Best Fence Materials for New Albany’s Weather and Hillside Yards

New Albany’s Fencing Challenges

New Albany’s hillsides are a scenic feature of Southern Indiana. However, if you’ve ever tried to stack blocks on a slope, you’ll know just how difficult it is to build a fence on a hillside. It’s not impossible, it just means that there are extra considerations involved. For example, if it rains and your fence isn’t built for your yard’s needs, it could prevent water from flowing where it should, creating flooding and extra wear and tear on your fence. When you live in New Albany, hiring a professional fence contractor is crucial.

Erosion and Runoff

It’s not just a matter of navigating water drainage. Due to erosion from water runoff, the fence post anchors become uncovered. This, over time, will make the fence unstable, and when a fence is unstable and on an incline, without the right maintenance it’s only a matter of time before the inevitable happens. If your fence falls and causes property damage, it could cost you, especially if it damages your neighbor’s property. 

Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Erosion and runoff aren’t the only factors working against the longevity of your fence. Because of the clay soil, Indiana’s freeze-thaw cycles push fence posts up and out of the ground. Another costly risk if not maintained properly. A professional fence contractor can assess your yard and help preserve your fence’s longevity by installing fence posts deeper into the ground, below the frost line. This means that picking the best fence for Indiana’s weather includes considering these cycles.

Material Factors

For a fence in New Albany, you need a durable material. Something non-porous that can be installed to accommodate hillsides. To save you a bit of research, we’ve done it for you. Choosing the right fence material for your new fence build in New Albany can be overwhelming, but when you work with a fence contractor who cares, it doesn’t have to be.

Wood on a Hill

Wood is prone to warping and wood rot without constant maintenance. When you have obstacles like hillsides, water run-off, and freeze-thaw cycles, you don’t need the added stress of constant maintenance. You need something stronger and low-maintenance, like vinyl. Building a wooden fence under these circumstances can significantly shorten its lifespan. Even with the proper post depth and adjusted installation methods, wood’s porous nature makes it prone to warping. On a hill with gravity working against it, this fence material isn’t ideal. 

Vinyl in a Freeze

Vinyl fencing is the perfect low-maintenance option, and will give you a lot less trouble than wood. Vinyl PVC is non-porous, so you won’t have to worry about rotting and warping impacting the integrity of your fence. Vinyl can handle freeze-thaw cycles, but in extremely low temperatures, the material becomes more likely to crack if put under immense pressure. This is highly unlikely with high quality vinyl like ours, but transparency is important. 

The Best Fence Material for New Albany

With criteria like yours it’s hard to beat aluminum fencing. This fence material can be installed on slopes and can withstand freeze-thaw patterns. With a powder coating to prevent weathering, your fence will stay looking new much longer. The aluminum won’t bend or warp, and the posts can be installed deep enough to resist shifting in the ground. Because the fence can be installed custom-fit to the grooves of your hillside yard, there won’t be any gaps. This keeps kids and pets safely inside.

Best Installation Methods for Hillside Fencing

A good fence contractor in New Albany knows the importance of an optimized hillside fence installation. There are a few ways to go about installing a fence on a hillside, and some are more effective than others – depending on material and the steepness of the hill. When working with aluminum rails, the best installation method is racking. This ensures that each rail fits custom to the hillside, leaving no gaps. When working with wood or vinyl, a stepped approach is typical: panels remain aligned with one another but step down between posts. This can leave unwanted gaps beneath the fence.

Family Friendly Fencing 

Navigating so many factors when choosing the best fence for your property can make you lose sight of what matters most: what type of fencing will work best for your family. You need your fence to be reliable for your property and your family. If you have pets or small children, gaps in the fencing around your hillside yard don’t keep them safe. Check out this article to see how other families have made their hillside fencing more family-friendly.

Warranty Options

When you have as many fencing obstacles as you do, you need to work with not just a reliable fence contractor, but a fence contractor that cares. Superior Fence & Rail of Greater Louisville takes great pride in quality customer service, because what matters to you matters to us. That’s why we provide warranty options and top of the line service. This way, if your vinyl cracks in extreme weather or your wooden fence begins to shift downhill, our team is there to help.

Superior Installation

Superior Fence & Rail of Greater Louisville has custom installation capabilities for every fencing material. This means the fence gets built to fit your property. We know that standard fencing won’t work for every yard. That’s why our fence builders work with your yard’s topography to ensure that you get a fence that works for you. What works for one family might not for another, because just like your yards are unique, so are your expectations for fencing. Call (502) 357-5244 today for a free fence estimate, or to discuss what types of fencing are right for your family.