You could spend hours on expensive landscaping and paint your house every shade of the rainbow but few exterior elements are as eye-catching as a stately aluminum fence. For passersby, they’re tall and send a powerful impression.
For homeowners, they offer the ultimate blend of luxury and practicality. Are you curious about investing in an aluminum fence installation at your residential, commercial or industrial property?
If so, you’ve come to the right spot. Today, we’re sharing an insider’s look at how to make sure the finished product is one you cherish for years to come.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.
The Benefits of Aluminum Fencing
Before we dive into how to ensure proper installation, let’s cover the basics, first.
Why should you choose aluminum fencing and what is it used for?
In short, this material is a perfect blend of style and security. Its clean edges and metallic appearance make it an aesthetic addition to any style of home. At the same time, it’s impermeable and more durable than wrought iron and wood fencing, with reinforced horizontal rails that add an extra layer of security (and sanity).
However, just because it holds up better than the others doesn’t mean it has to be boring. As a homeowner or business owner, you’ll have nine different shades of aluminum to choose from if you buy from our brand, including:
- Black
- Matte Black
- White
- Quaker bronze
- Matte quaker bronze
- Beige
- Walnut brown
- Hartford green
- Sandstone
In addition, you can also customize any of our aluminum fences to include special, personal touches that reflect your unique design taste. Commercial and industrial styles even include matching gates available in single-entry, double-drive or ZipTrack® cantilever variations depending on your entrance setup.
In a space that has high-security needs? We can cover that, as well. Our heavy, industrial-grade aluminum fences can reach heights of up to 10-feet tall!
Next, let’s review a few of the other benefits you can expect from aluminum fencing!
Virtually No Maintenance
You don’t install an aluminum fence with the intention to paint it every two years. Rather, these are designed to act as workhorses. After installation, they require almost no maintenance to keep their shape, color, and quality throughout their lifetime.
All of our Elite ornamental aluminum fences come equipped with a powder-coated finish rated as “Super Durable” by industry experts. This means they’re capable of standing up to even the most treacherous elements with ease. In addition, all of our aluminum fences carry a limited lifetime warranty that the product will be free from material defects and that the paint will never crack, chip, or peel.
Distinct Designs
As mentioned, you can customize your aluminum fence with myriad special features. These include a wide array of accessories, including:
- Ball caps
- Tri finials
- Quad finials
- Circles
- Butterfly scrolls
- Curve top gates
- Estate gates
Cost-Savings Benefits
For their strength and durability, aluminum fences are refreshingly affordable. In addition, you’ll also save money on maintenance over the years!
Acing an Aluminum Fence Installation
Before you begin browsing our inventory and selecting the fence type that fits your needs, it’s helpful to do a little pre-planning, first.
Let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take as you prepare to install a new fence.
Plan First
First, it’s important to thoroughly plan your project before you start digging or prior to hiring a team of professionals to do the work for you.
Chiefly, you’ll want to understand the exact borders of your property so you’ll know where the fence should go. During this time, it’s also helpful to talk to your neighbors and research any local zoning laws that may control whether or not you can install the fence you’re eyeing.
A few of the most important questions to answer include:
- Will the aluminum fence be fully on your property?
- If not, do your neighbors agree to or contest its installation?
- Will the fence conflict with any easements detailed in your deed?
- Will the fence interfere with any of your utility lines?
- Is the installation aligned with local zoning laws or fencing codes?
- Will your HOA contest its location or design?
- Will you need to obtain a building permit?
Measure the Layout
In this case, the old adage should be “Measure twice, dig once”.
It helps to go ahead and mark where you want your fence to go. Measure its full length from beginning to end, using stakes to mark all important points, including corners and gates.
Once your preliminary outline is in place, you can tie a taut string between your corner stakes to define the line where the posts should go. One way to make sure all of your future posts will be in line? Make sure all of your posts are about 1/4″ from the string once the posts are level!
Secure Your Materials
Once you’ve mapped out where you want your new aluminum fence to go, it’s time to buy the materials!
With our easy product pages, this step is a cinch.
Simply visit our Residential Grade Aluminum Fencing page and start entering your criteria! Your five main decisions will be:
- The height of your fence (3.5 feet to 6 feet for residential, up to 10 feet for industrial)
- The style of your fence
- The color of your fence
- The spacing between pickets
- The slope of the ground where the fence will be installed
The best part about ordering through us? If you have any questions during the material purchasing phase, you can speak directly to a live representative who will help make sure you’re buying the right kind of sections!
Install Your Aluminum Fence
Once all of your materials arrive, it’s time to put them in the ground! When it comes to installing your fence, you can go one of two routes:
- Install it yourself
- Hire a professional fencing company to install it for you
DIY: Gathering Your Tools
If you decide to try the DIY approach, begin by gathering your tools. The essential gear to have on hand includes a:
- Posthole digger (or auger)
- String and stakes
- Level
- Gravel
- Screwdriver
- Rubber mallet
- Shovel
- Concrete mix
- Hacksaw
- Wheelbarrow
If you don’t have any of these materials (such as a posthole digger), you can rent one and get started.
DIY: Designing For Slope
Before you start digging, consider the level of slope in your yard.
If it’s steep, you have two options:
- Rack your fence (slant it)
- Stair-step the panels
In most cases, a racked fence works best because it prevents major gaps from forming underneath. Especially if you have pets or small children, this may be critically important to you.
To help make your decision, measure the slope of your property on the steepest six-foot section you can find.
Is the slope less than 6 inches vertically and 6 feet horizontally, you can likely get by with a flat fence section. Any steeper, and you’ll need a rackable section.
DIY: Utility Line Considerations
Another must-do if you’re tackling this job yourself? Call the federally-designated 811 number. The operator who answers will take down your job information, and then get in contact with local utility companies.
These companies will then send representatives out to your site to mark the location of all of your buried utility lines. This way, you’ll know exactly where you can’t dig! This simple step can help you avoid devastating injuries and property damage as you begin your project.
An Easier Route: Professional Installation
Want to avoid the hassle and headache of installing your aluminum fence on your own? Hire our team of professional fencing installers to take care of the job for you!
Based in Arnold, Missouri, our team has been serving the local area since 1994. We offer full-service installation services to the entire metropolitan St. Louis and Metro East areas and we’d love to help on your next project.
Unless you’re an expert in this industry niche, you could easily hurt yourself or others during the installation process. You could also wreak havoc on a nearby property.
We’ve been accredited by the Better Business Bureau for 15 years and counting now, and you can count on us to deliver the professional, stress-free installation you need.
Find the Aluminum Fencing Design of Your Dreams
An aluminum fence installation might be rugged and industrial, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
When you partner with our fencing company, we’ll help you find the design, layout and look that makes your property pop. Our extensive online inventory includes multiple styles of fencing, railing, decking and lighting, all designed to help you make the most of any exterior.
Request a free estimate to learn all about our aluminum fencing products. Want personalized assistance as you navigate this new terrain?
Not yet decided on which type of maintenance-free fence is best for your home?
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