Choosing the Fence That's Right for You: Chain Link Fence

The following article on chain link fence styles focuses on installations performed in a residential setting.

Property owners have many reasons for why they want to fence in their properties; privacy, security, pets, or children. Each reason warrants a unique style of fencing. Custom Fence Company professionally installs vinyl, wood, ornamental aluminum and steel, farm fence and chain link fence. The most versatile style in the aforementioned list has to be chain link fence. This article will explain the various chain link styles that are available to you.

Here is a description of chain link fence from Wikipedia.com to familiarize you with the style:

Picture of Chain Link Fence from Wikipedia.com

A chain-link fence (also referred to as wire netting, chain-wire fence, cyclone fence or hurricane fence) is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or LLDPE-coated steel wire. The wires run vertically and are bent into a zig-zag pattern so that each "zig" hooks with the wire immediately on one side and each "zag" with the wire immediately on the other. This forms the characteristic diamond pattern seen in this type of fence.

Available in heights from 42" up to over 10', chain link fence is a steel product that is coated with different materials that each give it a different appearance. The most common is galvanized coating. This gives the fence a silverish or sometimes grayish appearance. Aluminized coating gives the wire a dull silver appearance. A benefit of choosing an aluminized coating is that it does not have buildups of metal particles like galvanized coating sometimes will. The buildup is sharp and can cut the fingers of your children or pets when they come into contact. Both of those coatings are very high quality and are available in a variety of gauges for all types of installations.



Black Vinyl Chain Link

 If you want to dress up the appearance of your chain link fence you can choose a vinyl coated fence. Custom Fence Company offers vinyl coated chain link fence in green, black and brown. Vinyl coated chain link gives the fence a dressed up appearance and blends in well with backgrounds. This type of fence is also commonly installed using a wood frame; a style called San Lido. The vinyl coating is also very smooth making vinyl coated chain link fence desirable to have around swimming pools and playgrounds where children may come into contact with the fence.

Not all chain link fence is created equally! What I mean by that is that there are different gauges of the wire in the fence and of the wall thicknesses and diameters of the line posts and top rails. Always check on these factors. The gauge of wire for a typical 4' or 5' residential fence installation is 11.5, posts should have a wall thickness of .065 and top rail should be at least .055 with a diameter of 1 3/8". Post diameters are also important for the strength of the fence. Line posts should be 1 5/8" and terminal and corner posts should be 2.5".



Bundles of Top Rail

 Those numbers are a good guideline. Some circumstances require heavier duty material. If you have a dog that is large enough to jump up to the top rail or are near a park or school you may need a heavier duty top rail. Children and pets jumping on top rail can cause the rail to sag or even bend over time. The cost difference will be trivial to the extended life time that you will get if you decide to use a heavier material.

Follow the guidelines on materials above when having a chain link fence installed and your fence will last you a long time! Chain link is made of steel and coated to help reduce the rate of rusting and improve the durability of the metal. If the steel is erected with steel materials you also do not have to worry about rotting like you do with wood fence. It also serves many purposes. It will secure your property, keep your pets and children in the yard or create a barrier.

So chain link fence is great for multiple purposes, will last a lifetime and is available in different styles/colors; it must cost a fortune! Acutally chain link is typically the most inexpensive fence that we quote in residential settings. It is about half the cost of wood privacy fence and 1/4th the cost of vinyl picket or ornamental aluminum. It is also great for hilly landscapes as it follows the contour more fashionalby than it's competitors.

So basically chain link is great for a budget. You can have an effective, durable and stylish fence installed at a cost that fits your needs. Custom Fence Company custom builds chain link gates for each job as well. It is almost May and our schedule is filling up rapidly. Call us today for a free estimate for chain link fence or any of the other styles that we offer.

Look our for the upcoming "Choosing the Fence That's Right for You" article on Wood Fence

Take Caution when Digging Holes For Fence Posts

Call 811 before you dig - Utility line marking is
free of charge and could save your life!

Fence companies, like Custom Fence Co., dig tens of thousands of holes each year to set posts. Many people probably do not realize just how dangerous digging holes can be. Utility lines have been buried below ground for decades. Typical buried lines include cable, telephone, gas and electric. Gas and electric lines are the most dangerous to hit because hitting these lines can result in electrical shock or a fire/explosion.

Custom Fence Co. always takes the necessary precautions before digging. I received the following tips a few days ago from AT&T. Their purpose in sending out these helpful tips is to limit the amount of damage to underground utility lines. My purpose for posting it on our blog is to help those of you who are unaware of the steps you should take in the event that you decide to dig on your property. This is good information for anyone who plans to dig.

• Call Before You Dig
• Wait the Required Amount of Time to Ensure Facilities are Located
• Verify marks and visually inspect dig site
• Ensure all utility companies have responded with identifying flags or paint. Look for obvious signs of facilities in the area, such as pedestals, lateral feeds or cross-boxes, and make sure those facilities have been marked.
• Dig with care around marked facilities
• Hand dig or vacuum excavate when working within the safe dig zone. Exposing the cable or conduit is required when an excavation is crossing an AT&T facility. This practice ensures the marks are accurate and the excavation can proceed with care while working around the facility.

Don't Take Chances!

Choosing the Fence that's Right for You

Let's Make a Deal on the Fence that You Need!

Custom Fence Company has been professionally installing all types/styles of fence since 1975. We offer full service installation of chain link, wood, vinyl and ornamental aluminum and steel fence in residential, commercial and industrial settings. We always insure that our customers end up with the style of fence that fits both their needs and their budget. So how do we always get to that conclusion?

When you call Custom Fence Company either my father or myself will come out to your property for an initial consultation. We help you determine where the fence will be installed and take measurements. Then we go over the various styles of fence that we offer to fit your specific needs. Some property owners can become overwhelmed with the amount of choices available to them. After a few simple questions we use our experience to narrow the options down to fence styles that will meet your requirements.

After we determine the fence style that is right for you we then use the measurements and gate sizes to create a bid for you. The big question is, "What fence style is RIGHT for you?" Over the next few weeks I am going to blog about the differences between the various styles of fence. My articles will explore the functionality of each style of fence and the differences between each. Some fence styles are more well suited for particular purposes or even for the variations in landscape.

My first article that will post later this week is about chain link fence. Chain link is one of the most effective styles of fence for residential and commercial applications and it also comes at a very efficient price. The upcoming article will also inform you on the different colors and materials that chain link is available in.

Despite the severely long winter that we are experiencing in the South Bend, In area this year - WE ARE BUILDING FENCE!!! Spring is right around the corner and our schedule is filling up. Call us today for a free estimate and let Custom Fence Company ensure that you get the quality installation and materials at a price that fits your budget. Stay tuned for the upcoming series on "Choosing the Fence that's Right for You."

Fence Jumping Causes Damage!

Man jumping a 4'chain link fence

I can still hear my grandfather today, "Stop jumping over my fence," he would tell my cousins and I as we would continually jump over his 4' chain link fence in search of a loose baseball or Frisbee. It never made sense to me as to why he would get so upset over something that an 8 year old boy found so unimportant! Today I understand just why old grand-dad would get so upset...

We get multiple calls each year to repair fence that has been damaged from people (usually younger people!) jumping over it in lieu of using the more sensible alternative - the gate! Damage can occur to any type of fence simply from someone jumping over it. The damage increases in severity the more this activity is repeated. It can break or rip-off boards on wood fence, it can crack vinyl fence and make it sag in the middle (that type of damage will not be covered in the lifetime warranty that comes with all of our vinyl fence products), jumping a fence can severely bend and damage ornamental steel and aluminum fences and most of all it can devastate the top rail of chain link fence.

We have noticed calls for fence jumping damage increasing over the years. Many home or business owners with property near schools or playgrounds install fencing to keep folks from cutting through their lawns. While this measure will typically deter most folks from taking the short cut through the lawn, sometimes it does not deter everyone! At Custom Fence Company, we understand this. That is why we offer our residential chain link fence with a heavier duty top rail than our competitors install. We do this because we care about quality and the longevity of your investment, many other fence companies simply want to "get the job." In order to do that they sacrifice the quality of the materials they use.

Here are some steps that you can take if you are concerned that the neighborhood kids may try to jump over your fence some day:

• Always ask the gauge of the top rail, posts and wire when getting a chain link fence installed. They cheapest guy in the race may be using cheap material. You want to be certain that you are comparing apples for apples (top rail should be at least .055 gauge rather than .047)
• Use vinyl coated chain link fence. Vinyl coating is offered in black, green or brown. The vinyl coating adds to the beauty of the fence and you can select a color that allows the fence to blend in with it's surroundings. Vinyl fence material is not only coated with vinyl, but it is also a heavier gauge. This will deter the product from bending and sagging from illicit use and age. Vinyl coated chain link also comes with a great warranty.
• Increase the height of your fence. This is important for home or business owners that live near parks and schools. If your 4' fence is ruined from jumpers, replace it with a 5' or 6' tall fence. That extra 1 or 2 feet can be what calms the braveness of the jumpers!
• If you are having a wood fence installed, ask that the panels be built on site. If the installer builds the fence on site they should be using material that is stronger and higher quality than the pre-manufactured panels that can be purchased at home improvement stores. Pickets should be 1" thick and stringers should be 2"x4" - This will ensure that your fence is more durable and the increase in cost is trivial to the increase in quality that this step provides.
• Like Vinyl Fencing? Vinyl fence is great and at Custom Fence Co., it comes with a lifetime warranty! A few things to increase the durability of your vinyl fence are:
• It should have an aluminum reinforcement bar across the bottom stringer of the fence. Do not consider a vinyl fence that does not offer this. It will sag in the middle within a few years.
• Make sure that the panels snap into the posts as opposed to using screws to attach them. This will help the life of your fence out in 2 huge ways. First, screws rust and most vinyl fence is white. Over the years when the screws begin to rust the rust will leave orange lines running down the fence everywhere that a screw is installed ruining the appearance of your once beautiful fence. Second, fence that fits together by engineered slots and notches is more durable. As the screws rust, they also become weaker and are more likely to loosen over time leading to your fence possibly falling over.
• Aluminum and Steel Ornamental fencing are great quality and come with a lifetime warranty. You should not have much of a problem with this style. You can always choose to go with a commercial grade fencing to beef up the strength and I always suggest making sure that the panels are 6' wide to help reduce sagging.

I hope these tips were helpful for you. Custom Fence Co. is always here to answer any of your fencing questions. Call us today for a free estimate -

269.683.2892

info@CustomFenceMichiana.com



Call Custom Fence Co. Anytime!

Custom Fence Co. has proudly served property and business owners of the greater Michiana area for over 35 years now. We have learned a lot about what our customers need and how we can take care of their fencing needs in the most effective, cost efficient manner. We offer free estimates and maintain a business model that allows us to offer the highest quality installations in the area at extrememly competitive pricing.

It is no secret that it gets really cold and snowy in the South Bend, IN area. As much as we would like to build fence 12 months a year, we usually just can't. Mother Nature tries to not allow it! With that being said, you can imagine that our phones don't ring as often during the snowy, winter months. Property owners are not thinking about installing a fence when the snow is 3' deep. However, you can call us any time of the day, month or year for a free estimate. We also do repairs 12 months a year, so always give us a call.

Lucky for all of us, winter is over. Thermometers hit 70 degrees a few days ago! We are all getting out in our yards, doing some landscaping and taking care of fence projects that we have had on our minds. A few days before that 70 degree day it was bitterly cold though.

We notice a trend throughout every fence building season. Our phones ring off the hook on beautiful days, but calls slow on colder and/or rainier days. It makes sense. No one is out in the yard on a rainy day, and they aren't thinking about yard work. Remember that we work rain or shine!

I have a suggestion to all of the future Custom Fence Co. customers. CALL US ON RAINY AND/OR COLD DAYS!!! These are the days where you will be able to contact us the easiest. Many property owners aren't aware of this simple principle. We are always available to assist you with any of your fencing needs and guarantee you the best customer service in the Michiana area 365 days/year. But, you know, every industry has slower days and ours happens to be those filled with rain and cold weather.

Call us today for a Free Estimate!! (refundable deposit for insurance quotes)

Time to Start Thinking about Your 2011 Fence Project

The snow is melting and the sun is beginning to shine more. Over the next few weeks property and business owners, like yourself, will begin focusing on their yards. 2011 is the year that you should move forward with your fencing ideas. Custom Fence Co. can assist you with choosing a new fence that fits your specific needs and we offer Free Estimates!

Property owners have fence installed for many reasons. Security, safety, privacy and curb appeal are the major reasons to have a fence installed. A fence will keep your property more secure and your pets and/or children safe. We all deserve a little privacy as well. Privacy fences are offered in many styles of wood and vinyl. It is a great way to relax in your back yard and be guaranteed peace. Some folks don't have a pet or child or even need privacy; they like the way a fence makes their property look. A nice vinyl coated chain link or an ornamental aluminum or steel fence will dress your property up nicely. 

Regardless of the reason that you seek to have a fence installed, Custom Fence Co. can help you. When considering a fence contractor you should choose a professional, licenced and insured fence company like Custom Fence Co. Let one of our professionals guide you through the process of choosing a fence style that is right for your needs. Our installers also have decades of combined experience and we guarantee all of our work. Call us today for a Free Estimate and get the ball rolling on your 2011 fence project! 

Custom Fence Company Commercial

Yellowbook.com created this video to promote Custom Fence Company. The photos in the video are of actual Custom Fence Company installations. Enjoy the video it can also be seen with our ads on yellowbook.com and mojopages.com.

Custom Fence Company Advertisment Video