Monthly Archives: October 2018

Adding Privacy to Your Homes Backyard

There is a something to be said for coming home and relaxing in your backyard. The last thing you want when you are trying to wind down is to have to interact with your neighbors or view their unsightly idea of backyard landscaping. Your backyard space should be a sanctuary, a place where you can go to let go and unwind without anxiety. You should never feel like you are sharing your space. Your backyard is yours and yours alone. It is up to you as the homeowner to make the space your own little sanctuary. Bring privacy to your space can easily be done while improving the aesthetics and security of the space. Here are a few ways to “enclose” your backyard space for additional privacy.

Walls:

Enclosing your backyard space with solid walls is without a doubt the most effective way to increase privacy. Solid walls are quite expensive and can be a bit constricting if your space is on the smaller side. One way to avoid the constriction of solid walls is to add plants that cascade over the wall, aesthetic arbors, and gates can help create an airier sense to the enclosed space. If you are looking for a serious approach to security and privacy a solid wall is a great option.

Landscaping:

There are many types of landscaping materials that can help increase the privacy of your backyard. Consider the addition of large evergreens, hedges, arborvitaes, and vertical garden materials. These natural elements will increase the privacy of your landscape and create a living fence. The space will be inviting and natural. If you aren’t necessarily looking to increase the security of your yard and are just searching for a way to increase privacy vertical landscaping materials are a great natural border.

Fencing:

Aluminum fencing is one of the most practical ways in which to increase the privacy of your backyard space. It is durable and practically maintenance free. Aluminum fence panels come in a number of sizes, styles, and colors. There are a number of decorative options to choose as well. Aluminum fencing is affordable, easy to install, compliments any space, and adds security.

Any of these three options can provide homeowners a sense of privacy when relaxing in their backyard. The purpose of a backyard is to have a space that is all yours to relax in and enjoy, a space where the rest of the world and its noise is kept from infiltrating.

iFenceUSA is an online distributor of wholesale aluminum fences and gates for residential, resort, commercial, and industrial installation. As an industry leader in maintenance-free aluminum fencing products we have all your aluminum fence and gate needs covered. More information can be found online at https://ifenceusa.com/.

Caring for Your Aluminum Fence in the Winter

It’s evident that winter is coming. The temperatures have dropped from the high seventies to the low fifties in just a week. Colder temperatures along with the extreme weather that winters here in Michigan bring can do some serious damage to the maintenance of your home and property, including the aluminum fence that encloses the perimeter of your home. During winter, perception is known to come down in multiple forms including rain, snow, sleet, and hail. We have been known to have a complete thaw one day and freezing ice and snow the next. Winters in Michigan can do some serious damage to your fence. To avoid this there are a number of precautions that can be taken to prevent damage to the fence come spring.

Landscaping around the fence is one of the best things that you can do for your fence. Proper landscaping prevents the full weight of the snow from leaning up against the panels. It is also important that trees that overhang the fence are properly trimmed back. This helps to prevent tree limbs from falling on the aluminum fence. Snow and ice are heavy and can potentially fall on the fence and damage the panels. Properly trimming trees prevents this from occurring.

Snow should never be allowed to pile up around the fence. One way to help prevent this is by removing the build up of leaves and debris from around the fencing panels in the fall. Without the leaves sitting up against the fence collecting moisture, going through the freeze thaw process, the fence should stay in good condition. Leaves lock in moisture which causes fence damage, warping, and rust.

Maintenance throughout the winter is always necessary as snow should always be moved away from the fence using a rake or shovel. Without the snow built up around the fence it can evenly melt and allow the fence to uniformly dry out.

Maintenance is a key element in keeping your home in top shape. The same is true of your aluminum fence. If you begin to notice small damage to the fence be sure it is quickly taken care to prevent further, bigger issues down the road. If there is damage to the posts they can quickly become weakened and may not withstand the shrinking and expansion that comes with the freeze and melt of the winter weather. Repairs and maintenance need to be kept up on to prevent small repairs from becoming major problems down the road.

Design Choices With iFenceUSA Aluminum Fencing

A four-foot-tall aluminum fence in white, adorned with circles offers a contemporary design to enhance the clean look and feel homeowners are looking for in a backyard oasis. A six-foot-tall, classic black aluminum fence with an added dual driveway gate offers sophistication and style to regal, two story colonials in brick. Aluminum fencing offers several unique design options which offer homeowners a way to individualize their unique story.

Aluminum Fence Height:

The height of your home’s aluminum fence is one of the more critical choices you will make when selecting your new fence. The height of your homes fence will depend on the job that it needs to perform. Aluminum fencing used around the perimeter of a pool must be four feet or higher other than that the only other regulations you need to consider is those in place by your HOA and local municipalities.

If a fence is only for aesthetics you can literally choose any height that is offered for sale, from three feet to twelve feet. Are you using the fence to keep children or pets inside the yard? Is the fence being added for additional safety, to prevent unwanted visitors? Maybe the fence is purely for aesthetics. Whatever the reason, iFenceUSA has a fence that meets your height requirements.

Resort, Residential, Commercial, or Industrial Grade:

Another choice that homeowners need to make is when selecting the grade (thickness of aluminum) of fencing. It may seem obvious that homeowners would choose residential grade aluminum fence however that is not always the case. The grade of fencing not only determines the strength and thickness of the aluminum that is used in your fence but also the size of the individual pickets, and then length of the aluminum fencing panels.

Style:

iFenceUSA offers eighteen unique options of aluminum fencing to choose from including popular options The San Marino, a flat top aluminum fence style and The Bella Vista, a simple and elegant spear top style. There are three major options when it comes to aluminum fence styles: flat top, exposed spears & finials, and flat top with spears.

Flat Top:

The most popular style in aluminum fencing which covers the pickets so that there is nothing left above the top flat railing.

Spears & Finials:

This style offers a more decorative option for aluminum fence. The pickets are spruced up with a variety of ornamental styles of finials, spears, butterfly scrolls, and circles.

Flat Tops with Spears & Finials:

Aluminum fencing that offers homeowners a combination of elegance with ornamental option with a subdued flat railing.

Color:

One of the last but important decisions homeowners will make has to do with the color of their new fence. Black aluminum fence panels, both matte and glossy, are the most popular option for homeowners. iFenceUSA offers nine color choices when picking out your new fence including: Matte bronze, Bronze, White, Matte White, Green, Beige, Matte Sandstone, Black, and Matte Black. When choosing a color for your fence consider the color and style of your home, choose a color that will compliment your home and matches its style.

Measuring Your Yard for Fencing

One of the most critical steps when you are a DIY homeowner is to measure and then measure again. Ordering and installing an aluminum fence is no different. It is critical to properly measure the area and dimensions of your property looking for possible obstacles that could occur when installing your fence. Measuring the perimeter of the yard is also important to ensure that you have proper amount of fencing materials when the time comes to actually install the new fence.

In order to properly measure your yard and landscape to add a perimeter fence to your yard there are several steps professional fence installers use including:

Sketch out your home as well as the yard:

Drawing out the space will offer you a visual to guide you as you are surveying and measuring the space. It will allow you to include the measurements in the exact location of where they will be needed. This also allows you to add obstacles to the sketch as seen.

Mark out property lines:

One of the initial steps in measuring your yard for the installation of a new fence. Staking out your property line allows you to visually see the yard’s boundaries.

Decide the placement of your fence:

During this step you will be able to decide whether you are looking into installing aluminum fence panels that are 4’, 6’, or 8’. It also allows you to layout a space that maximizes your yard space. Remember that some HOAs may actually require the installation of the fence to be off the property line and not directly on it. It is crucial to understand and abide by these regulations otherwise you could end up wasting both time and money with a fence that needs to be moved.

Measure from post to post:

Once the fence is staked out and you have approval on its placement you can start the process of measuring it out. Using a measuring wheel can be beneficial during this process or a 100-foot measuring tape. This will allow you to calculate how much fence is needed when you get ready to get a fence quote.

Mark obstructions and elevation changes:

Once the initial measurements are taken it is important walk along the fence line and make note of any obstructions or changes in elevation. Obstructions can be anything from utility boxes, boulders, trees, or outdoor structures. Changes in elevation can be small and easily adjusted for or you may need to consider stacked or rackable fencing.

Plan for your aluminum gate:

One of the final steps in measuring out your fence is to plan out where you would like your gates to be installed. Would you like to install a single or double gate, would you like a gate in place that is big enough for a vehicle to enter the space?