Your home · 10 guides
Fences & Decks: problems and fixes, explained by Jack
Jack Johnson is the only fences & decks member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- Wood, iron or masonry: choosing the right fence for a Dallas home Each fence material is best at something different. Decide what the fence has to do first, and the material usually chooses itself. Start with what the fence has to doWood: privacy and warmth for the moneyIron and metal: security with an open viewMasonry: the permanent option
- What actually drives the price of a new fence in Dallas A fence price is built from about eight decisions and conditions, most of which you can see in your own yard before anyone measures it. Here is what each one does to the number. The short answer: material, length, height, gates and the groundMaterial sets the starting rangeLinear footage and height multiply everythingGates and automation are their own line item
- The gate drags and will not latch: what you can fix yourself and when to call a pro A sagging gate is either a hardware problem, a frame problem or a post problem. The first is usually a homeowner fix. The other two are not, and here is how to tell them apart. Find out what is sagging: the hardware, the frame or the postWhy gates sag in the first placeA quick diagnosis you can do in the yardWhat a homeowner can safely fix
- The deck and pergola mistakes Texas homeowners regret, and how to avoid them Most deck and pergola regrets come from decisions made before construction starts. Here are the ones I see most, and what to decide instead. The regrets start on paper, not on siteChoosing cedar or composite on the sticker priceExpecting a pergola to work like a roofPicking a pergola material for the photo, not for the upkeep
- How to make a cedar fence last in North Texas: the first year and every year after Cedar resists rot and insects, but how long a cedar fence lasts depends on what happens after it is built. Here is the care plan we give our own customers. Build it right, finish it on time, keep the water offLongevity is decided the week it is builtYour first year with a new cedar fenceWater does more damage than sun
- Gray, blotchy or splintering: how to tell when a fence or deck needs restaining Wood tells you when its finish has worn out, long before it starts to rot. Here is how to read the signs on a fence or deck, and how to tell a restain job from a repair job. If water soaks in and the wood has gone gray, it is timeWhy wood loses its finish so quickly hereFive things to look for on a fence or deckTwo quick tests before you call anyone
- Fence permits, HOA approval, pool barriers and property lines in Dallas Height and location decide whether a Dallas fence needs a permit, and an HOA, a pool or an easement can add rules of their own. Here is what to check before anyone digs. It depends on height, location and who else has rulesWhat the city's checklist actually saysWhat goes in a fence permit applicationHOA approval is a separate step
- Before you sign a fence estimate: the questions that separate good builders from the rest Most fence problems are decided before the first post goes in. These are the questions I would ask any fence company, including mine, and what a good answer sounds like. Ask about the people, the posts and the paperworkWho will be on site, and who checks the finished work?How will the posts be set?What exactly is in the written estimate?
- Adding an automatic driveway gate: swing or slide, power, safety and timeline An automatic gate is a gate, a motor, a power supply, access controls and safety devices that all have to suit each other and your driveway. Here is how each decision is made. Five decisions and one safety standardSwing or slide: the driveway usually decidesMaterial, weight and what holds it upPowering the operator: wired or solar
- Your fence is leaning after the storm: how to tell whether it needs repair or replacement A leaning fence is almost always a post problem, and posts decide everything. Here is how to check yours, what an honest repair-or-replace recommendation sounds like, and what to expect from a well-built fence in North Texas. The fence was fine last year and now it is leaning into the alleyWhy fences in North Texas lean and rot the way they doHow to inspect your own fence before anyone quotes itWhen a lean can wait and when it cannot