Spring snowstorms roll off the Black Hills and drop heavy snow on a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD. Weather in Rapid City is very hard on wood structures. The howling winds sweep down off the foothills, and July afternoons bake under a hot sun. A Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD must be built strong to handle these conditions.
Alpha Fencing Co has completed many projects around Rapid City, and wood moves over time. Wood expands when it is humid, and wood shrinks when it is dry. Freeze-thaw cycles in neighborhoods like Red Rock or up on the West Boulevard side can push posts out of alignment if they are not set deep enough into the stubborn clay and rocky soil during a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD.
Timing Your Wood Fence Installation
Homeowners often ask when Alpha Fencing Co should start a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD. Late spring through early fall is the correct time for Wood Fence Installation. The ground has completely thawed out, and workers do not fight frozen chunks of earth just to get a post hole auger to bite. Summer gives the wood a chance to settle before the first hard freeze hits Rapid City in October.
Pouring concrete when the temperature is near zero causes major issues during a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD. Rapid City winters are very cold, and green concrete will crack if it freezes before it cures properly. Homeowners who are planning a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD should get on the schedule before late summer.
Protecting Your Investment Year-Round
Wood needs regular attention to survive on the plains after a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD. The South Dakota sun will bleach cedar and pine gray, and the sun dries out the natural oils and leaves the boards brittle. A good penetrating stain is the best defense for a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD. Property owners should not use exterior paint. Paint traps moisture inside the wood, and when that moisture freezes during winter storms in Rapid City, the paint peels off the surface.
- Check post-to-rail connections every spring after windstorms die down following a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD.
- Keep weeds and grass trimmed away from bottom boards so moisture does not trap against the wood.
- Re-apply a quality sealer every few years to keep moisture out of a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD.
Building a solid wood fence in Rapid City means respecting the environment. Property owners take care of the details upfront during a Wood Fence Installation in Rapid City, SD, and the fence will stand tall through the Black Hills weather.