Fountain Square Home Fence Build

Imperial Fence Company recently had the honor of building a fence at the ultra-modern home of Mona Khiery in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis.  Mona wanted her fence to blend in well with the architecture of her home, while adding security and some boundary to define her backyard.  Mona decided to have us install a simple 5' tall black vinyl chain link fence that blended into the scenery and performed all the functions that she needed it too.  Thanks Mona for allowing us to build your fence!

Domestic Fence Materials Compared to Imported Fence Materials

The word "quality" is overused and many times falsely used in the fence industry.  It's hard to know who to believe when every fence contractor you meet with says that their fence is the best.  It's difficult to decipher who's telling the truth, so you've got to do your own research to determine what's best for you.  One quick way to determine the quality of the fence materials is to ask what manufacturer the fence installer uses.  There are virtually no fence manufacturers in the United States that make sub-par materials.  The reason for this is because imported products simply rule the "cheap" fence material market, so the only way for domestic (U.S.) product to differentiate itself is to make a higher quality product.  Get a longer-lasting better quality fence & support our local economy - make sure your fence contractor uses domestic fence products!

Imperial Fence Company uses only fence product made in the U.S.A. 

How to put a post in the ground: The RIGHT Way!

As the saying goes: "A fence is only as strong as the posts it hangs on."  Well maybe this isn't a popular saying, but it's 100% true!  When considering a fence builder, it is very important to ask how they set their posts in the ground.  There are LOTS of short cuts that company's will take when putting the post in the ground, so before you simply pick the absolute lowest bidder and hope the fence is installed correctly, ask for details about how they are planning on building your fence.  

WOOD, ALUMINUM, & PVC FENCES

The proper way to put a wood, aluminum, or PVC post in the ground is to dig a 10" to 14" wide hole and set the post using a wet-mix concrete.  Depending on the height of the fence will determine how deep to dig the hole, but a good rule of thumb is to dig your hole at minimum of 1/3 of the height of the fence (for example a 6' tall fence would have their posts set at a minimum of 2' in the ground).  

Don't end up with this! And no, we did not put that post in the ground!

BEWARE... There are many "cheaper" fence companies that will cut corners and set their posts using a "dry-mix" concrete so that they don't have to wait for concrete to set up, but THIS IS NOT how concrete was intended to be used - just read the directions on the next bag of concrete that you buy!  Putting dry concrete in the ground without mixing it with water will leave you with voids in the concrete and posts that will always be loose in the ground.

CHAIN LINK

There are 2 methods of putting a chain link fence post in the ground.  (1) Manually or hydraulically driving the post, or (2) digging a hole and setting the post in a wet-mix concrete.  Both methods are just as strong as the other, but there are limitations to driving the posts. On 4 foot and shorter fences, the most common method is hydraulically driving the posts in the ground.  No holes need to be dug so you don't have to worry about what to do with the leftover dirt from the holes and the job can be completed a little faster than setting the posts in concrete. The posts are driven nearly 40 inches in the ground on a 4' tall fence, so you have nearly as much post in the ground as what's above the ground!  On fences taller than 4', we recommend setting the posts in the ground using a wet-mix concrete.

 

Wind or water damage your fence?

With what has seemed like a constant shower of rain over the past few weeks coupled with high winds in certain areas, many people have experienced damage to their fence caused by these extreme conditions. 

If your fence have fallen victim to the "lovely" weather here in Indiana, give Imperial Fence Company a call to schedule a trained representative to come out and take a look at what it would take to get your fence repaired!

Should you build a fence based on your plot plan?

When determining where to put your fence you should be very careful basing your layout off of your plot plan (aka mortgage survey).  Plot plans are not always very accurate (more often than not, they are not accurate!), so if you're planning to put your fence close to or on your property line, we recommend getting a professional survey done on your property.  Typical costs for a professional survey range from $300 and go up depending your location and size and complexity of your property.

Competing with the Big Retail Stores

After comparing our material prices with several of the large retail stores, I thought it would be beneficial to post my findings.  To start with, I priced one of the most popular items that we sell from our shop: 4' tall Black Vinyl Chain Link.

Imperial Fence Price: $140.00 for a 50' roll
Lowe's Price: $140.99 for a 50' roll


I could go through my entire comparison list, but I simply want to make one main point with this blog post: we offer service, quality, and endless selection.  We are a locally owned company that has the knowledge to help you tackle any type of Do-It-Yourself project - and we can step you through each process.  Additionally, we only sell products that are MADE IN THE USA.  Next time you go to that big home building supply store, ask them which country their chain link is imported from because chances are good that it will be either China or India.  One other benefit of using a company that only specializes in fence is that we have access to virtually any size gate, hard-to-find items, various fence styles, hardware, or any specialty item that will add a custom touch to your new fence.  With Imperial Fence you certainly get bang for your buck!
 

Does the quality of the fence really matter?

When we started Imperial Fence back in 1980, we knew that the only way we would grow and earn repeat and referral business was to install the absolute best fence at a great price.  We've seen a lot of fences from a lot of different fence companies over the years - some good, some bad.  We have also seen a lot of "do-it-yourself" fences - some good, some bad.  

One of the primary differences between Imperial Fence and the "other guys" is our dedication to our customers, which includes installing a high quality fence at a competitive price and being there should the customer have questions or issues that arise.  A key mistake that many people make when choosing a fence company is they go with the lowest price they are quoted not realizing that they might be getting a poor quality fence built using sub-par standards.  Here are a few things to do to protect yourself: 

• Get your warranty in writing!  Imperial Fence offers a 2 year installation warranty plus an additional manufacturers warranty on the fence itself.
• Ask questions!  How long has the company been in business?  Are their installers certified by the American Fence Association?  Where have they worked?  Do they use subcontractors for all of their work?  Where are they located, and do they have a commercial office or do they work from home? 
• Check with the Better Business Bureau and other business review websites (such as Yahoo! Local or Google Reviews) to see if the company has had any positive/negative remarks. 
• Get a copy of their certificate of insurance! If a fence installer is injured on your property and the company does not have a certificate of insurance, you are responsible for that injured person!