Decks and Fences Windsor, Essex County | Cedar Springs Decks and Fences » Blog http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca Cedar Springs Decks and Fences Fri, 20 Mar 2015 11:45:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Why Choose Vinyl over Wood for Fencing http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/why-choose-vinyl-over-wood-for-fencing/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/why-choose-vinyl-over-wood-for-fencing/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:25:13 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=459 ]]> As the old adage goes ‘good fences make good neighbours’ and the decision to choose what type of fence to install on your property can go a long way. Vinyl fencing (a.k.a. pvc fencing) is a great option to consider because of its strength and durability, ease of maintenance and its ability to improve the curb appeal and property value of your home. Impress those neighbours and enhance the overall beauty of your block with vinyl fencing.

Here are three benefits of installing vinyl fencing around your home:

1. Strength & Durability

A properly installed vinyl fence will last you a lifetime. Five times stronger than wood, vinyl fencing is flexible, durable and can stand up to high winds and rain. Have you ever driven around your block after a large storm and have seen collapsed wooden fences? That won’t happen with vinyl fencing. Since the vinyl does not absorb moisture, the boards, posts and accessories will not blister, peel, rust or rot. For the Canadian home, or any home that experiences a lot of crazy weather, vinyl fencing is simply the best material out there.

For additional strength and security, most premium vinyl fencing products offer a pre-assembled gate. These gates are reinforced with steel sides in order to ensure it maintains its shape and provides additional durability in demanding physical conditions.

2. Ease of Maintenancedescribe the image

Unlike wood or chain link fence, vinyl needs no additional paint, sealants or stains to maintain its original beauty and color. If your fence ever falls victim to graffiti or vandalism, most stains will easily come off with some soap & water, household cleaners and a little elbow grease. Your fence won’t turn green like wood fence, and it won’t need pressure washing like other traditional fence materials. It is simply the best low maintenance option.

3. Increased Curb Appeal & Property Value

Choosing to install a vinyl fence should be considered an investment in your home. With a variety of styles and colors to choose from, you can create beautiful curb appeal that suits your individual tastes and enhances both the look of your home and your neighborhood.

Since premium vinyl fencing is manufactured to last a lifetime, when it comes time to sell your home, prospective buyers will know this is one area where they don’t have to worry about repairing or replacing. It’ll improve the overall property value of your home.

With a selection of private or semi-private fencing designs, you can customize your fence to fit your backyard privacy needs and will never have to worry about replacing flimsy wooden lattice again. For the wide variety of fencing available to you.

blog author

H mitten

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Getting Ready to Install a Fence This Year http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/getting-ready-to-install-a-fence-this-year/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/getting-ready-to-install-a-fence-this-year/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2015 14:24:23 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=449 ]]> Winter is in full force, which means it’s not exactly the ideal season for fencing in Windsor. The ground is frozen solid, and piles of snow currently cover your yard and make it difficult to envision the fence that you want; but don’t let winter stop you from being prepared. This season is an ideal time to get a head start on your plans, ensuring that once the frost breaks, you’ll be ready to start your fencing project. While you wait for the snow to melt, here are some of the ways you can prepare for your spring fence installation:

Know the Purpose

Fencing in Windsor can serve many purposes; what’s yours? Do you simply need to set a boundary? Are you trying to keep a child or pet from leaving the yard or entering a hazardous area? Are you installing a pool and need it secure? Is the fence being installed for privacy and security? No matter the reason, knowing your purpose will help you prepare and guide you in all of the important decisions that come along with building a fence.

Pick a Style

Once you’ have decided why you need a new fence, it’s time to decide what kind of fence best suits your needs. If your main goal is functionality, choosing chain link can be a budget friendly option, but if privacy is at the top of your list, wood  or PVC would be the better choice. If Style is priority and not privacy consider an ornamental metal fence. You should also consider your budget and the amount of time that you’re willing to commit to regular maintenance in the future. Below is an example of a PVC fence.

Vinyl Fence

Vinyl Fence

Ornamental Fence

Ornamental Metal Pool Fence

Do Your Research

There may be building codes or by-laws regarding fencing in Windsor that regulate the look, size and location of your fence; make sure that you have informed yourself about these before committing to fence installation. You should also know where your property lines and underground lines are located, and whether or not you’ll need a building permit. Windsor does not require a fence permit but neighbouring municipalities such as Tecumseh & Lakeshore do. Also most municipalities have a height restriction of 6ft where as Windsor allows you to build a 7ft tall fence. To the right is an example of a fence that meets pool code.

Be a Good Neighbour

Even once you have determined where your property lines are located, you should talk to your neighbours and make sure that they won’t be put out by the construction process or by the finished product. Especially if it’s a shared fence, you’ll need to ensure that they’re in agreement with the look and size of the fence, since it will be impacting their home as well. Below is an example of a wood fence with mirrored sides.

Wood Fence with matching sides.

Wood Fence with matching sides.

Hire a Professional

Rather than attempt to install a fence yourself and risk making mistakes, hire professionals who specialize in fencing in Windsor. Prior to installation, they’ll be able to provide you with invaluable opinions and information. Asking to see examples of their past work may also inspire and generate ideas for your own fencing project. Also do your research on a company and ask the questions. Are they insured? Carry WSIB for their employees? Have they won any awards? Are they a member of Landscape Ontario?

Taking these steps to prepare yourself and your home for a new fence will ensure that you won’t waste any time come spring. Your vision will be a reality in no time!

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Wood Grain Vinyl Fencing http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/wood-grain-vinyl-fencing/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/wood-grain-vinyl-fencing/#comments Sat, 15 Feb 2014 14:20:45 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=381 We are pleased to announce the addition of wood grain vinyl fencing to our product lineup. What is wood grain vinyl fencing you ask? Simply its vinyl fencing made to look and feel like a wood fence. A wood fence looks great after installation, however within a short time it fades to a grey colour, the wood begins to breakdown, twists, warps and eventually rots. This is not the case with vinyl fencing. The Bufftech wood grain fencing comes in a variety of styles and colours. Contact us today to discuss this further and get a quote.

Wood grain vinyl fencing windsor ontario

Wood grain vinyl fencing windsor ontario

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Aluminum Fencing and Railings http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/aluminum-fencing-and-railings/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/aluminum-fencing-and-railings/#comments Wed, 29 Jan 2014 00:40:28 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=368 ]]> We are pleased to announce that we are now exclusively carrying the Ultra Aluminum product line for fencing and railing packages. Aluminum fencing is constructed of extruded aluminum. This aluminum mimics the traditional ornamental steel fencing but is light weight, very strong and does not rust. The paint finish is amazing as well, with a proven powder coat finish designed to last decades. With several styles and the most standard colours available, it makes for a great choice to enclose your property, porch and pool with aluminum fencing. We also carry pool code safety gate latches to keep your little ones safe. We believe that you will be most pleased with the Ultra line up. For a free onsite consultation.  Please call Cedar Springs Decks and Fences at 519.555.0139 today!

aluminum fence

Above is one of our installations of an aluminum pool enclosure from summer of 2013. Note the safety gate latch.

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Swimming Pool Removal Windsor Ontario http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/swimming-pool-removal-windsor-ontario/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/swimming-pool-removal-windsor-ontario/#comments Wed, 08 Jan 2014 00:20:26 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=363 ]]> Swimming pools are very nice way to enjoy your backyard. But like most things there comes a time when a pool is no longer desired. The most common reasons, are selling/buying a house, age of the pool, age of the homeowners.

It is sometimes more difficult to sell your home with a pool taking up 50% of the rear yard. Its narrows down the. amount of perspective buyers as not everyone is looking for a pool. Sometimes home buyers will remove the pool after purchasing a home. This is usually due to the fact that the rest of the home was desirable enough to overlook  the extra cost of a removal. A pool removal can be negotiated in the purchase agreement of the home.

Pools like vehicles only last so long before they require serious maintenance. What can go wrong with a pool? Its just holds water! Well liners need to be replaced, if you have a concrete pool, they require resurfacing. Although the cost of a proper pool removal is high. The cost will be outweighed in a few years by liner replacement and operational costs.

Homeowners also get older, after the kids and even grand kids grow up the pool is often maintained and not used. The average operational cost for in ground pool factoring utilities, chemicals, and servicing is over $2500 annually.  In a few years the removal is paid for.

By now you are probably thinking that a removal is costly. How can just filling in a hole cost so much. Well it is not just backing a dump truck up and dumping loads of soil. It is illegal to just fill in hole with soil. The land must be returned back to the condition it was in prior to the installation of the pool. That means the liner, all concrete, steel walls and grout are to be torn out. Its requires some pretty heavy equipment to do this. We use a 5 ton mini excavator with a hydraulic breaker and a 5 ton skid steer to perform these tasks. After the pool items are removed we then dump soil into what now looks like the impact zone of bomb. There are specific methods to applying soil, we have developed them with our experience and feed back from previous customers. We have developed the optimum method to ensure minimal soil settling, and proper rear drainage. If soil is just dumped into the hole it will take over a year to compact. With out compaction the soil will settle greatly. Nobody wants to remove a pool only to have transport more loads of soil a year later.

Removing pools is one of our specialties call us today for an estimate on removing your pool.

519.555.0139

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Vinyl Fencing and Vinyl Products http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/vinyl-fencing-vinyl-products/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/vinyl-fencing-vinyl-products/#comments Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:47:37 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=340 ]]> If you are in need of a new fence, may we suggest something other than wood? Wood although is 100% natural and very pretty when its installed. It  rots, twists, warps, fades to grey, requires a lot of maintenance. This maintenance is in the form of repair as it ages (post replacing) and requires a complete replacement in 15 – 20 years.

 

If you like the element of privacy, may we suggest vinyl?

 

Wood grain vinyl fencing

(Left 6ft tall wood grain vinyl privacy fencing)

We carry many styles of vinyl fencing that matches the typical styles of wood (privacy, semi private and traditional picket). Vinyl is a low maintenance product that will not rot,  twist or loose all of its colour. It will last well past 20 years if is not damaged. We carry several styles ranging in heights from 3 feet to 7 feet tall. Colours are abundant as well. In the smooth finish our fencing comes in white, grey, tan and clay. We also have a wood grain finish and those colours are made to match stained look you would have on a wood fence. The wood grain fencing comes in blue, red, cedar, green and grey. Gates are also vinyl to match the style of fence, or we can pair an ornamental metal gate to give a sense of openness to your yard.

 

I stand behind the vinyl I sell, we have the thickest and strongest vinyl on the market. The fencing also withstands 130 mph wind gusts.

 

We are not limited to Vinyl in fencing. Traditional made of wood we supply and install the following: Pergolas, decking, planters, mailboxes, address signs, plant pots, flower boxes, rain catchers and storage bins.

 

Contact us today to setup a free estimate.

519.555.0139

 

 

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May is Deck Safety Month http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/may-is-deck-safety-month/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/may-is-deck-safety-month/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:49:58 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=332 ]]> Although its still a few weeks away May is just around the corner. That means inviting people over for BBQs, drinks and chilling on your deck. Well before you do that you may to check underneath your deck to make sure that it is still a safe usable structure. Decks are made of wood which is an organic product. Anything organic has a shelf life and especially when it comes in contact with the elements will break down. A well built deck can last up to 20 years and beyond. Depending on how it was built of course, you may start to run into maintenance issues 7-8 years into the life of your deck. These issues could be loose boards, to broken spindles, worn out boards or even rotting posts and skirting. I have dogs and there is one spot where they like to lay, as soon as they see something in the backyard, bang they’re off. This sudden take off causes claw marks, and I replace a handfull of boards just because I dont like the sight of a marked up deck. 1000s of deck fail each year, many go unreported because there were no injuries when it happened.

So what to look for?

On top is easy, check the decking by visually inspecting the boards for deep cracks or splntering, also while walking on the boards try to notice if they bend a little too much.

Railings: check the railings to ensure that they are strong and will easy support your body weight while leaning on them.

Underneath: This gets a little technical as it requires knowledge of deck construction. But check to esnure that all joists are still tight, have not rotten.

If you are not sure about the condition of your deck call a pro to come inspect it for you. They may come accross something that will prevent somebody from getting hurt.

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Tackling a deck or fence project yourself, did you call for utility locates? http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/tackling-a-deck-or-fence-project-yourself-did-call-for-utility-locates/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/tackling-a-deck-or-fence-project-yourself-did-call-for-utility-locates/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 00:27:39 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=328 ]]> Some people have the ability to partially or completly tackle home reno projects. This may come from previous work in the field, or by  helping a family member or friend at their home. One thing that is sometimes overlooked is the calling for utility locates. Utilities are the services that connect your home with Natural Gas, Electricity, Water, Sewer, Phone and Television Networks. Its is the law to call for these services to be located prior to the start of the project. It usually takes up to 5 business days to get them all done. The best part that the locating servive is free up to the metering system in your home. Anything past the meter i.e. a seperate gas line that runs to your pool heater will have to be paid for.  Protect yourself and family and know where buried lines are located. For Ontario the number is 1-800-400-2255

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What to look for in a fence and deck contractor http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-fence-and-deck-contractor/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/what-to-look-for-in-a-fence-and-deck-contractor/#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:46:38 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=322 ]]> One managing a project for your home, its not always easy picking the right contractor for the task at hand. Some things to look for in a contractor are:

Website Gallery: This will show previous work completed, a contractor should also be able to produce a few address for you to look at the work in person.

Testimonials: If customers are satisfied with the work completed they are more than happy to speak highly. Some reviews can be fabricated its always recommended to speak to previous customers.

Insurance: A contractor should have at a minimum 2 million in liability insurance. This ensures that if they damage property, it will get repaired. A contractor should also carry WSIB coverage for their employees. Do you know that when you hire someone to perform work at your home that you become the general contractor? If a contractor or his employees are working on your property and they get injured with no coverage that you can be liable for their medical bills and recovery?

Down Payments: Depending on the project a down payment may be required to secure materials. There should be no more than 25% of the project paid prior to starting the work. If a contractor is asking for more than 25% you should be very concerned.  Does the contractor have credit issues, will he even show up to start the work? We just finished a fence for a customer who paid another contractor 50% up front. The contractor set 9 posts and abandon the job, didn’t return calls. We were called to finish the job.

Personality: A contractor should have a level of professionalism that shows he cares about the trade, your needs, and will commit to a quality install.

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The Deck and Fence Install Season Begins for Windsor http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/the-deck-and-fence-install-season-begins/ http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/blog/the-deck-and-fence-install-season-begins/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:44:52 +0000 http://cedarspringsdecksandfences.ca/?p=289 ]]> I’m trying to catch up on posting. Since our website was down for a few weeks getting a make over we have begun our installs for this year. We have some very interesting work coming up. Some of the work we have signed up include Vinyl Fencing in Windsor, Aluminum Ornamental Fencing in Lakeshore and a Wrought Iron Estate Gate in Windsor. We are getting more and more calls for Vinyl fencing, as more people do not want to replace their fence every 15 years. Vinyl resists fading, and does not rot. A good vinyl fence product will have a lifetime warranty. Aluminum fencing is very popular around pools. They meet pool code by making a barrier and add to the landscaping. Our Aluminum Fencing comes with a 20 year warranty. Estate Gates provide the ultimate entrance into one’s driveway they also add to the security of the residence.

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