The Fence Post

Safety Above All 

Getting serious about a swimming pool? Great! However, don't ignore the fence around the pool and pool area--particularly in the case of young children who are curious and are intrigued by water, and will undoubtedly want to investigate the area where all the fun happens. The right fence and mesh products provide indisputable protection. Too many folks have suffered tragic losses--when one thinks about how easy it is to get caught up with what you're doing and for a toddler to slip from your sight. Vigilance is naturally the key, but it's advised, well more than that, it is mandatory to have solid backup--meaning reliable products that help in our struggle to keep our pool environments a safe place--reserved for refreshment, relaxation, and fun. 

No doubt you have put a lot of thought into the plans for the pool and its surroundings--the shape, depth, and position of the pool, the appropriate (and beautiful) landscaping, and all the details that will bring your ideas to fruition. Here are some thoughts about some necessities to check off your list.

Required--Self-Closing Gates

Consulting the town building inspector is one of your first stops. Requirements and restrictions are an important key to your pool project. If this is a DIY project, familiarizing yourself with your local pool safety laws concerning your fence and various specifications is vital. Self-closing gates are a good example: a child is not necessarily going to close a gate, particularly if the goal of being in the pool is tantamount! So a self-closing gate is really a universal requirement. Additionally, installing an alarm on your gate is an excellent idea.

If you are having the fence installed by a reputable fence company any questions you may have can be answered by them. Still, understanding the codes ahead of time will help you anticipate these obligations.

Guard Against the Unthinkable

We must face the fact that installing an excellent fence around the pool of your dreams is for everyone's safety and quite literally a protection for you and your family and friends against catastrophe. Planning the fence is as important as designing the pool.

Here are some, not all, above-ground and in-ground swimming pool barrier requirements: 

• 48 inches in height at a minimum, preferably higher
• Should not be climbable
• Foothold-free
• Handhold-free
• Have self-closing gates
• Have self-latching gates
• Able to be locked
• Small openings: horizontal - no wider than 1-3/4"; vertical - no higher than 4"
• Clearance from ground level to the barrier should less than 4 inches

Thankfully, there are a variety of styles of pool fence that meet code requirements. 

Moving on, If you are presently planning to upgrade your current fence or planning to install a new fence, one of your choices is fence panels or cutting a welded wire fence roll. Here are some further ideas:

Panels or Do-It-Yourself?

A little more costly, a swift and straightforward method for ensuring safety around a pool are panels that are made flat and cut to your specifications. The savings in time may be worth it. The number of finishes, gauges and configurations of mesh are many and come in sheets that are unframed. The frames can be created during the time the panels are being delivered. 

To save some money, you can cut the welded wire fence roll into panels yourself. Bear in mind that this will provide some challenge and that two cuts are required for each panel, the first panel excepting. The cut wires that remain exposed must be trimmed so that they are not left ragged. Some fortitude is necessary as wire cutting demands a steady hand and some patience. Naturally, the thicker the gauge of the wire, the more strength will be required. On that, going the panel route saves quite a bit of your time and spares your hand.

And for you Do-It-Yourselfers--as welded wire has a memory, so to speak--roll the cut panel in reverse, tie it up, and let it soak up the sun for a day. 

Important Choices

The mesh openings, wire gauges, and finishes are identical in the cut panels or in the rolls, and on that, we have a post that may be helpful in making the right fence choices--just follow this link to read about it. 

Opening sizes for mesh are available in various possibilities of finish: galvanized, vinyl coated, stainless steel, and plain steel. Standard-sized roll widths for the panels, which are made flat and cut to size, come in 72", 60", 36", 24", and 18". However, the length can vary somewhat, depending on your need. Please feel free to ring us with any questions--(800) 225-0508.

However! Relying on these precautions is not enough.

Here is a sobering video showing the ingenuity of toddlers as they outsmart barriers created for their protection.

Vigilance 

Parents: Put down cellphones, tablets, and laptops! At all times you should be in the pool with children 6 and younger and have your eyes on children 7 and above. And never put off swimming lessons!

Essentials and Variables

Bekaert offers a fine variety of staples for attaching wire to wooden posts. Be it knurled or single and double barbed fence staples, Louis Page will make sure you've got the goods for your various projects.

To avoid harming the fence, there are some variables to keep in mind: A smooth wire electric fence requires loose-stapling each wire, while maintaining the consistency of the spaces by using a measuring stick with the spaces marked on it. Begin by stapling from the bottom. 

For a barbed wire fence, again, loose stapling is required for each wire. Mark the positions of the wire with a measuring stick. Some folks find it helpful by starting at the top when installing multiple strands of barbed wire, as to avoid the successive wire from becoming hung up.

When working with woven wire, it is always necessary to loose-staple the wire. As the wire is expanding and contracting due to temperature fluctuations, freedom of movement under the staple is required for the brace to absorb the pressure, rather than the stapled post.

Now, here's a quick overview from Bekaert:

Man your Cages

For the past few hundred years along the U.S. coastline, oysters have been under attack. Current efforts to restore oyster reefs are bringing renewal and protection to this humble mollusk, which in turn protects against the erosion of our coasts and waterways. In terms of farming oysters, rigorous methods and ongoing research are required in maintaining this crop and bringing it to our tables. Oysters are abundant in the minerals and nutrition they provide while offering their distinctive brand of culinary delight to their host of fans.

Methods of Farming

One of the most common methods of cultivation is cage-raised oysters. Many of our favorites, indeed a majority, are bred this way. Happily, shell-fish farms are high on the list of sustainable methods of farming--pleasing environmentalists and purveyors. Some methods of cultivation are rack and bag, tray, floating, and buoy suspension. 

Cage-raised Oysters cultivated above the bottom of a bay are:

• Kept cleaner
• Protected from predators
• Thinner-shelled 
• Resulting in better yields
• Sometimes mixed in their cultivation--cage-raised above, then transferred to the bottom of the bay toward the end of their development--creating stronger shells   

Oysters raised on the bottom of the ocean floor are:

• Similar to how oysters grow in the wild
• Stronger shelled
• Vulnerable to mother nature
  • oysters may suffocate under the bottom of the bay
  • suffer attack by predators, such as the oyster drill or the New England dog whelk, commonly found in intertidal areas of Rhode Island
  • frozen in ice and taken out to sea

Methods used to raise oysters on the bottom of the ocean are many and may depend on geography--beach versus bay, also the local regulations, predators, and weather. Louis Page will stock your enterprise with a variety of necessities, be it 12½ gauge galvanized after mesh, 14 or 16 gauge vinyl coated wire mesh in ¾" x ¾", 1" x 1", 1½" x 1½" openings or hardware cloth, which comes in ½" x ½" and ¼" x ¼" openings. The wire mesh heights typically used by the oyster industry range from 12" to 48".

Learn from a farmer in action:

An Oyster is a Cleaning Machine

One adult oyster filters 30 to 50 gallons of water every day. Pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon dioxide are filtered from coastal waters by oysters, rendering them clearer and cleaner. The presence of oysters helps to control algae as they build up ecosystems by attracting various types of sea life. A keystone species is central to keeping an ecosystem functioning and as such, oysters are relied upon by other species in maintaining biodiversity along coastlines and in estuaries.

Erosion Solutions

350 square miles of Oyster Reefs--that was the approximate number of oyster reefs occupying the waters around the city of New York in the 1600s. Oysters were plentiful and by the 1800s oyster carts were the hot dog stands of the day. At the time, half of the world's oyster population was found in that area. 85% of oyster reefs have disappeared around the world in the last 100 years, due to higher ocean acidity, over-harvesting, and disease. By the early 1900s, the oysters were gone, eaten. Wouldn't you know it, these reefs control erosion and act as buffers from high waves during storms; hence, major cities are protected by them. Oyster reefs act in a sponge-like way, drawing the energy out of passing waves, and are actually more effective and inexpensive than steel walls and wooden bulkheads, which increase sand erosion ahead of these artificial structures.

Military and environmental groups are working together to plant miles of oyster reefs along the coastline of New Jersey, which has suffered much storm damage in recent years. Other reefs are being built along the East Coast as far south as Florida. Amazingly, every coastal state in the U.S. is using oyster reefs for the buffering of storms and/or water amelioration. As they struggle to survive, it is best to leave these wild oysters and their reefs to their important work, and rely on farmed oysters for consumption. Take a look at this article to learn about recent strides that are being made.

The Rebuilding                                                                                                            

There is a project afoot to rebuild the oyster reefs around the New York Harbor in the next twenty years. The Billion Oyster Project sets its sights on building 100 acres of oyster reefs which will become home to a billion oysters by 2035.

Oyster larvae, known as spat, naturally attach to oyster shells and after many generations (with some assistance) build up the reef. Restaurants are returning oyster shells so that after being cured for a year, they are put back onto the reefs that are being restored. There are similar programs existing in the Chesapeake Bay.

Nutrition

A single medium-sized raw oyster contains roughly 5 grams of high quality and complete protein, as well as these life-saving and life-enhancing vitamins and nutrients:

Zinc--the humble oyster is brimming with the stuff. Zinc is important for cell division and is responsible for the function of red and white blood cells in our bodies. It is indispensable for physical performance, energy levels, body composition, and maintaining ideal hormone levels. Zinc is also an antioxidant--busy stabilizing stress levels and fighting aging. Low levels of zinc are known to cause reduced libido and infertility.

Potassium--occurs in high levels in oysters: it helps lower blood pressure, relax blood vessels, and provide good cholesterol.

Vitamin D--essential for absorbing calcium and promoting bone growth. Low vitamin D is associated with breast, colon, and prostate cancers, heart disease, depression, and weight gain.

Vitamin E--aids in making cellular membranes strong and flexible.

Vitamin B12--oysters are an excellent source. B12 regulates the metabolism and formation of red blood cells while maintaining the central nervous system, brain health, and development.

Iron--the main component of hemoglobin, which is a protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Iron is crucial to red blood cell production and therefore to vitality. In its fight against anemia, iron stimulates the nervous system, supporting muscles and energy levels, cognitive function, and stomach health.

Copper--regulates iron, ensures appropriate enzymatic reactions, enhances the health of connective tissues, hair, and eyes. It regulates heart rhythm, balances thyroid levels, enhances red blood cell production, and reduces cholesterol. Amino acids and vitamins are metabolized by copper. The body does not manufacture it and therefore must be added through diet--consult an oyster.

Manganese--a powerful antioxidant. Creates essential enzymes for building bone, maintaining bone structure, and bone metabolism. Assists in the formation of connective tissues and absorption of calcium while regulating sex hormones, healthy blood sugar levels, and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.

Selenium--an antioxidant, a catalyst for active thyroid hormone production, necessary for sperm motility, may prevent miscarriage and is thought to be a mood stabilizer. Healthy levels are linked to reduced cancer and heart disease risk.

Yet as always, consume oysters in moderation as they are so vitamin-rich, they can result in mineral overdose, and always buy them from reputable sources. Consume oysters as a preventative and not as a medical treatment, especially in the case of established heart disease. And the martini you might add to the mix? Well...life has its trade-offs. 

Louis E.Page Inc. is committed to sourcing and delivering the finest fence and mesh supplies available to do the important and rigorous work of cultivating oysters. You can be assured that the products we sell are the best-engineered on the market today. 

Your Garden at Peril

Battling a burrowing woodchuck can be a relentless task. Here are some of our answers to warding off this muncher and destroyer of your prized plantings. 

Keeping a Woodchuck from Burrowing and Climbing

The clever woodchuck moves below ground as well as above.

• A 6-foot fence is required as a minimum, with 5-foot posts
• Chicken wire should be dug in 10 inches or more below ground level
• Leave a foot of chicken wire unattached from the post at the top and bend it outwards; this prevents the woodchuck from getting a good grip for climbing over the fence

Another possibility is:

• Place 3 feet of chicken wire flat on the ground around the perimeter of the garden
• After which, secure a 4 to 6-foot fence vertically 6 inches in from the chicken wire edge which will leave 2½ feet of chicken wire on the outside on the ground
• At the top, leave 12 inches of the chicken wire bent outwards away from the garden, unsecured
• The woodchuck will not be able to dig under the vertical fence because of the 3 feet of chicken wire surrounding the garden

As the updated Old Farmer's Almanac advises: The best woodchuck deterrent is a fence.

Image from Mass Audubon Society.org 

A Very Broad Diet

A woodchuck is decidedly vegetarian, and your garden falls prey to them as they gorge during spring and summer-- fattening up for their long winter in the burrow. Vegetables are prized, as well as a vegetables' early tender shoots. Stems, roots, and bark are munched as well. Here is a fairly thorough list of a woodchuck's possible victims:  

While wild grasses are a mainstay, woodchucks eat a variety of vegetation and agricultural crops including peas, beans, lettuce, zucchini, squash, pumpkin vines, green beans, broccoli, soybeans, parsnip leaves, onion stems, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage, alfalfa, eggplant, as well as clover, tree bark, and insects. Flowers at threat can include phlox, salvias, lupines, hollyhocks, rudbeckia, echinacea, poppies, astilbe, sedum, hostas, columbine, and the young, soft shoots of roses and delphiniums (though they are poisonous). Also dahlias, petunias, daisies, asters, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, portulaca, tulips, sunflowers, and zinnias. Well, that does it for my garden!

Woodchuck Nation

Woodchucks are generously distributed in North America and Canada, extending to Alaska and in the south to Georgia. The clearing of forests has enabled the woodchuck to thrive. In open land and often near woods, a woodchuck's burrow is a small maze built of necessity. Entrances lead to tunnels which lead to chambers that are used for sleeping, rearing young, and even a separate chamber for burying waste. A variety of entrances provide hasty retreats when predators such as dogs and foxes appear and some holes may only be two feet deep for taking cover at such times. Burrow openings measure 8 to 12 inches, with additional holes at least 10 feet away. Not only do they eat crops, but trample them as well. Their holes can damage livestock. It is essential that we employ an appropriate arsenal to give these damaging rodents the heave-ho.

One man's battle, his fascination, and final answer--

Punxsutawney Phil

And finally, the celebration each February--the questionable observance of Groundhog Day--the honoring of one of our most destructive critters--the beloved Punxsutawney Phil who reigns as the predictor of the length of winter. Despite this fame, gardeners cast a wary eye to mounds and holes as this ravenous marauder tunnels, then nibbles and chomps through labored-over crops. Yes, it could be the single bite out of that prized tomato or the tragic beheading of a carrot that swiftly moves one to take up arms. Before we become violent, let's use some of the above-mentioned preventative measures. Ideally, a fence should be in place before a woodchuck is able to enter and start sampling produce.

At Louis Page, we are committed to providing you with the information and products that can protect your property and alleviate some of your stress. If you have questions, please get in touch, call us at (866) 328-5018.