure whether or not wood will be okay as a fencing material. A local company is preferred because they will be used to the weather conditions in your area.

Wrought Iron Fencing

Wrought-iron fences promote a more classic look, and they are incredibly sturdy. Unfortunately, this sturdiness doesn’t protect wrought iron against everything, and rain can be a weakness for these types of fences. Iron is prone to rusting, and even with climates that don’t receive too much rain, rusting can happen frequently.

Your fence will have a better chance of lasting in rainy conditions if it is given good paint jobs and welds. Otherwise, we think it may be best to steer clear of wrought iron as a workable material for your fence.

Aluminum Fencing

Aluminum is one of the lighter metals out there, and many people see this as a huge advantage. There are also many grades of aluminum, allowing you to decide on a fence that suits your budget.

Keep in mind that lower-quality aluminum is more likely to rust than higher-grade aluminum. To summarize, the money you pay is the quality you get, so you may want to invest a little more money into the installation if you want to help your fence last in the rain.

Let Hercules Fence Help Set Up The Perfect Fence For You

Hercules Fence takes pride in being experts in residential, commercial, and high-security fencing. We have been serving our clients since 1955, with only the most knowledgeable of staff. Our staff is ready to serve you from Maryland and the Washington Metropolitan area. Our branch offices are in Manassas, Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, and Maryland.

Visit our website to see how we can be of service to you. Also, follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Linkedin to stay up to date with our latest news.

The post Which Kind of Fencing is Best for Rainy Weather? appeared first on Hercules Fence.

If you don’t already have fence post caps, we’ll go over them with you and review why they’re great for your fence.

Fences make great additions to people’s properties. Because of this, you’ll want to treat them with the utmost care and protect them as best as possible. One area that can get damaged on your fence is the fence posts. Fortunately, you can give your posts extra protection with the help of fence post caps. If you don’t already have fence post caps, we’ll go over them with you and review why they’re great for your fence.

Fence Post Caps: What are They?

Fence post caps are coverings that you install on the tops of your fence posts. They can be seen as both decorative features, as well as features that serve a vital function by keeping your fence posts protected.

These caps are available in a wide range of colors, such as white, black, or green, meaning they can be designed to complement all kinds of properties. You can also get these caps made from many materials, such as wood and vinyl.

They’re Not Just Decorative

The most susceptible area of any fence post is going to be the end grain. When the weather gets wet, the tops of the fence posts absorb the most water when compared to the other areas of your posts. When this happens, it can result in the development of moss, mildew, and mold. Eventually, rotting will occur too. On the opposite side of the coin, intense sunlight can also be a problem because it dries out your fence posts. For wooden fence posts, cracking can occur too.

This is where fence post caps come into play because they act as a personal shield to your fence posts. They protect your posts from the various effects of weather, allowing your posts to last longer and stay safer. You can stay safer as well because the rough edges of fence posts will be concealed underneath your fence post caps, making it less likely for your hands to accidentally pick up any splinters.

Some fence post caps are even good at providing protection against different kinds of wildlife. You could even get your caps spiked if you don’t want certain animals sitting on top of your posts.

Let Hercules Fence Help Set Up The Perfect Fence For You

Hercules Fence takes pride in being experts in residential, commercial, and high-security fencing. We have been serving our clients since 1955, with only the most knowledgeable of staff. Our staff is ready to serve you from Maryland and the Washington Metropolitan area. Our branch offices are in Manassas, Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, and Maryland.

Visit our website to see how we can be of service to you. Also, follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Linkedin to stay up to date with our latest news.

The post Reviewing Fence Post Caps and Why They’re a Great Addition to Your Fence appeared first on Hercules Fence.