Top 10 Questions Natural Wood Fence

Natural Wood Fence Maryville should last 15 – 20 years

This is a great question! Natural wood fencing will require help to maintain the rich beautiful look. That means regular maintenance. And if it is not TREATED FOR TERMITES LUMBER, you will need to add that to your termite protection plan. This includes all natural wood lumber that is not artificially treated for termites. Cedar, Chinese cedar, fir, spruce, cypress (yes, even swamp cypress), white cedar, yellow cedar, swamp cedar, red cedar, and even western red cedar. Why is that? Any lumber with naturally occurring chemicals will not be uniformly distributed within the tree. The lumber out of the tree will have sapwood (low density) and heartwood. Even with this “natural chemical” it will diminish over a couple of years and need a “BOOSTER SHOT” from your pesticide treatment company. With regular maintenance expect 10 – 15 years on your fencing. If not maintained with termite chemicals then reduce to 6-8 years.

Southern Termite BeltWill termites attack my natural wood fence?

Will termites attack my natural wood fence?

YES! Termites will eat any and all wood fibers (fencing) in their path, even lumber treated with chemical for termites. The difference is that when termites eat the poison…they die.

East Tennessee is in the heart of the TERMITE BELT! That means your property WILL be attacked by termites — no “ifs!” Termites are nature’s clean up crew for dead and decaying wood (cellulose), and they excel in cleaning up Knoxville’s unprotected cedar fencing. So if you choose a natural wood fence material such as SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE TREATED FOR TERMITES, then no further action is needed. HOWEVER, if you choose any of the dozens of “naturally resistant” fence materials out there such as cedar, Chinese cedar, fir, spruce, cypress (yes, even swamp cypress), white cedar, yellow cedar, swamp cedar, red cedar, and western red cedar, then add ANNUAL TERMITE TREATMENTS to your fence costs.

Is Natural Wood Fencing safe for children and pets?

Natural wood fencing is safe for children and pets. You do not want your children handling or eating the wood fencing if it has been treated for termites. The pressure treatment process for pine is federally approved as safe, but I would err on the side of caution and not use it for playground equipment where children are constantly in contact with it. An industry wide chemical changeover occurred in 2004 from a CCA to an ACQ chemical treatment. This is for safety reasons. For all other wood fencing materials, check with your pest control company for the secondary termite treatment used on fencing. Basically, if it’s treated for termites…it’s probably not good for you to ingest!

If I paid $3000 for my wood fence and sell my home in 10 years, will I get my money back?

NO! Natural wood fencing is a rapidly depreciating asset (like a new car). A well-maintained natural wood fence will require cleaning and staining every couple of years. Your initial cost of $3000 will increase to $4500 – $6000 depending on the staining and replacements and termite treatments needed to maintain that “LOOK.” After 10 years, you can expect about a 30% return on original investment of a well-maintained wood fence ($3000 x .3 = $900 value) upon resale. If you consider the additional expenses for staining, repairs, and termite treatments, then a $6000 investment after 10 years is only a $900 return.

The GOOD NEWS is that you get to enjoy the look and feel of your natural wood fence for those 10 years. And when you sell your property, one with a fence usually sells first. Ask your realtor for current local information.

How many different wood materials are available for fencing. Which wood material should I choose?

KNOCK OFF CEDAR FENCE braced to stand up

Wow! This question is wide open! It all depends on your budget, how much you want to spend on repairs, staining, and termite treatments. The only natural wood lumber that will stand up to the termites in East Tennessee is the pressure treated pine. All other natural wood products WILL BE DESTROYED by termites within 6-8 years if not artificially treated for termites!

That being said, you should weigh the pros and cons of each lumber for the project you specifically need. Expect to pay extra for termite treatments if you want a cedar, spruce, or cypress product. And good intentions don’t count. So if you don’t have the fence sprayed for termites…expect the worst.

We ONLY USE PRESSURE TREATED PINE for our natural wood fencing projects. WHY? The PTP has proven itself as a workhorse lumber, able to take severe abuse and still be structurally sound. Used for everything from decks, docks, steps, fencing, anything outdoors it has a proven history. As for the “KNOCK OFF CEDARS,” I have seen them rot out within 5 years of installation. They have no warranty and consumers are left in the lurch. If you choose a “KNOCK OFF CEDAR,” be sure to have a pesticide plan to include with your fence.

Do I have to stain my natural wood fence?

No, of course not! Nor do you have to wash your car, cut the grass, or paint the house. But if you don’t maintain your new fence your curb appeal will take a hit. You have a great home, so do the right thing: Stain the fence and keep up the look and feel of your home. By the way, NEVER use a paint on your natural wood fence. The paint will eventually peel and then you will have a mess, scraping and cleaning so you can repaint. A stain will soak into the wood fibers (like mustard on a white t- shirt) and hold much longer. The natural wood fence without stain will eventually turn a “barn wood grey” color. That is the sun’s UV rays bleaching the outside layer (which has the thickness of a piece of paper). Treated pine fencing will grey out in about a year in full sunlight, and double that for yards with shade trees. You can alway peel this layer off with a pressure washer and then stain.

Will I need to replace boards, pickets, or posts?

Definitely! As a natural product, your wood fence will need repairs, maintenance, and even replacement of posts, rails and pickets over time. This is to be expected as a routine yearly maintenance. Knowing that you will most likely need some pieces and parts for your fence, make sure you can get the materials to match up in the future.

What does the warranty cover?

Maryville, Tn Cedar Cypress riddled with termites, this cedar and cypress should have been added to the pest control spraying contract. Termites LOVE this CEDAR FENCE!

First, let’s talk warranty! Usually there is a materials warranty from the manufacturer (company supplying the lumber) and contractors warranty.

The manufacturers warranty (materials) for lumber has no warranty period! It is a natural product and carries no warranty. Any contractor that guarantees lumber not to warp…have them put that in writing in your contract. RED FLAG!

Treated Pine Lumber is warranted by the chemical company for the chemical injected into the lumber for specific structural integrity of the lumber from termites, insects, and mold fungus. WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET TERMITES? Termites are definitely out there! Insects may attack the lumber, but the chemical will kill the termites before structural damage occurs.

Contractors will normally be required by state law to warranty their installation for 12 months from completion date. That is for installation to industry standards. Some companies will extend the warranty for 2 years. If any issues arise from the installation, that should show up within the first year.

WARPAGE! No warranties are given for natural lumber characteristics of warpage, waining, and grain raising. All lumber is made up of cell structure, when the cells dry out, then the result is warping. All wood fences (Cedar, Cypress, Spruce, Fir, Pine) exposed to the elements will shift, change, warp.

BRYANT FENCE gives an ALLOWANCE of 5 picket boards per 100′ installed for the first 18 months from completion of the project. That isn’t your fault, our fault, no one’s fault. Simply an allowance to keep that beautiful fence looking beautiful for you.

How much does a natural wood fence cost?

The most popular question! How much does it cost? Prices here reflect a few things; we assume you are using a licensed contractor, with work comp and liability insurance, and a physical location, referrals, 3rd party review (BBB). WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

Natural wood picket fencing will range depending on the amount of lumber used (picket height, picket size, picket spacing). Installation costs for 3′ high, 4′ high, and 5′ high fencing is the same so the basic difference is the material costs. Most picket fencing considering pine, cedars, cypress will run between $10 – $18 per foot installed with the majority in the $11 – $14 range.

Natural wood privacy fencing includes privacy, spaced privacy, decorative privacy, shadowbox fencing in heights of 6′ – 8′. A range for this is about $14 – $32 per foot with the majority in the $14 – $18 range. Gates are additional and include options such as heavier support posts, bracing, steel hinges, steel latches.

Top 10 Questions Natural Wood Fence