Top 10 Fence Cheats

After many years of frustration seeing shoddy workmanship, shortcuts, and homeowners being taken advantage of, I had a profound thought....

The only recourse I have to fight these shortcuts is to EDUCATE YOU.

This page is dedicated to YOU...
the unsuspecting homeowner who is just trying to get their fence replaced without being robbed.

By the time you reach NUMBER 1 below, you will be well informed on what to look out for if and when you have your fence built.

If you see you that you are receiving work as described below please do not accept it! If you do, you are telling that fence builder that it's OK to cut corners and put your fence at risk to save a few bucks.

Please click on any thumbnail below to enlarge it and start learning.

CHINESE CEDAR

Builders who are passing this stuff off as real cedar are dishonest. If they tell you up front about "Chinese Cedar" and what to expect, then that's a different story.
Purchase at your own risk!

Buying cut rate, enamel painted gate hardware saves a few bucks but only leads to rusting and bleeding.

#8
GENERIC NAILS

Another way to cut costs is to buy cheap nails. The inferior coating on these nails allows them to rust and bleed.

Hancock Fence uses only Aluminum, ring shank nails on our Cedar Fences.

#7
  ANGLED CORNERS

Here is where you really start to find out if you have an experienced builder or not!
Click each photo to enlarge and learn!

#6
90 DEGREE CORNERS

Here is where we really start to have some fun!
Angled corners are a bit tricky, but 90 degree corners are so basic, a seventh grader should be able to get them right. I see these basic joints messed up every day and it makes me laugh out loud!

#5
POST DEPTH

Look around your neighborhood. I guarantee you will have some "leaners" close by. This is one of the most common ways to save a pretty good chunk of change on a fence install. Its simple economics, a 24inch deep hole requires less work, a shorter post, less concrete and less time than a 36" deep post set.

With our black, clay soil there are no guarantees, but with a deeper post set you are more likely to have a straight fence. Hancock Fence sets ALL posts on ALL fences at least 36" deep when conditions allow.

# 4
PRE DIPPED LUMBER

I hate to keep beating this horse, but it happens everyday! See our stain & sealer page for more info.

This is not really a cheat as long as your builder does not exaggerate the life expectancy of this process.  Dipping is better than doing nothing at all or using water based products from our local home centers.

#3
GATE HINGES

Builders that cover up the lag bolts that attach your hinges to the fence are not doing you ANY favors!

When cedar is new, it is saturated with water and swollen. As the absorbed water evaporates, the cedar dries and the boards shrink in width and thickness. This causes the hinges to loosen. ALL of your lag bolts will need to be tightened about 3/4 of a turn in about 4 weeks after the fence is built. They need to be checked annually after that. This is required maintenance if you want your gates to last!

THIS PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE NEVER HAPPENS and it should... here's why:

1. Most fence builders simply don't care. They don't even care enough to advise you to do it much less come back and do it for you.

2. If they cover a portion of your hinges with the pickets (saves lots of time) vs. cutting around them, this is a clear indicator that your builder does not care about future maintenance.

The result of not tightening the lags is a loose gate that eventually wobbles out the holes in the soft cedar and a saggy gate that stops latching correctly.

If your hinge bolts get covered over, do not accept this unless carriage bolts have been substituted for the lag bolts like in the photo below.

Hancock Fence stopped installing these old fashioned hinges over 7 years ago.

#2
GATE LATCH HARDWARE

I have been wanting to do this for so long, but I just have not had time to do it! Until now.....

This really should have been my #1 gripe, and I had a tough time deciding, but we will get to that next.

NEARLY EVERY other builder including my closest competitors, do not install the gate latch hardware properly and according to the manufacturers specifications. Why?? I'm glad you asked!

BECAUSE IT REQUIRES MORE
TIME & EFFORT
It's obvious to me that they are in a hurry!

ALL the necessary hardware is in the bag it's shipped in. The INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS are sometimes printed on the bag (depending on the brand) and still they choose to disregard the most important purpose of this latch's design.

This latch is designed to support your gate and keep it from SAGGING!

Your loose hinges (discussed in gripe #3) will eventually give way to allow the striker pin to start bearing the weight of the gate. If it is not supported by the special handle, the striker will loosen and begin to move upward from the force of gravity pulling down on the gate.

The striker pin also takes a beating every time the gate is closed. The special handle helps with gate slamming too.
This striker pin is very important and has a tough job to do. It needs help from the handle or it will fail.

IF YOUR GATE LATCH IS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY LIKE THE 8 PHOTOS BELOW, INSIST ON YOUR BUILDER COMING BACK AND DOING THE JOB RIGHT!! YOUR GATE WILL SAG AND DEVELOP PROBLEMS!!

Look at the illustrations below. I will show you how this hardware is to be installed properly so your gate has a chance.

The first 3 photos illustrate a correct
Hancock Fence install.

The remaining 8 photos are WRONG. The handle loop is NOT supporting the striker pin and defeats the most important function built into this gate latch system.

Some of these pictures might look like your gate!

If you are considering a fence from someone else, INSIST that they install your gate latch kit correctly!

#1
POOR WORKMANSHIP !!

This is simply a collection of all the above and 17 years of trying to compete against installers who do work like the photos below.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THESE INSTALLERS GET PAID!

I encourage my installers to be the best and I believe they are! We all are a team here at Hancock Fence and we don't simply TALK about being #1 we PROVE IT on every install EVERY day. We constantly make changes in our fences to make them better than our competition while keeping your budget in mind.

This is not our opinion, these are things you can see for yourself. You don't need to be a fence expert to see straight & level lines. Nuts, bolts and attention to detail are easy to see for anyone.

THANK YOU    THANK YOU   THANK YOU !!!!

My apologies for taking so long to get this done for you.

I HOPE  you have found this page helpful and educational. Please use everything you have learned here to your advantage.

From everyone here at Hancock Fence, we thank you again and invite you to read through the rest of our website!