FenceScape Composite Fencing - The Freedom and Beauty of Wood Without All of The Work

Note: FenceScape Composite Fencing was discontinued by TimberTech. If you are looking for realistic wood grain fencing, check out our Bufftech Vinyl Fences with CertaGrain & Select Cedar Textures. They are low maintenance and come with a lifetime limited warranty.

The latest addition to our DIY Fence Supply Store, FenceScape Composite Fencing has the natural beauty and character of wood without all the maintenance. It is a great fence alternative for busy homeowners who like the look and feel of a red cedar fence, but want the performance benefits of a synthetic material like vinyl.

FenceScape Composite Materials and Panel Kits
FenceScape Composite Fencing is a component system manufactured from post-industrial recycled wood scraps and plastic.  Just like wood fences, composite fences are built with boards, rails, posts, and attachments, giving you the freedom to create whatever kind of fence suits your tastes and application.  The most common styles are privacy fence and board-on-board (aka. good neighbor) fences.  In addition to loose components, we sale kits that contain all of the FenceScape materials required to create an 8' panel in one of those styles.

Why choose FenceScape Fencing over natural wood or other composite fence brands?
- FenceScape's rail contains a honeycomb of galvanized steel that provides strength to help prevent the potential creep experienced with temperature changes or long-term load
- A FenceScape fence board is about 30-40% lighter than a traditional solid composite board.  FenceScape uses state-of-the-art technology to reduce weight while maintaining durability.
- UV Inhibiting Pigments slow fading and maintain color consistency.  Any material, including FenceScape Composites, will fade over time.
- 25 year warranty protects against: termites, decay, checking, rotting, splitting, and splintering

Sustainable Fencing Solution
FenceScape is made from post industrial recycled wood.  Annually, the FenceScape manufacturing process saves over 100 million pounds of wood dust from the landfill.  In addition, because FenceScape will not splinter, warp or fade the way wood does, it dramatically reduces the wasteful cycle of repair and replacement, and eliminates the frequent application of environmentally harmful paint, sealers and stains.

Cheaper doesn't always mean Better Value
If you compare a FenceScape Composite Fence Board to a similarly sized Western Red Cedar Fence Board, you will find that the FenceScape costs between 2.5 to 3 times more, which is a significant price difference, particularly if you're fencing a large area.  However, if you consider the lifetime maintenance costs (both in dollars and your time if you do it yourself) + the cost of replacing your wood fence at the end of its lifespan (10 to 20 years depending on weather conditions and other factors), the value gap narrows considerably.  For most homeowners, a FenceScape fence is a one time purchase with a 25 year warranty that requires very little maintenance.

New Westbury Aluminum Railing Styles.

Quick product update....
We have added 3 styles of Westbury Aluminum Railing to our online fence & railing store:

The Tuscany is a classic looking 2 rail aluminum railing system that is versatile enough to fit just about any railing application.

Riviera R Style adds a little more modern flair with a third rail and decorative ornamental rings.

The Tuscany and the Riviera Railings go very well with similarly styled Regis 2 and 3 Rail Aluminum Fences.  Both feature the same high quality, AAMA Verified Architectural Grade Powder Coat and lifetime limited warranties.

The Montego is a unique looking 2 rail system with architectural balusters that give it its classic Mediterranean look

Installing a Fence? Call 811 Before You Dig.

       
Ok, so we're a couple of days late........
April was National Safe Digging month and with all the goings on at Signet Fence's Online Fence Supply Store, we didn't have a chance to get this post up.  But, its better late than never on this important DIY safety topic.

Calling 811 is a Must For Any DIY Project

811 is the National Call Before You Dig Hotline.  Dialing this federally mandated phone number will get the ball rolling on your DIY Project by alerting your utilities (through your local OneCall center) that you plan to dig on your property.  The utilities will then, usually within 2-3 days, send somebody to mark any underground lines.
811 isn't just for building fences; even if all you're doing is planting a tree, you should call. If you don't, you could be playing a very expensive game of russian roulette; one that can not only cost you thousands of dollars, but also endanger your safety.  The service is free for homeowners, so there's no good reason not to call before any home improvement project where digging is involved.

Installing a Fence on a Slope - Option 2: Stair-Stepping Your Fence

In the last post, we talked about using rackable panels to install your fence on a slope.  Pre-Assembled rackable panels definitely make the job easier, but they are not always practical.  First, they are not available for all fence types and styles.  Second, rackable panels can only adjust so far.  If your hill is angled by a larger degree than your fence panel will rack, you have to use a different installation strategy called stair-stepping.

What is stair-stepping?

Stair stepping is a fence installation technique where each successive panel in your fence line is installed higher (or lower) than the last; creating a stepped look.  This is accomplished by either custom routing your fence posts to fit the height of your panels or by using brackets attached to unrouted (blank) posts.  The panels themselves require no adjustment.

 

As you can see from the illustration above, one drawback to stairstepping is that it creates gaps underneath your fence panels. If that is an issue for your application (ie. keeping children/animals in or out), there are a couple of ways to fix it First, you can build a solid barrier or use wire mesh to stop animals and children from crawling through the crack. The second solution is to actually create a concrete step under each panel so that the ground underneat is flat. (See the photo above).

If you are pouring concrete under a stair-stepped aluminum fence, then you will use a post mount or welded bottom plate to attach the post to the concrete.

As we mentioned in the introduction, sometimes stair-stepping is the best solution to installing a fence on a slope.  It is also the only choice when installing one piece cast fence panels or panels that are welded together; neither of those are rackable.   Or, it may simply be that you like the look of a stair-stepped fence; it can create an eye catching visage around stonework, landscaping, and pools.

Installing a Fence on a Slope - Option 1: Rackable Panels

A common question that homeowners and do it yourselfers have when planning a fence is "How do I install my fence on a slope". We talk briefly about this in our DIY Fence 101 Guide, but the number of inquiries that we receive on this subject means that we need to explore it a little deeper.

Rackable Pre-Assembled Fence Panels

Fencing a sloped yard can be one of the most challenging fence projects that a Do It Yourselfer, or a professional installer for that matter, can undertake. Luckily, many pre-fabricated fence panels, like ornamental aluminum, steel, and vinyl are designed to be Rackable, which makes the task much easier.

What is a rackable fence panel?

A rackable fence panel is a panel that can adjust to follow the slope of your yard. Whereas standard fence panels have a profile that is rectangular, with rails that run perpedicular to the pickets and posts, a rackable panel's profile looks more like a diamond.
The drawing below illustrates the difference between a standard ornamental fence panel and a panel that has been racked.  When installed on  a slope, the rails will still run parallel to the ground, but the pickets will no longer be perpendicular to the rails.

There is a limit to how far a rackable panel can adjust; which depends on the material, grade, manufacturer, and style.  For example, rackable ornamental aluminum and steel fence panels will typically rack between 20 and 30 degrees for residential grade

Signet Fence sells rackable, pre-fabricated vinyl and aluminum fencing online.  Below are the links to the product pages in our online store, as well as the amount of rack that you can expect from each fence type.
Rackable White Vinyl Privacy Fence - racks up to 7 inches per 8 foot section.  Can be installed on a slope of about 7 degrees.  Vinyl Panels can also be cut to enable further racking.
Rackable Residential Aluminum Fence - rack up to 20 inches per 6 foot section.  Can be installed on a slope of up to about 28 degrees.
Rackable Commercial Aluminum Fence - rack up to 8 inches per 8 foot section.  They can follow a slope of about 8 degrees.

Whatever fence material you choose, it should be a system that is pre-assembled from components as opposed to one that is cast or welded. Solid, one piece fence panels have no moving parts and cannot adjust to the angle of your hill without stairstepping, which we will cover in the next post.

Consult the fence manufacturer's documentation to see if a particular system racks enough to fit your needs before purchasing.

Oz Post Instant Post Holes: Easy DIY Installation for Fences, Decks, Signs, and More.

  

Oz Post - Drivable Post Anchors

If the thought of digging post holes, hauling dirt, and pouring concrete makes your back hurt or has you thinking twice about the DIY part of your DIY fence or deck project, Oz-Post post support anchors are what you need.
Oz Post support anchors are driven into the ground with a sledgehammer (for smaller jobs) or an electric jackhammer (which can be rented at most large hardware supply stores) eliminating a lot of the pre-installation prep work and allowing you to focus more on laying out your DIY project. [more] They are also more forgiving. Posts screw into the Oz-Post anchor, so if you make a mistake, or if your installing a temporary item like a sign, you can unscrew the posts, pull the Oz-Post out of the ground, and use it again.
Sometimes digging post holes is the better option, like if your installing posts more than 8" in diameter or if you want to punish your children for stealing the car. For the most part though, Oz-Post drivable post anchors will get the job done with less work, time, and possibly even less money.

Oz-Posts for Every Application

We sell Oz-Post anchors online for most types of fencing. Check out some of our most popular models below.

Swimming Pool Safety Part 2: Protect family and pets from pool accidents with an ICC compliant pool fence

In part 1 of our pool safety blog post, we gave you a checklist of 10 things that you can do to protect your family and pets from accidents around your swimming pool this summer. In this second part, we are going to talk about pool safety fences, specifically what they are and what important features you should be aware of when installing one.

What is a pool safety fence

A pool safety fence is a fence that is designed to make it difficult or impossible for infants/toddlers to gain access to your swimming pool without adult supervision. You might be thinking, "Isn't any fence that I put around my pool considered a pool safety fence"? And the answer is no. For example, a fence that can be easily climbed over or a fence with a gate that remains open will offer very minimal protection.

To ensure that a fence provides an acceptable level of safety, an organization named the International Code Council (ICC) developed a set of pool barrier codes which define a set of minimum standards that a pool fence should meet.
From the ICC Website:

The International Code Council (ICC) is a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention. ICC develops the codes and standards used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.

The International Codes, or I-Codes, published by ICC, provide minimum safeguards for people at home, at school and in the workplace.

Many states and municipalities use the ICC codes as their local codes, but some provide additional restrictions. Always check with your state and local building departments to see if they differ from the ICC Codes.  If they do, then you should follow the local code.


ICC Residential Pool Barrier Code Summary
This discussion assumes that we are talking about fences because they are the most common type of pool barrier. Technically, however, a pool barrier doesn't have to be a fence. For example, a brick wall can be a valid pool barrier as long as it meets the ICC Building Code requirements.

We've also put together a beginner DIY Pool Fence Guide which summarizes the ICC codes in more depth and contains several helpful illustrations.

The following is a summary of some of the most relevant ICC Residential In-Ground Pool Fence Codes.  It is not a complete list. For more information about the ICC or to purchase a copy of the complete ICC Codes, please visit their website at ICC.org.

• A Pool Fence should have a height equal or greater than 48in.
• A Pool Fence should not allow an object greater than 4in. in diameter to pass through its openings.
• A Pool Fence should have a gap no more no more than 2" from the bottom rail to the ground.
• Pool Fence gates should open outward, away from the pool
• Pool Fence gates should be self closing, latching, and be able to accomodate a locking device.

ICC Codes Visualized

The following images can be used to visualize some of the ICC pool fence codes. They show a fence that exhibits the proper features next to one that does not.