For 35 years, the wood in the privacy fence of Park Ridge, a 122-unit condominium complex in Marietta, Georgia, was just as real as the maintenance costs required every few years to keep them looking nice. And by last year, the Park Ridge Homeowners Association (HOA) was sick and tired of that fact.
The complex was on its third wood privacy fence since opening in 1980, and the HOA was facing another round of repairs. The fence looked very weatherworn by then, and many of the residents’ wooden patio gates, after years of expanding and contracting with the weather, would no longer latch. Then, a fence panel fell, leaving nails exposed and creating a potential safety hazard. The time had come to make a decision—make the fence repairs and keep on dealing with the same problems every few years or install a new fence. After careful deliberation, the HOA decided that putting in a new fence was the best choice for the long term.
“We decided to put that Band-Aid approach aside because it would have been pointless,” said Marguerite DunLany, Park Ridge HOA board member. “The fence had become unsafe and the cost of ongoing maintenance was getting too high. It was unfixable.”
Though the homeowners preferred the classic look of a wood privacy fence, most agreed that a vinyl fence that emulated this look would be a wiser investment, as it would require significantly less maintenance over time. The HOA hired First Fence of Georgia, of Kennesaw, Georgia, as their contractor and began looking at different fence products.
After a visit with the contractor’s CertainTeed fence sales representative, they chose Bufftech® Imperial Select Cedar semi-private fence in the Weathered Blend color, which is manufactured to closely emulate the look of traditional weathered cedar fence and texture of cedar wood grain. In order to stay within the annual budget, the HOA opted to have new fence installed for only half of the 44 patios, accounting for two buildings. The board was thrilled with the features of the new fence.
“The product is completely inorganic, so nothing can go bad, unlike wood,” DunLany said. “That was a big selling point to us. If we put our money toward repairing the old fence or putting in a new wood fence, we would have been facing the same problems down the road.”
First Fence of Georgia began work at Park Ridge in April 2016 with a crew of one foreman and two assistants. The crew removed the old wood fence for the first 22 patios and began installing the vinyl fence. Posts were set 32 to 34 inches deep, and the Bufftech Imperial fence sections measured 5 feet high with a mid rail, using 7/8 x 3 pickets. The semi-private design allows for air flow while still providing a sense of privacy. The crew left 2 inches clearance between the ground and the bottom of the fence rails.
Altogether, the crew installed 600 feet of semi-private fence, along with a custom Bufftech Chesterfield Concave gate in Weathered Blend for each of the 22 patios. Fortunately, there were no major obstacles, and the job moved along smoothly.
“The terrain around both buildings was consistently flat, which allowed for an aesthetically pleasing end result,” said Brad Greene, general manager of First Fence of Georgia. “And, we had no problems with product assembly, which also helped things move more quickly. Our installers made several comments about the ease of installation and product assembly with the Bufftech fence compared to some other vinyl fence manufacturers’ products we have used in the past.”
The crew finished the job in 17 days, meeting with positive results and feedback.
“We were very pleased with the end result,” Greene said. “The Imperial Select Cedar texture design was a great choice by Park Ridge, and our CertainTeed sales rep was very informed and helpful to us and our customer. It was a good project.”
The homeowners of Park Ridge were also quite pleased with the contractor’s work, which DunLany happily describes as “the Bufftech facelift.” Given the positive feedback received, the HOA plans to install the same look for the remaining 22 patios of the community next year.
In addition, people from condominium communities neighboring Park Ridge have also complimented the new fence while passing by.
“We live in a neighborhood of five condominium communities, and people from each one have come by and said how much they like the new fence,” DunLany said. “And, they always want to know who installed it and if they can get the same product in their own community.”
Serving the Atlanta Metropolitan Area since 2004, First Fence of Georgia offers a full range of fence installations and services. This includes: residential and commercial fence installations of all types and styles, from custom wood and decorative metal to chain link and vinyl. In addition, First Fence sells a complete line of materials wholesale to the “do-it-yourself” market. For more information, call 770-422-9996 or go to firstfence.com.
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