Monthly Archives: August 2015

Create a Fun Backyard With Aluminum Fencing

In the previous two articles on creating an ideal backyard we have discussed using materials in your design that are both safe and easy to maintain. In this installment we will talk about adding in the element most important to your family, friends and pets. If the space is not being used because it is boring the time you spent designing an environment that is safe and easy to maintain will not matter much.

In order to create a backyard that is enjoyed by everyone your must include elements that benefit each individual using the space. If you can do this your backyard will become a desirable destination for the entire family.

The goal is to create a space that doesn’t look like a playground but offers similar attributes for young children to enjoy while trying not to alienate the adults. A swimming pool with the addition of a hot tub and outdoor spa is a wonderful way to accomplish this. To create a pool environment that is welcoming to both children and adults it is important to consider the environment as a whole.

Start by choosing an aluminum fence with self latching aluminum gate to enclose the space. This adds elegance while creating a safe guard against access into the area without proper supervision. To enhance the area for adults install a covered bar area with seating away from the pool. Surround the pool deck with chase lounges and side tables for guests to relax and read a book and enjoy some ice tea. Add in a slide, diving board and access for a basketball hoop and volleyball net in the pool itself. This arrangement offers lots of recreational choices for both adults and children to enjoy.

When deciding on plants for the landscaping surrounding the pool and throughout the yard consider a secret garden space. Children love spaces to hide. To create a inconspicuous fort create a clear space that is tucked behind some hedges. Let your son build a fort; let your daughter create a secret world of fairies. This hidden get away is even perfect for the family pet as a spot to hide his bones. An area all their own is an ideal way to enlighten your child. Once your children are grown, this secret space under the hedges is easily transformed into a romantic seating area for two. A space like this in your yard is ideal for not only your children or pets but for you as well.

A bat house is a popular enhancement in backyard landscape designs. You will be the coolest parent on the block if you choose to install a bat house over an ordinary birdhouse. The boxes can be places amongst the trees inconspicuously to attract bats. Your family and guests will enjoy seeing the bats fly around in early evening and the insect control they provide is an added benefit.

Add flowers in your landscaping that are safe, low maintenance and attract wildlife. Colorful flowers that add fragrance to your backyard add a pop to an ordinary green landscape. This type of flower is also useful in attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. Your family will enjoy hours of endless enjoyment watching the different types of butterflies fly among your plants.

Another addition that children and parents enjoy is a vegetable garden. This is a great way to teach them about nature and healthy foods while enhancing your backyard space. Choose some items your children have never had before mixed in with some family favorites. Growing it on their own may make it more likely to be something they eat when you serve it to them.

Creating a family friendly space that is safe, maintainable and family friendly is worth the work once you realize that your backyard is the desired location for family and friends to enjoy!

iFenceUSA offers a variety of maintenance-free, no-rust aluminum fences and gates in the industry! Whether you are a pool contractor, a building contractor, an architect, a landscaping professional, or a “do-it-yourself” homeowner looking for value and installation advice, you’ll benefit by buying aluminum fences shipped factory-direct fromhttp://www.iFenceUSA.com!

Creating a Maintenance Free Backyard With Aluminum Fencing

As a parent and homeowner the last thing I want to think about when I am relaxing at home is the work that needs to be done to keep the house in tip top shape. In my last installment we discussed creating a backyard that was safe. Safety is of course the first and most important aspect to your home inside and out with maintenance being the second. Landscaping options that help you avoid expensive repairs and extensive cleanup limit the time and money that you need to spend to maintain it.

Thankfully, some of the same landscape options that are installed to keep your children and pets safe are also easy on homeowners to maintain. What you are looking for in landscaping that is simple to maintain is how easy it is to clean up spills, repair damage and prevent costly repairs.

Installing a fence around the perimeter of your home or in-ground swimming pool is crucial to keeping your family, friends and pets safe. A fence keeps unwanted people out while keeping the ones you want in. Many different materials are used to create fences that are ideal for both pool safety and backyard perimeter fencing. Out of the materials you can choose none are as maintenance free as aluminum is.

Aluminum fencing never needs to be stained or painted. In fact to clean aluminum fence panels all you need is a regular hose and maybe a wet rag. Spraying the fence to get rid of excess dirt and algae buildup is all the maintenance this fence needs to look as beautiful as the day it was first installed. It is also one of the easiest materials in fencing to install. Aluminum fence comes preassembled in pre-drilled, pre-measured sections. All you need to do to install it is to dig some holes for the post and put it all together. Aluminum fencing basically installs and maintains itself making it an ideal choice for homeowners looking to be free of the hassles involved in keeping up on the look of their fence.

Artificial turf over natural grass is also a great choice not only safety but for ease of maintenance as well. Not only does artificial grass never needs to be mowed it also never needs weeding, fertilization, pesticides and other time consuming chores. The turf is easily rinsed if a spill occurs and can easily be repaired if a section is to become damaged. Artificial turf is ideal for pets as well. Cleaning up both solid and liquid waste is easy to manage on a regular basis whereas natural grass is easily damaged by pet waste. Dog urine often burns large brown patches in your lawn that can’t be easily remedied. As long as you have a pet that uses the space as a bathroom brown patches will occur in your natural grass. This is not true of artificial turf.

Using pavers to install non-skid, non-slip surfaces makes maintenance easy. The non-skid, non slip surface is family friendly and the individual sections make it simple to clean if a spill occurs or replaced if damaged. When you use pavers instead of pouring a concrete slab repairing a small section is inexpensive, convenient and time friendly. Replacing one, two or even a few pavers can be done in less than an hour with results that will appear as if nothing was ever damaged.

Safety and maintenance are key issues to look at when designing a backyard. A backyard is nothing however without using it. Our next installment will look at creating an environment that focuses on fun and entertainment while incorporating what we have learned about safety and maintenance.

iFenceUSA offers the widest variety of maintenance-free, no-rust aluminum fences and gates in the industry! Whether you are a pool contractor, a building contractor, an architect, a landscaping professional, or a “do-it-yourself” homeowner looking for exceptional value and installation advice, you’ll benefit by buying wholesale aluminum fences shipped factory-direct to your home or business anywhere in America fromhttps://www.iFenceUSA.com.

Backyard Safety With Aluminum Fencing

The goal for homeowners is to create a backyard environment that is safe, fun and easy to maintain; a space where the entire family can enjoy. Designing a space that is kid friendly, pet safe and relaxing for adults is not as complicated as it may sound. Your backyard landscape design can include a patio, swimming pool and special landscape features that are both family and pet friendly. With a bit of planning any backyard can be a safe, enjoyable, low-maintenance outdoor oasis for your entire family to enjoy.

Safety is a big concern with all homeowners. In this article we will focus on the safety aspect of your backyard. The fun and maintenance aspect are important but only after safety has been considered.

It is important that your home feels safe and that precautions are taken to ensure your family, friends and pets are safeguarded against any eminent dangers. For instance, if your backyard landscape includes an in-ground pool it is plausible that without proper safety measures in place an accident is more likely to occur.

To limit access to the pool area while children and pets are in the yard alone it is important to install an aluminum fence with self latching gate around the perimeter of the pool and sitting area. Be sure to only purchase aluminum fence panels that meet the guidelines set forth by the B.O.C.A. as well as any local government or HOA regulations. A self latching gate is pertinent as it ensures the fence shuts tight and is not left open for children or pets to access the area without adult supervision.

Another safety measure to include in your landscape design is perimeter fencing. In order to keep the backyard aesthetically pleasing it is important to choose an aluminum fence design that coordinates and compliments your home and landscape. Aluminum fencing not only keeps unwanted visitors out of your space it also keeps the wanted ones in and safe from elements outside of your backyard environment. It is not possible to keep track of children and pets each and every second of the day. A perimeter fence keeps them safe if they should happen to wander out into the backyard without you.

Accidents occur from slipping, tripping and falling as much outdoors as they do indoors. To prevent such mishaps from happening install non-skid, non-slip surfaces on patio areas, walkways and pool decks that are likely to get wet and where children are likely to play. You won’t be able to eliminate all slip and fall accidents but non-skid, non-slip materials such as pavers will lessen occurrences.

Avoid all toxic and harmful plants when choosing the vegetation for your landscape. Azaleas are beautiful but deadly to cats and dogs. Other plants that cause issues with your pet’s liver and or heart include beauties such as lily of the valley, rhododendron, foxglove and more. It is crucial in keeping your pets safe that you research the vegetation before it is installed within your landscape design.

Grass is a traditional material to use in landscaping. However it requires a great deal of maintenance and is not the safest choice in ground cover. A safer option then natural grass is artificial turf. A synthetic lawn is even with uniform surfaces helping to prevent accidents that occur in uneven natural grass lawns. It is less likely to trip, fall or twist and ankle when running and playing on a flat surface. Artificial turf does not require harmful fertilizers or pesticides either making it a terrific alternative to natural grass.

As a homeowner it is your responsibility to keep your home free of hazards and safety concerns both inside and out. Follow the tips above to help keep your family, friends and pets safe while exploring the great outdoors.

Four Tips To Consider When Choosing A Fence For Your Home

Define the purpose for the fence: Why are you looking into fencing in the first place? Are you looking to add privacy, visual appeal, perimeter fencing to keep young children and pets in or to provide a barrier from your pool.

Fencing comes in a variety of materials: wood, aluminum, wrought iron, chain link, vinyl and many more. Given the right material and correct installation a fence can be a key piece of landscaping that increases your homes property value. Let the answer to the question above be the guide to the material you choose. Prioritize your needs for a fence over your wants.

Aluminum fencing tends to work well for a variety of situations and is incredibly pleasing to the eye. The decorative touches, such as finials and butterfly scrolls, in aluminum fence offer an elegance not found in other types of fencing. It is often the required choice by homeowners associations.

Consider the maintenance required to maintain the fence: Ask yourself how much time and money you are willing to spend to maintain your fence.

Wooden fences require regular maintenance. Fencing needs to be power washed every couple of years and either painted or stained. Aluminum and vinyl require very little maintenance which tends to be an appealing option to many homeowners. To clean vinyl or aluminum fencing all that is required is a gentle water rinse, wiping down any areas that are stained or covered in algae.

Research local city and neighborhood fencing regulations: What rules are in place? Does your homeowners association require a certain height or type of material with the installation of a fence? What are the local city ordinances; this is especially important when it comes to fencing around your swimming pool.

If there are rules in place that specify the use of a certain material in your fencing you don’t have much choice. Many HOA’s require aluminum fencing as it is elegant and withstands a variety of severe weather conditions. HOA’s stipulate specific rules for homeowners in certain neighborhoods to maintain the subdivisions visual appeal.

Hire a professional fence contractor to install your fence: Research professional fencing contractors that install fences in your area.

Many fences can be installed by do it yourself homeowners however if often shows in the end product. A contractor that specializes in the installation of fencing is your best bet for a quality end result. It is too expensive to buy materials for your new fence only to ruin the aesthetics of it with poor installation.