Wood Privacy Fences in Dallas, GA

A privacy fence lives or dies at two points, the post and the grade line. Posts go in first, set below frost movement and deep enough that a loaded gate or a leaning teenager will not walk them out of the ground over a few summers. In Paulding County that means digging through red clay that holds water after a storm and then shrinks hard in a dry August, which is exactly the kind of ground that pushes a shallow post sideways within a year or two. We set posts with enough depth and enough concrete that the clay works against the fence instead of taking it down.

Once posts are set, rails and pickets go on with attention to the ground line, because that is where wood rots first. Board on board and shadowbox styles both hide the yard from the road, the difference is airflow and how much wood you are paying for. Dog ear pickets are the standard look, square top reads a little more finished.

A gate that sags in year one almost always means the post it hangs from was undersized or set too shallow for the weight of the panel. We frame gates so the hinge side carries the load properly and the latch actually meets the strike without someone having to lift and shove.