Pacific Fence and Wire Blog

If you have fence that has been sitting on your property for years or if you just bought a new home and have one you would like to remove, then you will want to do a demolition project on the existing fence. Before you get your hardhat and hammer, there are a few things you should do to make sure the project goes off safely and properly. There are several steps a good homeowner takes before making any changes to his property. Some are legal steps and others are just common sense. When you get started with your demolition project, you want to be certain you and no one else will get hurt.

The first thing you need to do is make sure the fence is yours to remove. If you are unfamiliar with the history of your property and you moved in after your neighbors were already there, then that fence you are thinking about removing may not be yours. The other problem you face is that some installation projects are done without city approval and could be on your neighbor’s property line. If you do not own the fence, then you should probably give some thought to installing a fence that is on your property. Your other option is to discuss the situation with your neighbor and see if he would be willing to tear down the fence so that you can install yours.

Regardless of where you live, you should always contact the local utility companies before you start digging. Your fence posts are installed several feet into the ground and may have been there for a very long time. If the utility companies have done any installation of lines near your fence, then you will need to know that before you start digging up fence posts. The last thing you want to do is get fined because you knocked out phone service to half the neighborhood when you took up one of your old fence posts.

It is important to have a plan when removing fence posts. If you are unfamiliar with how to do it, then it may be best to hire a professional contractor. Properly installed fences use concrete and gravel to anchor the fence posts. If you are unsure as to how to remove them, then you could get hurt and cause significant property damage. If you are confident in your ability to remove the fence yourself, then make sure that you have all of the right equipment to get the job done.  For assistance in fence removal contact Pacific Fence’s installation department at (503)233-6248 or visit online at http://www.pacificfence.com/installation.html

It is no secret that Portlanders take great pride in their community and work hard to continuously make the Northwest one of the best places to live in the country.  One of the ways that the people who live in the northwest improve their properties is by putting up decorative but functional fences. Regardless of the community you live in, there are laws and rules that you have to follow when installing a new fence. The rules are created to make the community safer and prevent homeowners from creating dangerous situations. Prior to building your fence, you should become familiar with the basic rules regulations of the city you live in.

Depending on where you live, the height of your fence affects whether or not you need prior approval. When a city inspector measures a fence, they do so from the base of the fence posts to the top of the fence. If your project requires any kind of fence that is less than six feet tall, then you typically do not need to get a building permit nor do you need to get zoning approval. However, if your fence is taller than six feet, then you must submit your plans to the zoning board and then get a building permit before you begin construction. Failure to get the proper certification for your project will result in the stoppage of work and possible fines.

The setback requirement of a fence installation means how many feet the fence is set back from your actual property boundary. To establish whether or not your project meets the setback rules of your region, you need to get a professional survey done of your property and establish where the fence will go. Different parts of the cities usually have different setback laws so be sure to fully understand which rules are applicable to you. The best course of action is to get your survey done and then go to the zoning department to find out where you can put your fence. You may not need a permit for fences under six feet, but every fence built in Portland must follow the setback regulations.

Always be aware of the other regulations that affect your project. For example, if your fence is over eight feet tall, then it needs to be able to resist winds of certain speeds. It is best to review your plans with the city zoning board to make sure your fence meets all of the laws put in place.

Oregon gets its fair share of summer sunshine that can make sitting on a deck or patio uncomfortable. There are also some people who want privacy in their backyard from time to time but do not necessarily want to spend the money on a privacy fence. That is why an effective solution many choose are privacy screens. You can use privacy screens to block out the sun’s powerful rays on one side of your patio and give yourself some shade, or you can put up privacy screens when you have a gathering on your patio and you want to allow your guests to feel comfortable. There are a few ideas people can use to get privacy without using a fence.

One of the more beautiful privacy screen ideas often found in the Northwest is to put up a flower trellis and then allow plants to grow on them. The more popular trellis flower is the rose bush, but any flower that either grows on a vine or grows tall will look nice on a wooden trellis. The best part about using this idea is that you enhance the look of your backyard, giving yourself the privacy you need without investing in a full fence installation. There are many different trellis designs for you to choose from that will enhance your backyard landscaping.

A more direct way to get the privacy you want in your backyard in Portland without installing a fence is to use wicker outdoor privacy screens. Anyone that has ever owned outdoor wicker furniture knows how well wicker stands up to the elements. You can get wicker privacy screens in a variety of colors and some very interesting designs. When you do not need these screens, you can just store them in your garage. They can be in colors to match your home’s exterior, or you can get colors that are complimentary to your current external color scheme.

If you are feeling adventurous, then you can get a privacy screen that uses hanging plants as the screen. These are screen frames that have areas to hang plants which become the cover for your privacy. If you enjoy hanging plants and want a place to keep plants that will serve a functional purpose, then this would be the perfect idea.

The winter months have come and gone and the warm days of spring are upon us.  Now is the time to get out in your backyard and start getting it ready for summer entertaining. During the winter, things get dirty with our heavy winter rains and winds.  Spring is the perfect time to clean both the inside and outside of your home.  As you get ready to air out your house and enjoy the  weather, you need to get into the backyard and make sure that everything is ready for summer barbeques and friendly gatherings.

Winds and blowing rain can cause all kinds of damage, bring down tree branches and even move debris from one yard to another. To get your spring cleaning started, take a garbage bin out to the backyard and pick up the debris that winter has left behind. Be sure to wear gloves and be careful when you walk and reach for things. Glass, sticks and other sharp objects can get embedded in the soft ground and are difficult to see as you are picking up trash.

Your fence and deck need some inspecting as well. Before you allow anyone to walk on your deck and before the first big winds of spring arrive, you want to be certain that the posts are still structurally sound. Check around the base of the posts to see if there is any deterioration. If your fence posts are deteriorating, then it is only a matter of time until a strong wind blows it over. If you see deterioration in your fence or deck posts, then call a contractor to come take care of the issue.

If you have a garden in the backyard, now is the time to remove the dead plants and make room for new ones. If you have a decorative trellis in your yard that has old flowers on it, then remove the flowers and give your trellis a new coat of paint. Once spring arrives, then you can fertilize your lawn and start planting new flowers. Your spring cleaning is a time to prepare the backyard to be dazzling when the summer arrives.

Homeowners install privacy fences for several reasons. It can be a need for backyard privacy in a busy neighborhood or it could be because a pool was just installed in the backyard and a fence is required by building codes. When homeowners decide to install fences on their own, there are some common mistakes that are made that can affect how the final project looks. To avoid making mistakes on your installation project, you should become familiar with some of the common errors that happen when putting up a fence so that you can avoid them in your next project. It could save you a lot of money down the road.

One of the biggest installation problems that amateur installers run into is not having the correct property lines marked off. If you install your fence on your neighbor’s property by mistake, or if you install your fence too close to your home, then you will need to remove it. If you decide to install your fence on your own, then you should at least hire a professional survey company to give you the proper lines for your fence. When you use professional surveyors, you will get a company that will use the information directly from your property deed to create your fence lines. It will save you time and prevent you from making a costly error.

The fence posts are the most important part of any fence and they need to be put in just right for the installation to be a success. Posts that are not deep enough in the ground or not anchored by the proper material could collapse at some point down the road. Your posts should be at least two feet in the ground and anchored by a layer of gravel and concrete that is flush with the ground. You can choose to go deeper and use more gravel and concrete, but if you do not do the minimum then you will find yourself reinstalling your fence sooner than you have to.

You need to plan your fence project in advance to make sure you have the proper panels to make your installation a success. For example, the section of your fence that would be on an incline requires a special type of fence panel that differs from the standard straight panel. Always make sure you plan the project out to insure you have the proper materials when you get started.