Out With the Old, and in With the New Old

When it comes to concrete fence, people still often synonymize concrete with ‘boring’, ‘dull’, ‘clunky’, ‘ugly’, and the like. If anything else that comes into mind, it would be that concrete is ‘old school’ and ‘outdated’. Well, time has changed, and like everything around us, concrete has also modernized and kept up with the time. It’s time to rethink concrete.

What can concrete not do? Concrete can be used with just about any other materials: wood, metal, vinyl, etc.  Not only is concrete versatile with other materials, it can also come in different shapes, forms, and sizes. Colors of concrete fence can be dyed, stained, and painted and can even be decorated to your specific need. Manufacturing through precast can have virtually limitless possibility on designs. Even artificial stone designs can be precast on concrete fences (see attached photos).

Natural Art Concrete Fence

With infinite possibilities of design options, concrete fences can be created to cater to your specific needs!

Despite all the misconception, concrete fence are showing up in our yards. No longer is concrete fence used as a barricade somewhere in an industrial area. It is showing up in the yards of proud homeowners. People are noticing concrete fence as it resonates an admirable home fencing solution. It is signifying permanent residency and it is reflecting on people that are taking pride living in their location.

Natural Art Concrete Fence

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Don't Forget To Paint!

Setting up your fence is only half the job. After your fence is set up, you should also paint it. Painting your fence can make your home and surrounding more aesthetically pleasing; also, the paint adds an additional layer of protection to your fence against environmental erosion and insects. Painting your fence will improve durability and also add value to the fence, and is definitely a worthwhile long-term investment.

First off, prior to selecting a color for your fence, you should understand the policies and regulations of your neighborhood. Check to see if you are restricted to having certain colors in your neighborhood. In addition, speaking to your neighbors about the paint job and coming to an agreement could minimize any unwanted dispute after the paint job.

You may also need to decide on the type of paint you want to use on your fence. Depending on the material your fence is built out of, you will need to consider the type of paint to use. For example, there are 3 types of paint we recommend for concrete fences: Acrylic, Epoxy, and Latex. For more information on concrete fence paint types visit: www.ehow.com/info_12039316_kind-paint-use-concrete-fence.html. If the natural color of concrete is good enough for you, consider using an Acrysheen coating sealant. Acrysheen can bring out the concrete definition and shading, as well as adding a protective layer to your fence.

Natural Art Concrete Fence - Natural Concrete Color With Acrysheen Applied

Lastly, choose a color that complements your surroundings, which includes your home, yard, and even your neighborhood. Your yard could be a reference to determine which colors your fence should be. You could also go for a color that matches your home or one that complements your home style. For example, “A traditional cottage or Colonial might look best surrounded by a fence painted a crisp, clean white, while a rustic ranch- or farm-style home might be complemented by an oak stain on the surrounding fence” (homeguides.sfgate.com, 2014). 

If you are still unsure of which colors to choose, we recommend talking to a home-store expert to find the type of paint you need for your fence.

www.naturalartfence.com

What's In Your Backyard?

Does this sight look familiar? Is this something you would see in your backyard or front yard? Is this your fence?

Old Wooden Fence

We all know the housing market in Vancouver is ridiculously expensive and has been on a constant rise. And those of us who are able to own or live in a single detached house realize the immense value of our homes. This is because nowadays, single detached housing starts around 1 million dollars in Vancouver. I guess being a millionaire in Vancouver does not get you very far.

Why is it that if we can spend such a big amount of money buying ridiculously expensive houses, we cannot spend some money dressing our homes up with a beautiful fence? Not only does a old rickety fence decrease the overall physical atheistic of the property, it also creates potential liabilities if it were ever to fall down on someone or endanger the livelihood of the inhabitants on that property.

Natural Art Concrete Fence

Benefits of having a well maintained/ new fence:

• Piece of mind
• Increase in property value - (http://naturalartfence.blogspot.ca/2014/08/property-value-creation-fence.html)
• Security
• Privacy

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Rain Rain Go Away!

It’s raining outside. Let’s face it, you don’t want to do any outdoor housework today. If you already had plans to do some work, you are now having second thoughts. And trust me, you are not alone. There are reasons why people tend to postpone outdoor DIY activities during unfavourable weather. Aside from the apparent health risks such as catching a cold or slipping and injuring yourself, there are jobs that just simply cannot be finished in the rain; who is going to try to paint a fence in the rain?

So what can we do during rainy days aside from cursing or praying for the rain to stop before the sun goes down?

I say this is the perfect time to plan your work. Sounds simple and trivial? Well you’ll be surprised as to how many people do not plan their DIY projects ahead. I’m not talking about the overall scope of a project, such as “let’s fix up the fence on the weekend!” or “let’s build a new dog house for Sparky”. Everyone can plan these broad activities in advance. However, I am talking about planning ahead for these activities in detail.

What tools do you need to finish these jobs? Have you thought about whether there might be underground utilities where you plan to erect a fence? Do you have a blue print for the dog house you plan to build? Have you considered safety gears?

These are important questions that seems so obvious that we tend to neglect them and just dive right into the projects. The last thing anyone wants when they start working is to realize they don’t have a measuring tape or a pen or a hammer. Now time is wasted while scavenging for a measuring tape. This happens in construction more often than you think. How many times have you drove by any construction site and you see 7 people standing around talking and not doing anything? It’s true that they may be on their break, but more often than not, a lack of foresight leads to stand-by time (trust me, I’m in the construction industry).

Typical Wednesday afternoon

So how should go ahead and plan? Through my experiences, I find the best way to plan ahead is to walk through a project in your mind break it down step by step. Stop and think about what might happen in every step and jot down what you may need to complete that step. For example, if I am erecting a fence, I would break down the project into 4 steps:

1.      Layout

2.      Digging post holes

3.      Erecting posts and panels

4.      Painting and finish work

Now I would plan each of these steps in detail. I would think about the problems I would encounter and what I need to finish these steps before moving on to the next. Doing all this may sound tedious, but a project that finishes smoothly and without a problem will save you both money and time.

www.naturalartfence.com

Property Value Creation: Fence

Does a nice fence increase the value of a property?

The short answer is "yes". The long answer is "yes, yes it does".

Premium Quality Concrete Fence from Natural Art

Nowadays you will get contractors coming to your house and telling you that putting up a fence does not really affect the property value and so they will try to sell you a cheap fence. Now this is true in a very small scale. For example, if a house is located in an area where no houses have fences, then in this case, the value of a property may actually decrease by erecting a fence. Now think to yourself, how often do you see neighborhood where no property are fenced. Furthermore, if a contractor is trying to sell or replace a fence in the first place, the contractor is already proposing value creation to your property.

In general, the appearance of a fence adds value to the property overall. Everyone loves their privacy and so do buyers when they consider buying a house. Many potential buyers are looking for a home with a fence because they have pets or want their children to be able to play in the yard safely. It can be said that the benefits of having a fence outweighs not having a fence significantly. In fact, according to appraisers in the article "13 Big Threats to Your Home's Value" from MSN Real Estate, when you look at standard appraisal forms, there is a premium paid for fences! As a result, a fence can impact the value of a property by as much as 5 to 10%!


Next time a contractor tries to make a quick easy buck by selling you a cheap fence, ask him questions and see if he really knows what he is talking about. My guess is, the contractor probably has no real estate knowledge.


www.naturalartfence.com