01
Wood and Privacy Fence
Wood, picket and privacy fence built with number 1 grade lumber, set post by post in concrete across Athens and North Alabama.
Chapter 01
What actually fails on a wood fence out here
Most of the wood fence calls we get in Athens are not from bad weather, they are from lumber that was never good enough to begin with. A lower grade board looks fine leaning against the truck on install day and cups or twists by the following summer, once North Alabama heat and humidity have had a full season to work on it. That twist is what turns a straight privacy run into a fence with daylight showing between boards that used to sit flush.
The other failure is underground. This part of Limestone County sits on blackland clay, and clay that swells wet and shrinks dry will walk a driven post out of the ground over a few freeze and thaw cycles. Gate posts go first because they carry the most swing weight every time the gate opens, which is exactly why a sagging gate is usually the first sign the rest of the run is loose too.
Wood privacy fence enclosing a full backyard at a new build home, installed by Athens Fence Co
How we build it so that doesn't happen
We start by locating the actual property line, not where an old fence happens to sit, then set every post in concrete regardless of species. That is not an upsell, it is standard on every job we do because a post set in dirt is the single biggest reason a fence needs work again inside a few years.
Boards and rails are number 1 grade lumber only. We do not offer a lower grade to shave a quote, since that is the exact material that cups and twists first. Panel spans are set to the run, not stretched past what the rail can carry, and gates are hung and squared before we leave the property so they swing true from day one instead of dragging by the second season.
Chapter 03
After the fence is up
Once the wood has properly cured, staining is worth doing. It is our own answer when customers ask, and it is what protects the grain against North Alabama sun and the humidity that follows every summer rain. A fence that goes a few years unstained is usually the one that starts graying and splitting first.
Every job carries a one year workmanship warranty, so if a post shifts or a gate starts to drag, that is a call to us, not a project for you. Reach the office at (256) 203-1243 and we will get someone out to look at it.
Athens Fence Co has been setting wood and privacy fence lines across North Alabama since 1983. Call (256) 203-1243 for a free estimate.