Compare fences

Serving the Triad area (High Point, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem) of NC

The initial decision to have a fence built is pretty straightforward... you either need it or you don't. But which type of fence will best suit your purpose and budget?

Beeson Fence Builders provides the following charts to help you compare the various characteristics of each fence type:

Direct comparison chart - Use this chart to help you decide which type of fence you need based on its function, average life, and cost.
Wood fence information chart - If you decide to build a wood fence, from which type of wood should it be constructed? We'll show you the differences between treated pine, cypress, and Western Red Cedar.
Chain link fence - This table will describe the components of your new chain link fence, whether your needs are residential or commercial in application.

Direct Comparison Chart

This table compares the different types of fences head-to-head.

Characteristic	Wood	Chain Link	Vinyl	Aluminum	Wrought Iron
Average life of fence	20 years	30 years	Lifetime	Lifetime	Lifetime
Suggested maintenance	Sealing (annually)	Painting (after 20 years)	Washing	Washing	Washing; Painting every 15 years
Cost to build	$$	$	$$$	$$$$	$$$$$
Level of security	Medium	Medium to High	Medium to High	Medium	Medium
Level of privacy	Semi-private to full privacy	Semi-private to partial privacy	Semi-private to full privacy	Semi-private	Semi-private
Application	Residential to light commercial	Residential to heavy industrial	Residential to light commercial	Residential to light commercial	Residential

Wood Fence Information

Characteristic	Treated Pine	Cypress	Western Red Cedar
Origin of wood	Chile	Florida	Western US States
Board thickness and life expectancy (against insects and rot; does not account for cracking)	3/4" - 50 years 18 mm - 20 years 5/8" (16 mm) - 20 yr.	3/4" 20 years	5/8" 20 years
Width of fence panels	No more than 8 feet on center	No more than 8 feet on center	No more than 8 feet on center
Chemical treatment	Pressure treated against insects and rot. Posts treated at 0.040 for ground contact; boards treated at 0.025. Wash hands after contact.	Mildew prevention only No danger to kids or pets	None Safe for kids and pets
Tendency to warp (ranked 1-10, with 10 being the worst)	5	3	2
Cost to build	$ - 16 or 18 mm $$ - 3/4" thick	$$	$$$
Natural fence color after aging in weather	gray with greenish overtones	gray	gray
OK to paint?	No	Yes	Yes
OK to stain?	Yes	Yes	Yes

Chain Link Fence Information

Characteristic	Residential Application	Commercial Application
Types/colors available	Galvanized Brown Black Green	Galvanized Brown Black Green
Width of fence panels	No more than 10 feet on center	No more than 10 feet on center
Available fence height	4 to 6 feet tall	6 to 20 feet tall
Available accessories	Gate operators	Fence may be topped with barbed wire or concertina wire for added security. Gate operators.
Available post weights	.047 .055 .065	SS20 Schedule 40
Diameter of line posts	4 or 5 ft. - 1 5/8" 6 foot fence - 2"	2" or 2.5"
Diameter of top rails	4 or 5 ft. - 1 3/8" 6 foot fence - 1 5/8"	1 5/8" or tension wire
Diameter of terminal posts (end, corner, & gate posts)	2.5"	2.5" up to 8 5/8"
Available mesh	2 1/4" mesh 2 3/8" mesh	2 1/4" mesh 2 3/8" mesh 2" mesh Smaller sizes available
Available thickness of chain link wire	11.5 gauge	9 gauge 6 gauge
Cost to build	$	$$
OK to paint?	Yes	Yes

If you'd like to speak with any of our satisfied customers, please e-mail or give us a call at 336-861-9058 (locally) or 888-869-7550 (toll free) so we can help you contact them for a direct reference.