Black chain-link fences are a great choice for homeowners who want to cut down on maintenance. Black chain-link is not prone to mold, mildew and algae, but when they get dirty, they can be easily cleaned with a pressure washer or mild soap and water.

If you’re wanting to add a little bit of shape and complexity to your home or garden, then you’ll definitely want to add a trellis to your project.

As a homeowner it’s good to know and see what other options you may have when it comes to the foundation and structure of your fencing project. Postmaster posts by far in my opinion are a great option if you are looking for longevity. What is nice about Postmasters compared to a pressure treated 4X4 post is that the post will never rot, crack, twist, warp or have an insect infestation.

Postmasters are a structural steel galvanized post. Design to handle wind resistance up to 70 mph. The posts are designed to give a little and bounce back during a windstorm; unlike a wooden post if weakened can easily crack in half. Postmasters open design prevents the post from collecting moisture and the heavy zinc coating helps prevent premature rusting.

You still have every fence design option as if you were installing a wooden post. You can install a horizontal, good neighbor, standard two or three rail fence and so on. The difference between round chain link posts and postmasters is the postmaster has a flange design that you can butt your 2X4’s against, they also have holes engineered into the design for screwing in your rails. It can be easily concealed from view to maintain the attractiveness of your wooden fence. Postmasters are the only steel fence post designed to be hidden. So, if you are dissatisfied with the galvanized color that is not a problem. What happens is the front of the posts are covered by a row of fence boards. Then along the back section of your fence each steel post is covered up with a single fence board.

A few things you may want to factor in when digging holes for your fence posts. First off, it’s a good idea to set your posts at least 1/3 of the height in the ground. For example, if you are installing a 6’ fence it would be recommended that you set your posts at least 2’ in the ground.

Make sure the post sits beneath the frost line. The frost line is the depth to which the groundwater in soil is expected to freeze.  The Frost line varies from region to region. The average frost line depth in Oregon is 18″.