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Fences That Are TOO EXPENSIVE But Look Great

expensive fencing durham picket shadowbox 6x6 posts big caps gothic top

 

This photograph came from Outdoor Structures' website. This design is a custom style. It is shadowbox cap and trim with a gothic picket top. They used 6x6 posts. The cost of this fence is likely around $50 per foot based on what we would charge to do one of these. This is NOT a practical or cost effective solution and more than 99.9% of people interested in purchasing a fence would likely pass up this fence solely because of its excessive cost. The second problem with this fence is that it was stepped. This could have been avoided, it is unclear if the homeowner requested for it to be stepped or if the builder chose to step it.

It did not have to be completed this way, it could have flowed continuously with the contour of the land. If our company had constructed this, we would have not used the step method. There is nothing wrong with using the step method aside from the fact that most people find stepping, aesthetically unappealing, due to the variations in the different heights of the steps. It is not the preferred method of fence companies. The average fence is about 200 linear feet. The cost to do an entire yard in this custom style of fence would be about $10,000 more than FOUR TIMES the cost of a standard 6 foot privacy fence.

I decided to plunge deeper into their website photographs. I found many other styles that clients have asked me about. This photo below is another fence that more than likely cost a ridiculous amount of money. It is constructed professionally and looks great, for now. The problem I forsee with this design is that the pickets are 2x2's. These are the same size of pickets that are used for standard deck railings. I imagine that this design will experience significant warping in the future, if left unprotected. Water sealing, weather proofing, and/or staining this fence is a MUST.

expensive outdoor structures deck fence pickets durham raleigh

Here is another custom fence that you most likely will not find on other fence companies website. All of these custom ones were found on Outdoor Structures' website. They are absolutely beautiful, however they are not the best value for your hard earned money. This cap and trim fence is similar to the one at the top of this article. The amount of labor that has to go into such a detailed custom design can double or triple the price of it. There are many more similar common styles of fence that look just as good. Visit our photography gallery for more reasonable and practical designs as far as costs go.

too expensive cap and trim window

In this last photograph, this fence again uses 6x6 posts. Despite what other fence companies and their salesman may tell you, 6x6 posts are NOT any better than 4x4 posts when it comes to fence installations. A salesman will probably sell you on how a bigger post is going to be stronger and more stable. That is absolutely NOT true. This would be true if we were discussing a deck. There is no weight bearing on the posts with a fence. Even using a 6x6 post for a gate is going to have NO ADDITIONAL benefit than using a 4x4 for stability. The depth of a post is what determines the strength of the fence, NOT the thickness of the post. Remember it is a salesman's job to SELL YOU on THINKING that their company is better than the other Raleigh fence companies.

The next problem is that the rails are fastened between the posts. Although it is not a workmanship defect, it is still not a good practice. Why? Look at the other photographs below and decide for yourself. Notice that the 2x4's (also called rails), have pulled away from the posts over time, and are barely secured to the posts. They 2x4's are much more secure when they are nailed to the face of the posts. Outdoor Structures is a reputable company located in Durham, NC. who has been around for quite some time, but we are meerly pointing out the differences for comparative purposes.

6x6 posts expensive outdoor structures photographs photos pictures railings between post gothic topped french gothic

You are better off saving your money for your kid's college fund. However, if you have come to the realization that these fences are not economically practical, then feel free to check out our photograph section for more economical fence options. This photograph below is what often happens when an installer uses the "toe-nailed" method. And to clarify, Outdoor Structures did NOT build this fence below.

between posts connection rails 2x4's pulling away from posts horrible construction

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