What You Want From Your Aluminum Fence Company – And Don’t Settle Until You Get It
Aluminum fencing is probably one of the safest and most common investments for property owners because of its durability, weather resistance, cost, and aesthetic appeal. Unlike Iron, aluminum doesn’t rust or degrade within moist environments. It lasts in almost any environment, including under high amounts of UV. This is the reason so many home owners and contractors go with Aluminum fence when they are looking for both protection and elegance. Pool fences, garden fences, even around schools or commercial properties; if your aluminum fence company treats you right, you’ll never want to use anything but aluminum ever again.
So here’s what to look for with your aluminum fence company. It’s important that you ask lots of questions and don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal if the dealer seems a little shady.
Shipping. This one is important and it’s something I’ve seen for years. Often an aluminum fence company will quote you a price and then include “free shipping”. This is often taken to be quite the bargain when, in fact, it is not. The fact is that an aluminum fence dealer isn’t in the shipping business, and it costs money to ship (whether they tell you it does or not). It costs money to pay people to file the paperwork, make the arrangements, load, and drive the truck. Shipping is never free. When they say “free shipping” what they mean is that they will mark up their own price and then find a cheap way to ship the product to you (and increase their own profits).
Do yourself a favour. Ask the dealer for a quote with and without shipping included. If he hesitates, hang up. There are plenty of freight quote services online and any of them can find you a better deal. I often recommend these services to my own customers to save them money and they’re happy for the opportunity.
Powder Coating. Aluminum fence is built to last a long time, but powder coating makes it even more reliable. A powder coat finish pretty much guarantees your paint won’t chip or fade, it adds a layer of protection to your already strong fence, and it looks just beautiful. If you’re going to buy aluminum fence, get the powder coating (and save even more in the long run).
Accessories. Aluminum fencing is beautiful and you should always make sure that you have at least 3 options in terms of color (my favourite is green) as well as a few options for accessories. There are already numerous different styles of fence out there, but adding a few accessories can change it into something distinctively your own.