Wyoming’s outstanding features are its majestic mountains and high plains but all Big Wyoming dwellers know the power of our windstorms and extremely cold weather. They are an inevitable fact of life in Wyoming and you’ll need a fence that can easily endure extreme weather conditions. Let’s take a look at our fencing techniques and material options that beat our Wyoming climate.
Cold Climates Bring Challenges for Fences
As cold weather approaches, the moisture in our Wyoming soil will freeze, causing it to expand and push fence posts out of their holes (this is a process called frost heaving, or jacking). Deep into winter, a strong wind can cause the whole fence–along with its loose posts–out of the ground.
There are different solutions to this issue, but the surest solution is to ensure your posts or footers are set at least a couple of feet beneath the frost line. We generally set our posts about 36 inches to make sure our fence posts are well below the frost line, therefore guaranteeing their stability and strength.
Wind is a Fence’s Fiercest Foe
Big Wyoming’s climate can be intense. With the extreme wind, snow, and variable temperatures, a fence needs to be extraordinarily strong to hold up against the tough weather of Wyoming. It’s sad but true that fences can blow over in high winds. And poorly constructed fences? They’re goners when the wind picks up.
Let’s take a quick look at exactly how wind affects a fence. It seems pretty self-explanatory, right? Actually, evaluating wind patterns gives us more insight into the best way to build fences that can have immunity to wind-generated collapse. Here’s an analogy: A beaver dam can stop the flow of water in a river, and the tighter the logs and debris in the dam, the slower the water passes through it. Compare the effects of a beaver dam on a river to a fence with really close pickets and the wind trying to pass through it. The wind will place a tremendous amount of strain on the fence. With 90 mph winds beating against your fence, it better be made from some really strong materials to keep it standing.
So how does a professional Cheyenne, Wyoming fence company combat this force of nature? Well, at SWi Fence and Supply, we have the answer!
Privacy Fences Built Stronger to Beat the Rest!
Unlike our aluminum, ornamental steel, and chain link fencing that doesn’t pose any resistance to the wind because the gusts can pass right through their open materials, privacy fences, like wood and vinyl, need to be extra strong to keep from being toppled by the wind.
The reason we’re the top Cheyenne, Wyoming fence company is due to our commitment to always using the strongest, proven materials to build and install our fences. We never cut corners and always meet or exceed the industry guidelines for the installation of our fences. Installation techniques are really important, but equally as vital is using the best materials. Here’s a look at the two types of privacy fences that are susceptible to damage by the wind if it weren’t for our superior installation techniques.
Wood Fences in Wyoming
We use cedar for all of our wood fences because it’s extremely durable and holds up well to Wyoming wind and weather conditions. A cedar fence will outlast fences made from softer, less durable wood, like pine, due to its abundance of natural oils which helps it to deteriorate more slowly.
Stainless steel ring shank galvanized nails are used to install our Wyoming wood fences as these nails won’t rust and the ring shank will allow them to hold extraordinarily well. Because a nail is metal and bleeding is inevitable even with a galvanized coating, we take the extra step to countersink the nail into the picket in an attempt to direct the bleed into the center of the picket versus down the face of the fence.
Because posts are the components that are in contact with the ground, and as fences age, the posts can decay and become the weakest part of the fence. For this reason, we offer superior Postmaster Steel Posts which not only help to make a seamless fence but are designed to withstand up to 73 mph winds. These posts will not shrink, warp or rot like the regular wooden posts and the engineered steel has some give against wind gusts and snaps right back.
Vinyl Fences That Stand up to the Wyoming Weather
In comparison to wood, vinyl fencing is about five times stronger! In addition, its flexibility contributes to that overall strength and resilience, making it far less likely to break even in the windiest conditions. There are many styles of vinyl fence available and the solid panel privacy fence is a particular style that needs to be extra strong. We use National Vinyl Products (NVP) as our supplier of vinyl fencing because they are proven winners in standing up to the wind and snow in Wyoming. As a proud Cheyenne, Wyoming fence company we also choose NVP products because they are made right here in the USA!
In cold climates, like Wyoming, we mentioned that posts need to be set quite deep in order to be immune to the effects of our winter freeze/thaw cycles. Our vinyl fence posts are set at least three feet deep which is enough to get below the frost line and to add extra strength and durability against strong winds and freezing temperatures. Vinyl fences will always be untouchable by problems like termites, rotting, warping, or mold and is super low-maintenance as it’s easily cleaned with something as simple as dish soap and a garden hose.
Are You Ready to Start Your Fencing Project?
Now that you know that THIS Cheyenne, Wyoming fence company uses only the best techniques and quality materials for our fences, you can be confident that your fence will be built to withstand our frigid temperatures and extreme wind. Our knowledgeable team of professionals is ready to answer your questions and get you started with planning your installation. You can also use our instant quote tool on our website as well for a fast, convenient quote and comparison.
Let us show you how important customer service is! Give us a call at (866) 754-0120 or contact us through our website today for the friendly, courteous service you can rely on!
