5 Chain Link Fence Maintenance Tips: How To Maintain Your Chain Link Fence To Last Longer

Chain link fences have all the essential qualities you need in a fence. They are strong, affordable, and secure. Another quality that endears this fence type to both residential and commercial property owners is they hardly need any maintenance.   The outdoor environment is, however, tough for anything that rusts. The weather in Brantford, which gets very wet, doesn’t help either. So despite its celebrated durability, your chain link fence will still benefit from some regular maintenance. It will last even longer, looking just as good. Here are tips on how to maintain your chain link fence: 1. Keep Your Fence Clean   Chain link fences trap a lot of dirt and debris because of their design. While this does not immediately damage the fence, it does make it look unkempt.  Too much dust and debris will also trap moisture that will eventually cause your fence to rust. Make it a habit to regularly clean your fence of dust and other dirt. You can hose it down or, if it’s oily, lightly scrub it with wire steel and soapy water. 2. Do Not Allow Trees To Grow Through Your Fence   Chain link fences do not damage easily but if you let vines grow through yours they will not hold up as well. Yes, all that greenery on the fence does look appealing, but the cost is usually the structural integrity of the fence.   What happens is as the vines or hedge grows, they will lift the fence off the ground, leaving an opening through which pets can escape and wild animals can sneak in. Besides that, as the vines grow through the links the wire may break creating holes that will make the fence less secure.   3. Maintain A Fireguard   While fire will not completely damage a chain-link fence, it will weaken and make it less structurally sound. The steel wire becomes soft and more likely to break. On top of that, fire removes the galvanized finish that protects the fence from rusting.    To protect your fence from fire, clear the immediate surroundings of the fence of anything that burns. Better yet, maintain a fireguard.   Speaking of rusting:   4. Refinish The First At The First Sight Of Rust   Rust is a chain-link fence’s worst enemy. First, that orange, rusted appearance doesn’t look very nice. It makes the fence look old and neglected. Hardly the look you want for your Brantford property.   Even worse than the aesthetic degradation is the actual physical damage rust can cause. As your fence corrodes rust slowly but surely eats away the wire and the supporting posts, weakening and making them more susceptible to breaking.   You can prevent the worst effects of rust on your fence by acting early. Since rust itself is a sign that the protective galvanized finish has worn off, the simple solution is to refinish the fence with metallic, anti-rust paint.   Before you apply any new finish, it is crucial that you prep the fence by cleaning off all rust and dirt. Otherwise, the new finish will not adhere.    Vinegar is known to be effective at softening rust. It is environmentally sustainable, too, even for removing mold. Follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions when refinishing, but wait until it has fully dried.    5. Attend to Repairs Timeously   The best way to deal with rust is to catch it early. If you leave it to spread the refinishing job can become too overwhelming. So it is a good habit to regularly inspect your chain link fence for rust and physical damage.   Check areas to the bottom of the fence as they are more likely to rust. Pay particular attention to the upright and supporting posts as these hold the fence together. Areas where the fence appears to sag typically points to an issue that needs to be attended to quickly.   Jay Fencing is the leading chain-link fence installation and repair contractor in Brantford, ON. Whether it is to fix a broken fence to install a new one from scratch, we are at your service. Contact us here to discuss your needs.

Canada Green Homes Grant: Fit More into Your Home Improvement Budget

  Every year, there always seems to be more than one repair or improvement you have to do on your home, either to boost curb appeal, improve comfort, or lower your energy bills. The trouble is there is never enough money to fit it all in your budget.    If you have been stuck between building a new deck or installing a new privacy fence and investing in a more energy-efficient heating system for your primary residence, you may now be able to fit both in your budget.    The recently announced Canada Greener Homes Grant will award up to $5,000 in grant money for energy-saving upgrades on primary residences. The money will be reimbursed for qualifying energy-saving home retrofits.   What Is The Canada Green Homes Grant?   The Canada Green Homes Grant is an initiative of the federal government that aims to help Canadians make their homes more energy-efficient. By helping people retrofit their homes in ways that minimize heating, ventilation, and other energy costs, as well as switch to greener energy sources, the government hopes to make life more affordable and comfortable for up to 700,000 Canadians.   Through the Canada Green Homes Grant, the federal government is also looking to create new jobs, fight climate change, and grow domestic green supply chains.    The Prime Minister’s Office announced that the federal government will recruit and train 2,000 new energy advisors as part of the Canada Green Homes Grant. These advisors will guide, advise, and offer timely evaluations to homeowners who apply for the grant.    The new hires are expected to reflect the government’s noted commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the job market. Canadians who want to train as energy advisors can apply here.   Cheaper and Sustainable Energy for Canadian Homes   Launching the program, Prime Minister Trudeau noted that the energy-saving home upgrades the Canada Green Homes Grant is promoting are sometimes out of reach for ordinary Canadians. As a result, homeowners end up spending more money than they have to on energy bills.    Many people are also forced to rely on unsustainable sources of energy to power their homes. For example, during power outages, many homeowners have no option but to use gasoline generators that are expensive to run and release toxic gases that pollute the air we breathe. A sustainable solution that is cheaper in the long term will be to install photovoltaic solar panels.   It is estimated that Canadian homes and other buildings constitute 18 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. So this new initiative has the potential to drastically improve air quality and help the country meet its climate change goals. It should help drive the adoption of solar energy, which is an area Canada stills lags behind other developed countries.   How Does The Canada Green Homes Grant Work? There are two ways Canadians can get reimbursed for energy-saving retrofits they make on the primary residences. First, to begin the process, you have to engage a certified energy advisor who will come in and evaluate your home’s current energy efficiency and advise on retrofits that may help you save energy or upgrade to a more sustainable source. To help you with that, you will receive up to $600 in reimbursements.   Besides the reimbursement for the expert evaluation, you can claim up to $5,000 for the actual retrofit. Note that you will only be eligible for the reimbursement after a post-retrofit evaluation by an energy advisor is completed. So in total, you can receive up to $5,600 in grant money.   To receive the grant money, you have to complete at least one of the retrofits recommended by the energy advisor. The retrofitting work will also have to be done by a licensed contractor. And unless you follow through and implement the upgrades recommended by the energy advisor, you will not be eligible for the pre-retrofit evaluation.   To access the Canada Greener Homes Grant, you have to register through this online form. Interest in the program is so high that the online form crashed the first day it was opened to the public.    What residences qualify for the Canada Greener Homes Grant?   To be eligible for the grant, the property must be your primary residence and be more than six months old from the date it was first occupied. It must also meet the EnerGuide evaluation conditions. You, of course, have to provide the documents that show that you own the home. The residences could be any of the following:   Single or semi-detached houses. Townhouses Mobile homes on permanent foundations, Permanently moored floating homes, Mixed-use buildings small, multi-use residential buildings What Retrofits Are Eligible Under the Canada Greener Homes Grant?   To qualify for reimbursement under the green homes initiative, a retrofit must have been recommended by a certified energy advisor. Home improvements that boost climate resiliency, like those that protect against floods, wind, blizzards, and power outages will be considered for reimbursement if combined with an energy-efficient retrofit.    The following are the retrofits that qualify for Canada Greener Homes Grant:   Home Insulation Home retrofits that slow the rate of heat loss have the effect of optimizing energy use, which lowers overall household costs. These retrofits can earn you reimbursements up to $5,000.   Air Sealing Home improvements that reduce the amount of air that escapes from the house are considered the most effective retrofits for improving energy efficiency. Reduced air loss also mean improved heat retention, which lowers overall heating costs. Retrofits that improve your house’s capacity to prevent air loss can earn you up to $1,000 in Canada Greener Homes Grant money.   Windows and Doors Installing doors and windows that improve a home’s insulation capabilities will lower heating, cooling, and lighting costs, ensuring greater energy efficiency. Expect up to $5,000 in reimbursements.   Thermostats Installing modern thermostats will ensure your appliances don’t run longer than they have to. That means lower energy costs for

Fencing Tips Only An Experienced Fencing Contractor Would Share

Fencing Tips Only An Experienced Contractor Would Share   You will never quite feel safe nor truly ‘at home’ if your residential property is not securely fenced. To improve both your security and boost your home’s curb appeal, you are probably now considering installing a new fence.   You likely have an idea of what shape and form that fence will take. Your choices will depend on your budget, tastes, and level of security and durability you are after, among other considerations.   While making the right choices on the type of fence is central to the success of your project, the fencing contractor you choose can also play a pivotal role. There are many fencing contractors in Toronto, so it is easy to make the wrong choice.   Choosing the right contractor ensures the project is delivered on time and within your budget. That’s not all it can do for you:   Tap into your fencing contractor’s experience for guidance on the most functional fencing solutions   When you look at it, your fencing contractor is your best possible guide for choosing a fencing solution that meets your needs and budget.    If you choose the right contractor, it is likely they will have years of local experience. That experience gives them indispensable knowledge you can utilize by simply asking the right questions.   At Jay Fencing, we have been serving Southern Ontario for over 30 years. When it comes to choosing fencing solutions, we can confidently separate the good from the bad.    We know, for example, how Toronto’s brutal and wet winters can ravage wooden fences and, importantly, how best you can protect yours so you can get the longest service from it.   Below we share fencing tips an inexperienced fencing contractor would never speak authoritatively on.   Maximizing your fence’s security   Whether or not you live in a high crime area, you will sleep better knowing you have a fence so secure that any intruder would not have it all their way if they choose to cross your property line.   But a strong fence that isn’t easy to breach can easily be interpreted as one that’s expensive to install. Is it, though? Use an anti-climb fence topper to discourage intrusions   Fence toppers are an inexpensive way to prevent burglars from climbing over your fence. Generally, the harder you make it to climb over your fence the less likely vandals and thieves are to try to break in.   You have probably seen razor wire fence toppers on chain link fences. But a good fencing contractor can fashion a fence topper for almost any type of fence. For example, for your wood stockade privacy fence, we would suggest fitting angled steel spikes.   Of course, there are questions to answer on fence height regulations. Adding a fence topper after the fact can mean your fence may end up taller than local regulations allow.    Because we have built many types of fences with toppers over the years, we would know to suggest making one part of the fence’s design. This way you know your fence will be secure and still meet code.   Ensure adequate lighting around your fence   For intruders and burglars, darkness is often the best cover. In our experience, even the best fences can be breached if the intruder has adequate enough cover.   If you have limited street lighting, consider installing security lights along your fence’s perimeter. But make sure the lighting is inaccessible from outside. Some criminals will try to disable the lights so they can climb the fence unnoticed.   Fencing tips for privacy   Unsurprisingly, privacy is a top concern for homeowners in Toronto. And it should be. Your residential property is one of the few places where you can still live relatively inconspicuously. Step outside your gate and your right to privacy isn’t guaranteed.   The challenge is to make sure you get a fence that keeps nosy neighbors out of your business but still not make your property look like a maximum-security prison. You can very easily end up with a fence that barely looks like nothing you had in mind. Privacy fences don’t have to be dull and boring     Vinyl and stockade fences are some of our favorite options where fences that deliver on looks, security, and privacy are concerned. That said, we know that each has its place and will suit a specific type of property.   In our time we have seen privacy fence failures that we are motivated to ensure you avoid. Most important, we will make sure your fence allows you to enjoy your outdoor living spaces with relative seclusion without hiding or distracting from your property’s best features.   Effective fencing solutions that will not break the bank   You may want to work with an experienced fencing contractor for the reason that they can point you towards more budget-friendly solutions.    Even so, we have been in this business long enough to know that a fence can be cheap to build and yet be expensive to maintain in the long run.    While wood is a cheaper fencing material that also has great appeal for its warmth and sustainability as a natural material, it is more expensive to maintain and won’t last as long as vinyl.    Are you are struggling to decide between two or more fencing materials? We will happily share our experience with each as well as their general pros and cons so you can make the right choice for your fencing project.   Unusual fencing materials that may not quickly come to mind   When you have been in an industry as long as we have, you can be tempted to think you have seen it all. But every day we are surprised at the ingenuity and creativity of property owners and fellow fencing contractors.   We have, of course, not seen it all. But we have seen a