Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Fence Me In


As a handyman I would often get calls for wooden fence repair or replacement. When I think of fences, I thing of country or suburbs, but I found my biggest market for fence repair and replacement was in the inter city. Many of the city homes have small areas to fence and wile custom fence is more costly then premade fence sections, clients would chose the more attractive custom fence. After giving them a price on pre-made fencing and a price for the custom fencing that they really wanted, most chose the custom fencing, because with such a small area the difference in price was not that much. You still have to sink and grout the fence poles with any wood fences, so that part of the cost remains the same. Okay well that is something to consider.
Here is a fence question I received:

Question:
We just bought a new puppy and would like to put up a wood fence to keep the little guy safe and prevent him from running into our neighbors’ yards. However, my wife and I are having a debate over which side the posts should face, toward our house or toward our neighbors’ houses. I feel that the posts should face out toward our neighbors, but my wife says the posts should face in.

Answer:
Your wife is right; the posts should face your home as opposed to your neighbors. In fact, in many residential communities, this is a requirement. The reason behind this is that you are choosing to put up the fence, not your neighbors; so they shouldn't have to look at the less attractive side just because you wanted to enclose your yard.

Even if this is not required by your city’s building codes, it’s the neighborly thing to do! Plus, it will help your property look better when viewed from the street. It will also help any new neighbors to the area know that the fence was put up by you and not the previous owner.


"Call your Handyman and take a Kid Fishing"

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