The Full Story
Durability
Our website is full of beautiful fences right after we have installed them, but what can you expect a few years down the road on an Elyria Fence wooden fence? We are asked this question often and there are few companies more proud that ours to show off how White Cedar fences weather through the years!
Red Cedar Boards Versus Northern White Cedar Boards For Fencing
Northern White Cedar is the fence board on the left ~ Red Cedar is the fence board on the right (make note of the large holes - the red cedar board tends to lose its knots creating a hole. An issue that doesn't affect Northern White Cedar boards).
Standard Runner Privacy Fence That Is Standing The Test Of Time!
There are numerous reasons why Elyria Fence demands Northern White Cedar for its fences. The most important are its long life and durability. Through time, White Cedar will weather out to a gray. This should be the only change that takes place in the fence. Out of all the species of wood White Cedar exhibits the least amount of shrinkage. This means your solid privacy fence will remain a privacy fence. Due to the small size of the White Cedar tree its knot holes are small. This results in the board retaining the knots versus losing them as in a Red Cedar board. Often times a fence constructed of Red Cedar will lose its knots within a few years. Obviously, this leaves the customer with a fence which has large holes in it. Of course, the most important trait to a White Cedar fence is its long life. If left untreated, such as the fences pictured on this page, you should expect it to last approximately twenty years.There are a few properties that are unique to wood especially treated wood. All wood will have cracks or checks, but it is primarily noticed in treated posts. This is a natural phenomenon that is part of the drying process. As tension develops in the wood due to shrinkage, the post splits to relieve tension. These splits or cracks are known as “checks” in the post. The check will not affect the structural integrity of the post. The checks are natural and are part of the character of wood products. Keep in mind that a post that has checked will have less of a tendency to warp and twist.
Good Neighbor Privacy Fence that has beautifully weathered through the years!
Of course staining your fence with a good quality stain will double the life of your fence.
If you choose to not the stain the fence, but to let it weather as in the photos shown here it would be wise to not pile mulch, flower boxes or anything else that might trap moisture against the fence. This will only shorten the life of your investment! If your intentions are to place a flower bed near your weathered fence we highly recommend that you stain the area behind the mulch with a good "clear" stain to act as a water repellent. Lastly, all of the White Cedar that we use is a rough sawn White Cedar - it is not available as a smooth board. Over time most of the roughness of the board dissipates.
Fence Repairs
Storms are bound to happen - especially in Northern Ohio! The best way to minimize the damage and consequently reduce the cost of repair is to start to with a strong and properly constructed fence. The fence in the photo is fence built by Elyria Fence Inc that is holding up the heavy playset that the storm has tossed on top of it. We are happy to service and repair fences originally installed by our company! Just give us a call when mother nature visits your yard!!
