We need to replace our chain link fence with a 6ft fence because 2 of our dogs can jump over it. We just don't know what type of fence can take a beating from the high winds we get due to the fact that our yard faces the west and there is a huge retention ditch behind us that they us as a field for sports when its not filled with water, so when it is a windy day, a bad thunderstorm, or a snow/ice storm we want our fence to be able to last a while. We have lived in our house for 12 years and have seen my neighbor replace their wood fence 3 times and I notice that the wood starts to splinter fast. My other neighbor has the PVC fence for about 5 years and had to replace a couple of sections twice. Also we have had to replace our storm screen door on the back door 3 times since we have lived here due to the winds blowing them off. Looking forward to hearing what you recommend.
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related questions diy.stackexchange.com/questions/51864/… and diy.stackexchange.com/questions/27705/…– user24242Nov 10, 2014 at 8:17
3 Answers
How much is "a lot of high winds"? I have a classic cedar panel fence (now with pressure-treated posts; it was time to redo them all and PT lasts in ground contact better than cedar), and it has withstood a couple of microbursts and the like with little or no damage. It did lose one board from one panel and a couple of post caps and cap strips over the years (which I also had cleaned up as part of this redo), but not much more than that.
Use good materials (PT in ground, PT or a weather/insect-resistant wood like cedar above ground), set the posts properly, and a wood fence can be good for 20 years with only minor maintenance.
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On the other hand, don't bet too much on the dogs not tunneling under or finding some intermediate surface to jump on. Some are quite accomplished escape artists. But I'm not the right person to advise on what's most likely to work longest; I can speak dog but I think cat.– keshlamNov 10, 2014 at 5:47
Chain link is probably what you want to stay with. It will survive hurricane-force winds (little resistance), is low-maintenance, dog-proof and provides excellent security. If the hounds can jump 6 feet you can easily get 8 foot chain link.
But (and it's a big one) you don't install chain link fence on the cheap. Poles must be anchored in concrete, corners must be braced against the next pole and it must be tensioned properly.
If the dogs like to dig, rent a small ditch digger like the kind used for sprinkler systems. You can then simply bury the fence 2 feet down.
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I have had a few dogs that were real diggers. I found burying a layer or 2 of chicken wire 4-6" down 1 foot wide on the inside of the fence stopped them when they hit the wire. They always started within a few inches of the fence so I doubled that. It was a recommendation from a friend not my idea but both of my big escape artist quit digging at the fence after several times hitting the wire.– Ed BealFeb 23, 2016 at 20:08
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I know this is an old question, but if you need an eight foot fence and bury two feet of it to hinder tunneling you have a six foot fence that you originally had.– user113627May 23, 2021 at 17:04
Any wooden type with 4x4 or 5x5 post sat in a 2foot hole using concrete. But leave a small gap between the pickets for the wind to blow though.
