Good fences make good neighbors, they say. Good laws make good neighbors and good fences.
A little slower? If spring fix-up season has you picking up the tab for a new backyard fence that keeps your dog and your brown spots on your side  and the neighbor's dog on his you're being pretty darned considerate aren't you.  The guy next door says you could be more neighborly if you were to build the fence with the finished side facing his house. After all, he has to look at it, too.  Several Minneapolis suburbs such as Bloomington have addressed this controversy about fences and views of them by enacting “pretty-side-out” ordinances. These ensure that the neighbors and passersby on the street see the best side of your home improvement. For the best view on both sides of the fence, contractors promote what they call “good-neighbor” fences, with two finished sides and posts hidden in the center. “If I was fighting with the neighbor I'd put the smooth side out,” says Ken Mills. “That's what “When money doesn't seem to be a problem" isn't an issue. Sterling Fence Inc. suggests a "shadow box,” which features vertical boards nailed alternately on both sides of horizontal rails. In general terms, a fence with two finished sides costs about 15 percent more than a similar fence with only one finished side local fencing contractors have said. While most homeowners are inclined to do the neighborly thing, others are annoyed to learn — depending on the suburb — there are restrictions that can affect their plans. “Sometimes we have trouble explaining the rules to customers,” said Dale Eads, owner of Eads Fence Co., Loveland. “Sometimes they think they can specify exactly what they want because they're paying for it. But we can't really break the law.”

Why some posts last longer in the ground than others

Sterling Fence Inc. is constantly contracting to replace the post that have weakened on older wood fences. Why do some posts last longer than others?  Its almost always due to the moisture in the ground being greater in one area than another. At Sterling Fence Inc. we will look at a yard with a 20 year old fence and several broken posts but 90% of the posts are good. While its impractical to test soil moisture in different areas of the yard, it is usually clear which areas are wetter than others.  It may be a garden area, an area where the sump pumps releases water or a low spot in the yard.  Different soils hold moisture differently as well. Clay areas hold moisture more than sandy soils.  Peat soils indicate moisture.  Posts don't deteriorate by themselves it takes moisture.

Treated pine wood posts versus Western Red Cedar posts,,,which to use

There has always been discussions on using treated wood or Western Red Cedar in the installation of wood fence. Lets look at posts. Sterling Fence Inc. uses Western Red Cedar wood posts...why? It's really a question of the relative stability of the two woods. Treated wood is almost always pine, Its an inexpensive wood and without treating the wood, its life expectancy is less than 5 years. It's also a very unstable wood. In the lumber industry its called " propeller wood" for its tendancy to twist and warp. While it may last a few more years in the ground than Western Red Cedar, it will ruin the look of the entire fence as it twists and warps. Sterling Fence Inc. uses Cedar which is stable and will give you many years of service and at the same time keep the fence straight and true.