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Finding the right fence

By Bob Karlovits, TRIBUNE-REVIEW MUSIC WRITER
Saturday, May 5, 2007
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Bob Karlovits can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7852.

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Larry Galbreath knows fencing is a matter of practicality.

"People put up fences for aesthetics, to keep the dog in, to surround the pool, or for some privacy," says the owner of Penn Fencing in Butler County. "Most people buy a fence once in a lifetime, and it is for one of those reasons."

That leads him and other fence dealers to function in a marketplace that has seen a little technological change, but still is dominated by wood and a classic look.

Along with reality.

Jim Rouse, owner of Affordable Fencing from Ben Avon, says vinyl fencing is "the hot item" at his firm. But wood still is the leading material. It leads all others, capturing about 50 percent of the overall trade, he says.

Janet Arden, editor of Fencepost magazine, says wood makes up 55 percent of the annual fence market, which was at $5.6 billion in 2005.

Fencepost is the publication of the American Fence Association, an Illinois-based trade organization.

But she adds that sales of vinyl are growing about 11 percent every year "and no one is going to argue with 11 percent growth."

Paul Blackham, project estimator for North American Fencing in Cheswick, agrees vinyl "has increased greatly in popularly" because it can be made in any fashion, from a 4-foot-high picket fence to a 8-foot-high privacy wall.

There also is some flexibility for what Rouse calls "racking." That is, making a fence follow the changes in the terrain, a feature that is important in hilly Western Pennsylvania.

The pieces of vinyl fencing, he explains, can be moved on the pins that hold them to follow hillsides up and down. That also is true of wooden fencing, he says, and is something a homeowner needs to be aware of when installing a fence.

He and some other fence dealers criticize do-it-yourself dealers for not handling fencing that is so flexible.

Mike Hines, sales manager for the Home Depot outlet in West Mifflin, says "there is some truth to" that comment, but says he and his workers try to make do-it-yourselfers aware of that issue and others.

He, too, says wood has maintained its popularity because of its classic appearance. It also is a little less expensive than its vinyl rivals.

For instance. he says a 6-foot by 8-foot piece of wooden privacy fence would cost about $30 while it would be closer to $60 for a similar section in vinyl.

Galbreath offers this comparison: A 4-foot-high wood picket fence would cost about $16 a foot installed, while that price would rise to about $24 for vinyl.

But vinyl also offers another form of practicality, says Tony Marietta, superintendent of Laurel Highlands Fencing in Hunker, in Westmoreland County.

"With vinyl fencing, all you have to do is wipe it clean," he says, pointing to the painting or staining that is part of wooden fences.

Practicality can lead a fence buyer other ways, too.

Blackham and Rouse both tout Cyclone-style, chain-link fencing. It still holds 20 percent of the national market, Arden says.

Rouse says it is about 35 percent of his sales, but once captured more than 50 percent because of its relatively low cost.

Blackham points out is possible to do an average-sized suburban yard for about $500 with chain-link, while a good privacy fence could cost $6,000.

That low cost keeps it popular for middle-income homes, Rouse says, while 70 percent of his customers at top-level houses go with ornamental aluminum or vinyl.

Fence dealers say one of the negative aspects of chain-link is that it can rust, causing some rough spots. That is being sidestepped currently by vinyl-coated links that not only eliminate rust but also create colors absent in the always-gray barriers.

Galbreath says another option rooted in practicality is the ornamental aluminum fencing that can create a wrought-iron appearance without rust. Those types of fences are not too expensive, he says, with a 4-foot-tall fence amounting to $26 a foot installed.

But Blackham points out such fences can be highly ornamental and include cost-building accessories such as lattice tops, scrolling and post tops.

But whatever the treatment, fences have another practicality that American poet Robert Frost realized, Galbreath says.

"Frost said. 'Good fences make good neighbors,'" he says, "and I think he's right."

Do-it-yourselfers face hurdles

Western Pennsylvania's hills take away the straight-line simplicity that makes fencing seem like a do-it-yourself project.

Paul Blackham, project estimator for North American Fence in Cheswick, says when homeowners start dealing with the slopes on their property, they soon find out they have more of a job than they thought.

"There definitely is a trick to it," he says of trying to make section of fence run properly on a hilly yard.

"It isn't rocket science, but it isn't easy, either," says Tony Marietta, superintendent of Laurel Highlands Fencing in Hunker, in Westmoreland County.

That can cause a call to a contractor or fence dealer for installation, he says.

He and Larry Galbreath, owner of Penn Fencing in Penn, in Butler County, says the work of installing a fence is not difficult, but can be frustrating.

"You have to dig holes 3 feet deep," Blackham says. "You know how that goes. You dig and dig and say, 'There, that's got to be 3 feet.' And it's about 12 or 14 inches."

Then posts have to be accurately installed so the fencing sections fit, says Mike Hines, sales manager at the Home Depot outlet in West Mifflin.

The post installation is one that involves digging holes and mixing cement, two other jobs that often aren't attractive.

Hines says there are some alternatives. Instead of digging holes, a fence-installer can use a Drive-It post, which implants a 4- by 4-inch sleeve to hold a fence post.

The sleeve is mounted on a 24- or 36-inch spike, which is driven into the ground with a sledge hammer.

Hines says the cement-mounting system is more secure "but if you don't like digging, this is a way to go."

There are some options when using cement. Fast-setting cements can be mixed with water right in the hole as opposed to in a mixing container such as a wheel barrow.

The only differences are the overall look and price. One type of fast-setting cement at his store sells for $5.97 for a 50-pound bag as opposed to $2.97 for an 80-pound bag of ready-mix types.

He points out the amount of aggregate material in the fast-setting type creates a less attractive look than the others.

"You wouldn't want to use it on a sidewalk, but it's fine for a fence post," he says.

Types of fencing

All fencing accomplishes the same goals, but does it in so many ways that a choice becomes highly individual, according to the American Fence Association.

A consumer guide at the Illinois-based group's Web site offers a number of hints. It can be found at www.americanfenceassociation.com.

It suggests:



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