West Memphis Fence & Construction

West Memphis Fence & Construction, Inc. was founded in 1967 by William "Bill" Bius and Patrick "Pat" Turns and is located in West Memphis, AR. We cover a large market area of approximately 150 miles, but the majority of our work is done in the Memphis tri-state area.

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Three great benefits from a privacy fence.

You may be thinking primarily of privacy if you are considering installing a privacy fence, but privacy fences offer more than just basic security. Here are three excellent “other” reasons for putting in fencing, as presented recently in Fencepost:

1. Increase in home value.

If you plan on selling your home in the near future, a fence may be just the perfect element to close the contract a little quicker. Prospective homeowners with pets or young children may be more likely to buy your home than a similar property with less security.

Fencing materials also will play a key role in your return on investment. Chain-link fences are more affordable but don’t add greatly to the resale value. In contrast, concrete privacy fencing and solid wood fencing can accrue as much as 50 percent of the labor and material costs.

2. Street noise reduction.

If you reside near a busy street, highway, or freeway, you likely hear a lot of noise from incoming and ongoing traffic. The passing sound of cars and trucks may block your experience of enjoying a good book under a tree or listening to the chirp of local birds.

A solid privacy fence can dramatically absorb and reduce street noise, leaving you with a quiet oasis in your own yard. In fact, a good fence could lower your ambient sound by as much as six to 10 decibels.

Of course, your fence’s construction determines its ability to deflect sound. A high privacy fence with no gaps between the planks effectively blocks noise while a low chain-link fence has little to no effect at all.

3. Defined property boundaries.

You might enjoy how your yard seamlessly merges into your neighbor’s adjoining yard. The open space gives kids—yours and your neighbor’s—plenty of room to run, play, and frolic.

But if you plan to sell your home, you’ll want to account for every square foot of property that you own. The more land you have, the higher the total resale value. And if you don’t know where your property ends and where your neighbor’s yard begins, you’ll need to hire an expert to survey the land.

A privacy fence provides clear-cut boundaries so you can calculate your total square footage. To avoid a possible lawsuit for adverse possession, make sure that your new fence doesn’t overreach your lines and extend into your neighbor’s property.

Whether temporary or permanent, professional, business, or home—fencing enhances any setting. If you’d like to see what a privacy fence could do for you and your family, contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence and Construction 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 Tel: [phone] Website Facebook

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5 tips to protect your wood fence from rotting.

In our last blog we discussed how to stain your fence as a means for helping prolong its life. Because wooden fences generally stay in direct contact with the ground over long stretches of time, rot is virtually all but inevitable—the Grim Reaper of all wooden fences. But thanks to Stephen Downward’s article in Amazing Fencing, here are some handy tips help slow down the rotting process.

1)     Know wet rot from dry rot. Wet rot is the result of moisture regularly coming into contact with wood. Most commonly this takes place at the base of your fence, where the fence posts come into contact with the earth beneath them. Dry rot, usually more evident in arid climates like the Southwest, removes protective oils that exist on the wood’s exterior.

2)     Consider Rot When Choosing Fencing Materials. When first installing your new fence, consider using hardy or rot-resistant materials such as cedar, juniper, redwood, and cypress. Woods not as well-wearing include: pine, tamarack, and Douglas fir. Purchasing treated wood can also help protect your fence from rot and termites.

3)     Stain Your Fence as Necessary. As we mentioned in our last blog, staining your fence regularly is essential to keeping rot at bay. Many recommendations include staining your wooden fence at least once a year. One way to test the fence’s condition is to spray it with a little water. If the water beads on the wood’s exterior, the stain is intact. Conversely, if the water is absorbed into the wood, it’s time to stain it.

4)     Keep Your Fence Clear of Debris. Build-up of moist debris kick-starts rot in a hurry. Damp leaves, grasses, plants, all can enter your fence through tiny cracks and crevices, leading to rot. Keep your fence clear of foliage and grime with regular maintenance and by occasionally cleaning and washing your wooden fence.

5)     Replace Rot-Affected Sections When They Appear. Should rot develop in your fence, stop its spread by immediately replacing the affected sections. Very likely you’ll be replacing the fence’s main posts, since fence posts touch the ground—the contact point for where rot often begins. Replace the affected sections yourself, or call us to complete the job!

Whether temporary or permanent, professional, business, or home—fencing enhances any setting, providing reassuring security and safety, and in many instances, privacy. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence and Construction

410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303

Tel: [phone]

[westmemphisfence]

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Stain Your Wood Fence.

termites. But staining your fence will not only give your property a fresh new look, it will protect your wood from the above-mentioned elements, which in turn will prolong the life of your fence.

Follow these helpful tips from AmazingFencing.com to stain your wooden fence for the first time:

Prep the wood’s surface. Before starting, take time to thoroughly prep the surface of your fence: remove cobwebs, scrape off dirt and clean it with warm water. Sand any rough areas of the fence. If an older fence, look for insect damage that may have already occurred.

Choose the right materials. Choose from three types of stain:     transparent, semi-transparent, and opaque. Select the type that best suits the look you are going for and that complements the rest of your property. Using quality materials will make the task easier. In addition to a rolling brush, invest in a paintbrush that won’t lose its bristles. Having     both a large and small paintbrush helps reach all areas of your fence,     including corners and crevices. Placing cardboard or a plastic sheet under your fence will help avoid getting your brush dirty or paint dripping onto the ground.

Use a primer. For the stain to absorb into the wood properly, use an oil-based or water-based primer first. This protects the fence from     rotting and binds the color to the fibers of your fence, lengthening the     color’s vitality. Allow the primer to dry completely before moving to the     next step.

Apply the stain. Using the rolling brush, start from the top of the fence to the bottom to avoid excessive dripping. Utilize the smaller brush for hard-to-reach areas. You may need to apply multiple coats when staining your fence for the first time to ensure it binds properly. Allow the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.

It isn’t just our own lives that we are working hard at trying to extend. Our fences wish for the same thing! Treating it to a good stain will allow you both to grow old together!

Whether temporary or permanent, professional, business, or home—fencing enhances any setting, providing reassuring security and safety, and in many instances, privacy. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence and Construction

410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303

Tel: [phone]

[westmemphisfence]

Songs about fences.

If not since time in memorium then at least since 1934, popular songs have been written and recorded that center around the theme of fences.

The granddaddy of them all is the classic “Don’t Fence Me In,” composed and partially written by the legendary Cole Porter. The song, originally written for the 1934 film Adios, Argentina, was voted by the Western Writers of America as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

But the tandem of “fences” and music didn’t end its association there. Popular music is rife with usage of the word (and theme) of fences in the eight decades since Porter’s hit debuted.

The Rolling Stones issued “Sittin’ On A Fence” in 1967, off the group’s Flowers album. The protagonist in the pop/country song views the misfortunes of others in relationships and decides he’s better off sitting on the fence, not committing to anyone.

No less an icon than Bob Dylan got into the act, penning “Sitting On A Barbed Wire Fence” in 1965 but not releasing the tune until 1991, on The Bootleg Series, Volumes 1-3, 1961-1991. The song for sure won’t be remembered as one of Dylan’s great contributions to the American musical canvas and features a typically surreal rant from the iconoclast, who opens the song with a perplexing series of unrelated non sequiturs to get to his title line:

I paid fifteen million dollars, twelve hundred and seventy-two cents I paid one thousand two hundred twenty-seven dollars and fifty-five cents See my hound dog bite a rabbit And my football’s sittin’ on a barbed-wire fence

©Warner Bros. Music, 1970.

The eclectic folk/pop/Celtic artist wm Alan Ross released “Fences Without Gates” on his Poet Warrior album (1992), taking a look at the question of fence-building in relationships:

Fences without gates, locks without keys Who are you keeping out or keeping in?

©Drumpst Music, 1992

Alt-rockers Paremore released “Fences” in 2009 off their album Riot. The song, an upbeat teen rocker, carries lyrics that convey the division between stars and their followers/fans, with a little self-destructive invective thrown in for good measure.   

If you let me, I'd show you how to build your fences Set restrictions, separate from the world The constant battle that you hate to fight Just blame the limelight

©Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

On the business side of the topic—whether temporary or permanent, professional, business, or home—fencing enhances any setting, providing reassuring security and safety, and in many instances, privacy. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence and Construction 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 Tel: [phone]

[westmemphisfence]

Uniqueness in the Neighborhood

Throughout our nation’s neighborhoods, convention is the norm for appearance. We may not all live in little boxes (“and they all look just the same,” as the old song goes), but given the opportunity to brighten or make a bold statement, most homeowners feel safer hiding behind the ordinary.

Pass through an area of white houses and you’ll likely see a corresponding number of equally white fences surrounding those homes. Safe fencing choices do the job nicely and we, like most fencing companies, are happy to continue to produce them. But, to be candid, that tame look has been replicated time and time again.

Here is a road less traveled that carries more of a statement: Don’t match the fence paint or fence color with that of the house. One inventive homeowner elected to surround his white-colored house with perimeter fencing in the color of barn red, a majestic and tasteful combination that mirrored the accent trim around the garage and deck railing of the house. It was also a creative declaration that said, “We are not followers.”   

Now, the house—and the fence—stand out proudly in a forest of sameness.

Fencing, whether temporary or permanent, enhances any setting—professional, business, or home—and provides reassuring security and safety, and in many instances, privacy. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence and Construction 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 Tel: [phone]

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Temporary Fencing: Convenient, Flexible, Affordable

Most people tend to think of fencing as permanent when they think about perimeter reinforcement of any kind. But many situations call for temporary fencing as an alternative to its permanent counterpart when needs turn toward an interim solution for storage, public safety or security, crowd control at events, or simply as a theft deterrent. When utilized on the premises of a construction site, temporary fencing is also known as construction hoarding.

You may even find temporary fencing located within permanent fencing, such as when divisions or partitions are erected within a large-event venue like those found at sports stadiums or arenas where musical concerts or theater take place. And how many times have you witnessed temporary fencing, where public access is restricted at industrial construction sites? Or perhaps you’re considering conducting a child’s birthday party and need to form a perimeter to keep young ones from straying outside of a safe zone.

In addition to its obvious benefits of providing security and safety, temporary fencing—also utilized at emergency/disaster relief sites—is affordable and flexible. Its most common forms include a variety of plastic fencing or panels constructed of chain link, steel, or wire. If, say, you had a construction site on your company’s property, temporary fencing sections can be added or removed as needed, as the project expands or decreases. As for flexibility, the fencing can be adjusted in order to redirect visitors to a temporary entrance or exit with ease and timeliness. All this is possible with little adjustment and minimal additional impact to your bottom line.

Fencing, whether temporary or permanent, enhances any setting—professional, business, or home—and provides reassuring security and safety, and in many instances, privacy. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence • 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 • Tel: [phone].

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Fence intruder detection breakthrough eliminates false alarms

A revolutionary fence Perimeter Intruder Detection System (PIDS) debuted at the world’s leading defense and security show, DSEI, in London last month to rave reviews. The new low-cost system is designed to eliminate false alarms commonly found when using conventional fiber/cable-based PIDS in high-wind and desert conditions.

The new OptaSense OLA2-1000 utilizes sonar technology to “listen” to and classify activity on and around the fence rather than just “feel” the energy level as traditional “legacy” systems do. The cutting-edge development means customers can have full detection and low false alarms in all weather conditions. The system has been able to replace legacy systems in many installations by using previously installed perimeter fiber, which cuts customers’ costs while improving performance.

The innovative fence-mounted technology is already positioned in the protection of more than six miles of pipeline worldwide. In addition the systems are being utilized to help protect nuclear power stations, oil and gas refineries, as well as VIP residences. The system monitors long linear assets, such as fences, and has been successfully installed by customers in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. In recent tests at a Middle East oil and gas facility where 30-40 mph winds were the norm, the new alarm system achieved 100 percent detection rates on cutting, climbing, and intrusion with no nuisance alarms, in comparison to the 25 percent detection rate achieved by traditional systems. 

In the Middle East -- a region subject to high winds -- false alarms have been an issue since the early 1990s when conventional detection systems were first installed. Based on fundamental energy sensors, those systems responded to movement regardless of its origin -- whether initiated by human activity or wind -- and led to inordinate levels of nuisance alarms, which in turn created a poor experience for the operators. This often led to the disuse of such systems, in many cases even being turned off or only used in good weather.

At West Memphis Fence, we’re aware of your total fencing needs, whether your business or home requires perimeter security or not. Fencing enhances every business and home. Contact our helpful professionals for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence • 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 • Tel: [phone].

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5 things to consider before building your fence

Whether you’re looking at a wood, vinyl, or iron fence for your home or considering commercial fencing or one that’s gate-operated, the people at West Memphis Fence stand at the ready to fulfill your fencing needs. But we encourage all our clients and customers to consider a few questions and options before embarking on the fence of their choice.

Why are you putting up a fence? Containing a pet? Maybe a simple chain-link fence will do. If you’re attempting to block noise or build privacy, something tall and solid is a good choice. Perhaps your needs are primarily decorative or combine several of the above. It’s first things first: establishing your need for a fence.

Hire a professional reputable company. Putting in a fence is hard work. Contract with a trustworthy fencing company through a service like the American Fence Association. Check a company’s references and ask to see examples or photos of their work.

Create at least two entrances/exits. For safety as well as convenience, place at least two paths into a fenced area. Ensure that one is large enough to accommodate over-sized outdoor equipment such as a tractor lawn mower, gardening equipment, and the like. Stepping stones, pergolas, and other structural devices can help indicate the locations of gates.

Decorate your fence. Once up, customize your new fence with decorative posts or finials (distinctive ornaments). You may want to paint the fence a contemporary color if suitable for your neighborhood. A row of flowers just in front of it is always a welcome addition.

Do the neighborly thing. When planning fencing, be considerate of your neighbors. Don’t block their views unnecessarily, and if sharing a fence with one or more of them, be sure to have professionals determine the correct property lines. Also, get your agreements with neighbors in writing.

Fencing enhances your entire home. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence • 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 • Tel: [phone].

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Make the call: Vinyl vs. Wood Fencing

At West Memphis Fence, we routinely field questions from clients about the best approach for their home fencing needs. Fences are both practical and esthetic in appearance. They not only define property lines but encapsulate our dearest possessions, from children playing in a contained, safe environment to pets that require territorial limits to accenting gardens and beautifying landscapes to simply creating privacy.

But when it comes to selecting a vinyl or wooden fence for your yard, which is best?

The case for vinyl: Advantages over wood fencing include vinyl’s easy assembly and durability. It’s weather resistant, too, and won’t crack, rot, or mold if cleaned regularly. Just a little soap and water from a hard spray will maintain a vinyl fence with ease. Since the material is pre-painted, the surface “paint” won’t chip or peel. Over the long haul, vinyl is less expensive and could even come with a warranty.

The case for wood: This age-old material tends to esthetically integrate better with flowers, grasses, trees and other natural surroundings, especially if left to weather naturally. Wood fencing costs less than vinyl on the front end. Also, unlike vinyl, wood is biodegradable. Should the time ever come to replace or take down a wood fence, it can always be broken down for garden mulch or, if untreated, become firewood.

Before purchasing either vinyl or wood fencing, consider these points:

If you’re contemplating custom fencing, wood is your choice. Wood is much easier to cut to unusual sizes or shapes than vinyl.

If you plan to keep your fencing for a long time in its same position, vinyl would be the way to go. Wood fencing will rot long before vinyl fencing deteriorates.

If you’re interested in a natural or rustic look to your fence, wood is the answer. Vinyl hasn’t yet perfected a natural “wood” look yet, though from a distance it can appear to be painted wood.

If you want to erect a fence quickly, with “paint” job included, vinyl is the choice. Scratches are less likely to show, too, because color is impregnated into the vinyl.

Which is “greener?” Wood is the more environmentally friendly of the two, being both recyclable and biodegradable. But vinyl fencing can be purchased that contains recyclable materials, and if you’re wholesale dumping it at some point, you can take the whole thing to a recycling center.

Either way, a new fence not only enhances the look of your yard but your entire home as well. Remember to contact the experts at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence • 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 • Tel: [phone].

(Source: http://www.essortment.com/vinyl-vs-wood-fence-options-better-53252.html) 

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Fence industry projections for 2014 and beyond

The global fencing market is expected to reach $29.1 billion by 2018, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 4.4 percent from 2014 to 2018, according to a mid-December report prepared by Transparency Market Research.

The fencing market is heavily influenced by elements such as rising consumer interest in home improvement and home décor plus the desire for more security and safety. Expanding residential construction and growing economies worldwide are also sustaining the fencing industry uptick.

Of the four major fencing materials—metal, wood, plastic & composite, and concrete fencing—metal accounted for more than half of the entire fencing market in 2012 due to the increased need for security and safety. Plastic & composite fencing, including the vinyl fence, is projected to become the fastest growing portion of the overall fencing market in the coming years because of rising demand from residential buyers and the material’s ease of repair, maintenance, appearance, and long-term durability. The increasing demand for residential fences and the growing acceptance and popularity of synthetic alternatives also serves as a gainful opportunity for the fencing industry, since the global fencing market is affected by fluctuating raw material prices and rising energy costs. On-going interest in ornamental, chain link, and barbed-wire fencing across different end-user segments is responsible for the growth in the metal fencing sector, while wood fencing—the second largest market segment, including assembled fences, unassembled fences, and other wood fences—is expected to grow at a moderate growth rate to 2018.

Fencing enhances every business and home and provides reassuring security. Contact our helpful professionals at West Memphis Fence for your next fencing project.

We’ll fence you in!

West Memphis Fence • 410 Jefferson • PO Box 1565 • West Memphis, AR 72303 • Tel: [phone].