The Fence Post

Yes! You Can Still Buy American-made Fencing

Nowadays, it seems like everything is made in China or some other country. While this may be true for a lot of products, it is not true for all fence products. There are a lot of fence products still made with pride and exceptional quality in the great US of A! In fact, most fence products are still available from domestic manufacturers.

• GBW, GAW, and Vinyl Coated welded wire fencing materials are all available from US manufacturers such as Riverdale Mills (Northbridge, MA) and C.E. Shepherd (Houston, TX).                                      
• Bekaert Corp. manufactures all types of low carbon and high tensile field fence, horse fence, sheep & goat fence, and deer and wildlife fence in galvanized, zinc aluminum, and black paint over ZA finishes.
  
• Stay-Tuff Fence Manufacturing produces high tensile deer & wildlife fence, field fence, horse fence, goat fence, and barbed wire in New Braunfels, Texas.
  
• Oklahoma Steel makes a wide variety of field fence, barbed wire, deer and wildlife fence, agriculture panels, horse fence, and GBW welded wire in Madill, OK, and Centerville, IA.
• Franklin Steel produces top-quality steel painted and galvanized studded T fence posts in Franklin, PA.
  

These companies employ hard-working, tax-paying Americans! American-made products are superior in quality and are surprisingly price competitive versus imported products. American-made products provide an overall better value than lesser quality imports because the fence will last many years longer and will not need to be replaced. Just think of the hassle, expense, and inconvenience you will avoid! Just like the old saying “You get what you pay for.”

>You may be aware of “The Buy American Act” which restricts the purchase of supplies that are not domestic end products. For manufactured end products, the Buy American Act uses a two-part test to define a domestic end product.

1. The product must be manufactured in the United States; and
2. The cost of domestic components must exceed 50 percent of the cost of all the components.

The Buy American Act applies to all U.S. Federal government agency purchases of goods valued over the micro-purchase threshold but does not apply to services. Under the Act, all goods for public use (articles, materials, or supplies) must be produced in the U.S., and manufactured items must be manufactured in the U.S. from U.S. materials. Many states and municipalities include similar geographic requirements in their procurement legislation.

If quality and supporting America are important to you, please consider buying products made in the USA the next time you need fencing. Sure you may pay a little more, and you may have to dig a little deeper to find products made in the USA since most retailers and discount online sellers primarily sell imported products. But the effort and added costs are well worth it in the long run. Go USA!

Is it Time for an Apron Fence?

Although the name "apron fence" might make this product sound like kitchen garb, it is actually a versatile and uniquely designed fence that is ideal for a host of different applications. 

No Trench

Since there is no need to dig a trench (a time bandit hassle), installation is quick and easy. Simply place the apron on the ground and cover it with soil or grass for a neater appearance. Vegetation will grow up through the mesh, securing the fence to the ground.

Perfect for Beagles etc.

Apron fence is ideal for beagle training pens, running pens, kennels, as well as game bird pens and chicken pens. Great for a garden fence because it protects the garden from hungry wildlife looking for a free and tasty meal!

Choose Galvanized or Vinyl-Coated

Apron fence is made of 17 gauge galvanized steel 1½” hex wire, making it more than twice as strong as standard 20 gauge 1” hex chicken wire. This greater strength and durability provide longer life. Made in the USA, it is available in two sizes – 60” (48” fence height, 12" apron) and 72” (60” fence height, 12" apron) and in galvanized or vinyl-coated finish.

Long-Lasting, Flexible, and Attractive

The vinyl coating is bonded to the wire and is UV stabilized for long life. The black vinyl coating is more attractive and blends into the background, becoming nearly invisible; plus, you can easily see what is inside the fence, enhancing the perspective of your garden. Paying more upfront for vinyl coating will save money and time in the long run because it will last years longer than the galvanized, and will eliminate the expense and hassle of replacing the fence.

Whether your objective is keeping animals in or keeping them out, Apron Fence will exceed expectations!

Safe and Simple Installation

Don't worry, we believe in freedom of movement for all ducks and no ducks are ever harmed using DUCKBILL® EARTH Anchors! So, you may ask, “What are DUCKBILL anchors and what are they used for?” Glad you asked!    

The anchors work very much like toggle bolts in soil. They are driven into the ground with no holes, no digging, and minimal soil disturbance creating a safe and environmentally sensitive installation. The anchor body is driven into the soil with a reusable drive steel (drive rod). Once the anchor body is placed to the proper depth the drive rod is removed. With an upward pull, the anchor tendon rotates the DUCKBILL into a perpendicular “anchor lock” position in undisturbed soil resulting in superior holding capacities. Plus, there are no potentially hazardous metal eye bolts or hooks above ground to trip over or for the lawnmower to hit.

DUCKBILL Earth Anchors are used in a wide variety of applications.

Excellent Theft Deterrence

There are reported losses of millions of dollars per year due to theft. DUCKBILL anchors reduce theft and unwanted movement of objects like:

• Tables
• Benches
• Grills
• Trash cans
• Bicycles
• Signs

Help with Horticulture

Helping Trees Establish Themselves

DUCKBILL Tree Guy Systems are perfect for keeping trees vertical and limiting motion, letting the roots establish themselves for quicker, healthier growth. It protects trees from being blown over and killed by the wind. Easy, safe installation means more trees anchored per hour and a more professional appearance. When the guy systems are not possible or desirable, such as in playgrounds, parks, or where sidewalk plantings are required, use the Root Ball Kit. It is specifically designed to hold the tree’s root ball firmly in place, with only the tree protruding above the ground. Each kit comes with three anchors with D-ring and one strap with a hand ratchet.

• Tree guy support system
• Rootball stabilization kit

Remarkably Multi-Purpose

DUCKBILL Earth Anchors are used worldwide to secure any object that can be stolen, moved, or blown down like:

• Fences
• Vineyards
• Sheds
• Tents
• Mobile Homes
• Airplanes
• Towers
• Signs
• Antennas
• Scaffolding
• Playground Equipment
• Structures
• Turf Reinforcement/Erosion control

300 to 5,000 Pounds Holding Capacity  

Anchors are available in 4 Aluminum alloy models and 3 Galvanized ductile iron models (for very hard soils). The anchors range in holding capacities in normal soil from 300 to 5,000 pounds. The anchors are designed to function in the total range of soils. Normally, wherever you can drive a stake or drill a hole, you can use a DUCKBILL.

The next time you need to secure something to the ground, consider using a DUCKBILL earth anchor. They are safe, strong, and easy to install, and are designed to work in a multitude of applications. Can you think of any additional ways DUCKBILL anchors can help you feel more secure?

The Wee Beasties: Not so Funny

Who can forget the classic movie “Caddyshack” and Bill Murray’s ongoing battle with the varmints! It was hilarious in the movie but when it’s your yard being attacked, they don’t seem nearly as cute and cuddly. What can you do?  Well, you could always try to hire Bill Murray to blow up your yard or bring in a Gopher snake or Barn Owl to eat the rascals...or you can take a more sensible and less dramatic approach…install a gopher deterrent fence.  

Sure it’s a lot of work, but if protecting your land, lawn, trees, shrubs, and garden is important to you, then it’s worth it! Even one gopher can cause tremendous and costly damage. In most cases, it is only one gopher terrorizing your property since they are extremely territorial and solitary animals. It just looks like there must be a whole “herd” of them from all the holes and damage.

Fight Gophers as well as Rust and Corrosion

The first step is choosing the right type of fence to use since it will have to withstand the rigors of being buried. Choosing the wrong type of fence can be a costly and very frustrating mistake. Chicken/poultry wire or aviary fence is not intended to be buried and will fail in a short period of time. Galvanized After Weld, Vinyl Coated, and Stainless Steel wire provide protection from rust and corrosion and will last for many years. Obviously, these are not the favorite choices of gophers. In terms of mesh size, ½” x ½” is ideal because the openings are small and stiff enough to prevent gophers from gaining access to the surface.

For protecting lawns and garden areas, the fence should be buried 2 to 6 inches deep, covered with soil, and the sod or plants installed on top of the soil. The wire should be secured using sod staples or “U” pins placed two to three feet apart. Be careful to have tight overlaps of 4-6 inches without buckling or openings. After the gopher bumps his head a few times, he will move on to greener pastures! For above-ground use, these meshes can easily be made into baskets to protect individual plantings.

A Perimeter Fence

Another option to help keep the gophers out is the installation of perimeter fencing. The fence should have small openings and the bottom of the fence should be buried 2 to 3 feet deep with at least 6 to 12 inches above the ground to prevent gophers from burrowing underneath or invading from the surface. The buried portion of the wire should have a ninety-degree bend to the outside.

In Conclusion

For additional weapons in the war against gophers, try putting a pine-scented cleaner or chili powder in the burrows. Gophers hate this!

Don’t let gophers defeat you. Take back control of your lawn and garden so you can spend time playing golf or whatever it is that you enjoy.

And, be sure to say hello to Bill for me!