case-study-abe-fence

A 4′ PRIVACY FENCE ON A CONCRETE RETAINING WALL

A simple solution helps this homeowner build a 4’ fence on concrete without any obvious connections or ugly hardware
 
How do you reliably secure wood posts to concrete for a small fence and make it look like the posts are growing out of the concrete?
This is the challenge or problem Cindy Abe was facing and couldn’t think of an acceptable solution for her beautiful home.  She had a lot that sloped down from the street to here front yard and home.  The slope was steep enough that a retaining wall had been built near the top to help manage the slope and allow from some attractive landscaping.

All of the post anchors available were big bulky metal brackets that looked very unattractive.  This ruined the appearance of the posts and the fence.  Also they were cheaply coated with a thin layer of paint and were sure to show rust within the year.

Cheap and ugly is what they were.

A Post Anchor Solution Waiting To Be Found

Cindy’s searches lead her to the Titan Post Anchor and her problem was solved.
It was simple enough for her to install the post anchors to each post and use concrete screws to secure each anchor to the retaining wall.  The post anchor is a fraction of the size of the typical brackets on the market.
With most of the anchor actually inside the post and hidden, all that is visible is a low profile 5/8″ base which on this job would also be covered up by trim pieces.
 

Post Spacing For Fences Versus Railings

As the manufacturer we recommend 4’ posts not be spaced more than 6’ apart because the higher the post the greater the leverage and the greater the flex in each post.

While it is critical to follow our engineering building code guidelines for 36” and 42” guard rail applications, there is considerably more leeway for fence applications that are not actually functioning as a guard rail.

As you can see for this job the fence ran a long distance in front of the house with a height change at one end.  The height of the fence and the touch of green between the fence and the road side makes for a beautiful look.

The fence is just high enough to provide some privacy and the wood texture of the materials gives it a natural organic feel.  So a wood fence was possible to install here in this otherwise challenging location rather than a metal fence.

An Approach And Entrance Befitting The Style Of The Home

The fence bordered both sides of the entry with concrete steps leading down to the front door. The planter beds flanking each side of the walkway perfectly finish the approach to the home.
 

Fence Posts With Virtually No Hint Of How They Connect To The Foundation

The finished look was stunning.  This is a cedar privacy fence on concrete with a horizontal layout of the fence boards. The horizontal lines of the fencing boards compliment the one story rancher style home and the wide low sloping roof line of the home.
Cindy even had some fun with the last section of the fence by switching the boards with a wire mesh infill. This gave the last section of the fence an open airy feel.

Look what Cindy did.  You can too!
Posted in Case Study.