If  you have read my previous blog, I have an update on my neighbors fence. Yesterday I witnessed him  digging out his old footings as I was driving by on my six wheeler, he was wiping his brow with a rag and gave me a thumbs up. He was drenched head to toe in sweat. He could have avoided this hard labor by leaving those posts attached to the footings. As the week pasted, I received a handful of customer calls and inquiries from sales teams on how to deal with the storm related repairs. This lead me to do a follow-up on my initial storm damaged fence good advice blog.

1. If you remember or can identify who built your vinyl or ornamental fence; first you should contact them for the repairs. Most ornamental and vinyl fences are unique in the design and the profile dimensions. Fence contractors will generally align themselves with one manufacturer. If you contact a contractor that did not originally built the fence, they may struggle to find the specific ornamental fence manufacturer or match the profile dimensions of the vinyl fence rail and pickets. This will result in higher costs plus longer lead times.
2. Fence contractors are extremely busy and the phone continues to ring off the hook with home owners who want their fence repaired. Most home owners are relying on their fence to protect their children and pet. When they have a damaged or downed fence, the home owner cannot let their children play unattended or let their pets out in the backyard. We suggest that you set an appointment with your fence contractor and inform them that you will meet them to review the work. This will let the salesman know you are serious about getting your fence repaired. When you have this meeting, inquire about the lead time for repairs and make sure this is included with your proposal. If you can agree on the proposal, then sign it! Each day that you wait is another day that the contractors backlog grows.
3. You can always expect the unexpected. A home owner reached out to me to air out concerns about their recently repaired fence. They also included pictures. Their main complaint was that the new fence did not match the old wood fence. Their fence was a cedar fence that showed its age and was greyed. The home owner was expecting the company to either use aged material or reclaimed wood to match. If you are repairing your old fence: you should expect a variation in color, shape, and sheen.
4. Temporarily move or protect your valuable plantings and yard ornamentals. Your contractor will need access to your fence. The ground around your fence is going to be unearthed. There will b some wear and tear on your yard when contractors are moving back and forth during the repairs. Temporarily move or replant any plants or flowers that you don't want disturbed during the repairs. You can also cover up any popping spring bulbs, flowers, etc. One home owner used something as simple as a laundry basket to cover her tulips.

American Fence Company has been replacing and repairing storm damaged fence for over fifty years. We continue to recognize that we are building not only fences but relationships. We strive to make this a positive experience for you.