This fabulous entry was emailed by a customer of ours. We have left every word unchanged; we only added formatting, headings and picture titles.

Our Bigger “Outside”

aka: Bob & Fran’s WamBam Fence

A special delivery comes to the door…what can it be?

Early Christmas Present

I was near the window, so I saw it first.  The truck stopped right in front of our driveway. It was a bright, sunny day so I knew I would be able to see what was to be unloaded.  Bob helped the driver unload a bunch of boxes that were on a wooden pallet.  They pushed the pallet load of boxes into the garage and out of my sight.  What could it be?

Bob and Fran work on their computers while watching TV.  Packages seem to come to our house every few days and more often as Christmas approaches but they always get placed on the front porch, never do they come in a big truck and go into the garage.

Driving pipe with two people makes it easier…

The Decision Making Process

I heard Bob and Fran talk about a WamBam fence but they talk about a lot of stuff.  I knew they were thinking of putting a fence around our yard.  They talked about a picket fence and went to several stores to see and touch them.  One of the stores sent a man to our house to talk about installing a fence.  Bob and Fran didn’t look too happy when he told them he could install a picket fence around our yard for about $4,500.  After one of Bob’s conversations with WamBam, he got a box of pieces of WamBam fence parts so he could touch them.  He started smiling when he and Fran talked about the quality of the WamBam parts he had in his hands.  He smiled even more when the WamBam folks told him the cost of the Jiminy Picket fence would be about half of the cost he got from the other fence people.

After Bob and Fran saw and felt the sample WamBam parts, they looked at the WamBam website over and over.  They even held several IM conversations with Denise and Linda over the computer to talk about parts, delivery, dimensions, and lots of other stuff.  Bob and Fran were very impressed by the level of service the WamBam people offered and they hadn’t even bought anything yet.

Bob made a drawing of our yard and e-mailed it to the WamBam folks.  Then, he talked to Stephen at WamBam about how to do certain things like gates and posts and stuff.  Stephen was a great help on the technical parts of the project and really enjoyed looking at Bob’s drawing that had lots of dimensions on it. It was getting colder outside so I thought the fence project would wait until next year.

This is For Us?! We Feel So Loved!

When Bob and Fran say the word “outside” to my brother and me, we always jump off the couch and run out the sliding glass door.  It’s great to feel grass under our paws.  My name is “Gus” and my brother’s name is “Toby.”  We’re rescued dogs that Bob and Fran adopted.  We like “outside” for lots of reasons.  Little did we know, that truck delivered us a Christmas present early in the form of more “outside” than we could imagine.

Toby and I had to watch the project progress from inside the house or behind the little fence Bob and Fran had put up to keep us happy “outside.”

The whole family hard at work!

The Installation Starts

One Saturday, Bob, Fran and Abby (one of their daughters) started running colored strings around the yard. Along with the helpful WamBam people, Bob and Fran enlisted the help of several people on the project; one friend had a laser level that allowed them to get the fence installed level all the way around the perimeter of our yard.Bob, Fran and Abby next pounded a bunch of metal poles into the ground.  Bob did most of the pounding this day but, Fran and Abby helped out quite a bit.

Bob and Fran had installed other fences in the past where they had to dig holes and pour concrete.  Bob wanted none of that this time around and I think that is the reason why it took a while for us to get a bigger “outside”.

The WamBam instructions that came with the fence said that having a helper to pound in the posts would make it a little easier task.  Bob found that out the very first day.  So, Bob asked Brandon to help with the next round of pounding.  Brandon is the husband of Lisa, Bob and Fran’s other daughter.

It’s All Fun and Games Until Bob Lands in the Hospital

The WamBam instructions are very clear on where to place the posts, how to measure the distance to next post, where to place the gates.  They are also very clear that pounding posts takes some thinking about safety so as not to get hit on the head by the post pounder.  I know Bob read that page because he laughed when he saw the diagram WamBam drew of the bammer hitting the person.

Bob was not laughing on Thanksgiving morning at 10:00 as he was sitting in the Emergency Room.  Yep, Bob was under the bammer when it was coming down on the post being driven into the ground.  Four stitches later, Bob was back at our house ready to eat turkey and stuffing.

Real friends help pound pipe. But real friends don’t let friends use a non-WamBam pounder or said friend might end up in the hospital!

Bob was able to laugh about it, too.  He wasn’t hurt all that bad.  I heard him laugh a few days later when another package arrived from WamBam.  It was a piece of railing.  One of the original railings was broken during the shipping process.  Bob called WamBam and they replaced the railing right away.  One of the WamBam people, Bob suspects Stephen, drew this picture on the shrink wrap covering the replacement railing.  Bob and Fran knew they had a made the right decision to install a WamBam fence when they saw this and experienced the fantastic products and customer service WamBam delivered.

A mysterious person at WamBam can’t help but remind Bob of his head injury…..

The next nice day, Bob, Fran, Abby and Lisa installed the rails and the pickets.  This project has been truly a group project.  While Bob, Abby and Lisa installed the rails, Fran had the job of gluing the peaks onto the pickets.  Each section of fence has 13 pickets and we have lots of fence sections.  Fran is a glue expert now.  She perfected her technique early in the process so there is no excess glue running all over the pickets.    The garage smelled funny every time she glued the parts together.  Ventilation is really a must if you do the gluing inside because of cold weather like we had to.

Bob called one of his best friends to help and a few weekends later, Mark arrived.  Mark, Bob and Fran pounded the rest of the poles into the ground.  The WamBam instructions told them to wear hearing protection while pounding in the posts.  Bob should probably have worn a hard hat on Thanksgiving Day, too.

The WamBam website stated their fence was fun to install. Bob agrees as this photo shows.  Keeping the poles plumb while driving them into the ground was not as hard as you would think.  But, we had a few that ended up not quite as plumb as Bob would like, so WamBam’s fantastic leveling doughnut allowed the post covers to be installed exactly plumb even if the pole itself is off a little bit.

Looks like Bob is actually having fun installing his fence, stitches and all!

Snow and winter interrupted the install of the gates into the fence.  Bob and Fran assembled the gates in the garage but there they sit until the next warm day.  We still get to go to our new, bigger “outside” as Bob used some of the old fence where the gates will go.

The project is almost finished so Toby and I are very happy with our new “outside”.  We run back and forth and play with our friends that stop by to run with us.  Fran even decorated the fence with garland and lights for Christmas.  It’s so pretty. Maybe she will keep the fence decorated all winter long.

Bob got a new 18v cordless drill out of the job and we got a new fence that gives us a bigger “outside”.

Here’s what I see from my perch inside the house looking out the window. It’s my favorite spot in the house made even better by the new WamBam fence that gives us a bigger “outside”.

In the end, Bob says the WamBam instructions and web videos are great.  Customer service is fantastic as the people are very knowledgeable and friendly; shipping was timely.  The quality of the WamBam fence parts is better than the big box store fence parts.  The fence was fun to install.  No digging was perhaps the best part.

Toby and I say, “Thank You, WamBam, for our bigger backyard.  We love it.”

Yours truly,
Gus
(I’m the handsome one on the left)

Gus, the handsome one on the left

Merry Christmas to Toby and Gus…and a job well done!

We specialize in helping homeowners install their own vinyl or aluminum fence. We believe that almost anyone with an average skill set and some patience can tackle this project on their own- or preferably with a helper.  There are many benefits to installing your own fence, and here are the top 3.

You can save a lot money when you install yourself.

1. It can save you a lot of money

Professional fence installation is a wonderful service, but generally labor is as much as materials, so it’s expensive. If you install your own fence, you can save up to thousands of dollars. These kinds of savings usually make the work involved worth the effort.

The bottom line? Installing your own fence is a great way to save your family money.

You can make your install even easier by renting our gas powered post driver.

2. You don’t need to dig holes or pour concrete

Installing a fence has traditionally been a lot of work, and often heavy equipment was required. Renting power augers to dig deep holes–or manually digging them– is enough to make anyone run for the hills. Add the pouring of hundreds of pounds of concrete, additional to tearing up your yard, and it’s no wonder homeowners shy away from installing their own fence. It’s just too much work.

Now with WamBam’s DIY-friendly system, you don’t need to dig holes or pour concrete. This makes the project so much easier. And if you want to make it even easier, you can rent one of our gas powered augers to do most of the work for you.

3. You can be a hero

We’re not going mince words- it takes time to install a fence. Even though a WamBam Fence requires significantly less work than your average fence install, you do need to spend a great deal of time, effort, and patience, and there is no way around that. However, when you invest time into a project, pride inevitably goes hand in hand. Soon you’re the hero of your family–and maybe even your neighborhood. There is generally a lot of satisfaction when you pull up to your home every night and admire your handy work.

“I’m just going to sit out here and admire my handiwork!”

 Hurricanes, Dogs with Long Tongues and Angry Husbands Breaking Levels Over the Knee: One Customer’s Story

Weathered Hurricane Sandy and all decorated for the Holidays!

Dawne from Avon, OH wrote this entire post, captions and all, without any prompting or bribery from us. It’s a great story and one of the best fence installs we’ve seen to date (note how the top is absolutely level despite uneven ground- this is the most professional way to get it done, and one few customers tackle!) Keep reading!

Just getting started…

Uncle Fred to the rescue with his transit….all posts were within 1/4 inch of each other! My husband is so proud!

“Ahhhh….where to begin? My husband and I first saw the Wam Bam fencing system on the DIY network on one of those home improvement shows which we love to watch. We always had the intention of installing a fence since we moved into this house a couple of years ago but did not want to pay thousands of dollars to have it installed. This system intrigued us so I did some more research on line. We knew we could save a lot of money doing it ourselves but thought there would be NO way this fence could stand up to the winters we get here in Ohio. We went as far as getting a quote but did not carry it any further at that time. So this October we FINALLY took the plunge. After deciding on what style of fencing and how much we needed I emailed your company. I received a speedy response from Denise with a lot of useful information. I especially liked the fact that she showed us how we could save some money if we changed up our runs a bit.

Taking turns with Springy Suzy…..lol! The boys even worked in the rain.

Ahhh…progress is being made!

My husband taking is frustrations out on his level…..only kidding, I stepped on it and broke it so we thought we would have some fun!

We ordered our 200 feet of fence and off we went. Now we did have some issues getting the fencing delivered by NO fault of Wam Bam as they are at the mercy of the delivery company. The communication could not have been better as Linda stayed on top of things throughout the entire process. Her sense of humor was such a breath of fresh air! The fence arrived and we got to work that weekend. Only one post was damaged and was replaced promptly by Wam Bam. The hardest part was getting those posts into our hard, clay ground. But with a little muscle and help from Uncle Fred, things went smoothly. It took us about 4 weekends all together to fully complete the project but that is because my husband is OCD and everything had to be perfect. We did have some uneven ground on the one side of our yard so we decided to step the fence from the bottom which took some time to do. With the aid of a transit, the posts were all within a ¼ inch of one another and looks like a professional installed it. I cannot tell you how may compliments we received on the fence.

Sun runs are finally complete!

One gate up!

Here comes the interesting part! ONE weekend after we completed the fence…HURRICANE SANDY hit! We had over 24 hours of sustained winds of 50mph with gusts up to 70mph here in Avon, Ohio. The house was literally shaking! In between 12 hours of manually emptying the sump pump because we lost power, I took frequent peeks outside. I was afraid that there would be no fence left standing! With tears running down my face, I thought all that hard work on that fence had been lost. After the winds had finally died down and we got our generator delivered we were able to take a deep breath and go outside and assess the damage. THE FENCE WEATHERED THE STORM! I am now a firm believer in this product! Our neighborhood was hit hard. All the basements were flooded, siding ripped off houses, trees down all around but our fence is still in one piece! I want to thank Wam Bam and all the wonderful employees you have there running your company. It was really a pleasant experience from beginning to end….minus the storm!”

Gate 2 complete!

Stepping up from the bottom so the fence remains level all around…..PERFECTION!

Quincy says “You did this all for me?” And yes, that is his tongue hanging out of his mouth!

Love it!

Well done Dawne, Uncle Fred, Mr Weiss and Quincy! We are very impressed!

PS If Mr Weiss ever finds himself in need of a job, he really should consider the fence installation business… 😉

Choosing the right material for your fence can be a big  decision. There are 3 main material choices you have for a residential fence. Below is a chart outlining the benefits of each.

Obviously, since we manufacture vinyl and ornamental fence we are biased towards these two materials. Having said that, some people prefer wood because of the initial up front costs or natural look. If you’re choosing wood because it’s initially cheaper, keep in mind that maintenance over the years will add considerable expense (check out this vinyl vs. wood true costs infographic). If you prefer the natural look and don’t mind the maintenance, by all means, we respect your tastes!

We’re going to assume if you keep reading that you are choosing between vinyl and aluminum. Each has it own benefits and considerations.

What’s the Primary Reason for a Fence?

If you need a fence for privacy, vinyl is the default since you can’t get aluminum privacy. The same is true with ranch rail or a traditional picket fence. The only time you really have to choose between vinyl and aluminum is for 4-5 feet tall open perimeter fence. This style of fence is mostly used for pools, setting up boundaries on your property, or keeping pets and children safe. If this is what you need, keep reading for more tips on choosing vinyl or aluminum.

If you’re after the classic picket fence, you’ll need to go with vinyl.

Color Choice

Our vinyl fence is white and our aluminum fence is black. If you have a color preference either way, this may be the deciding factor. Some customers prefer white because it compliments their house, and some prefer black because it can look more subtle.

This vinyl fence looks terrific with the white trim on the shed.

This southern style home looks great with our aluminum fence affixed to stone pillars.

Style Preference

Aluminum is generally more subtle and blends into landscaping, where as vinyl is more obvious. Some people enjoy the look of a vinyl fence because from 5ft away it looks like freshly painted wood, or it can match the shutters and trim of the house. Vinyl posts are usually thicker and more substantial (4-5in.) and aluminum posts are quite a bit thinner (2in.). The overall style difference between aluminum and vinyl is quite significant, and much of it depends on personal taste.

This vinyl fence offers a nice contrast to make a bolder statement

What Is Everyone Else Doing?

Have a look around your neighborhood and pay attention to what material is prevalent. If all your neighbors have vinyl, you really should consider vinyl so it looks uniform to the other houses on the street. The same is true with ornamental aluminum.

If you live in a New England style home with shutters and white trim, vinyl will often compliment it best. If you live in an area with black shutters and dark home colors, aluminum might be the natural choice.  Again, looking around your city to see what your neighbors are choosing will also help you decide what fits best.

Though the trim on the house is white, the black fence provides a classy pairing with the gray brick on the house.

Finally

Choosing the fence material for you can be a big decision, but once you weigh all the considerations, the answer usually becomes more clear. Often it boils down to personal taste. Don’t forget that your friends at WamBam are always available to help walk you through the process as well.