Greg's Weekly Blog | Fence Trends & Tips

September 21, 2026

Fall Fence Checkup: 5 Things Every DFW Homeowner Should Look At Before It Gets Cold

By Greg Davis, Owner — Landscape Investments

Fall is the best time of year to get out and actually look at your fence — the summer heat's done its damage, storm season's winding down, and you've still got decent weather to fix anything before the holidays hit. I tell customers this every year: a 20-minute walk around your property now can save you a much bigger repair bill (or a full replacement) come spring. Here's what I'd be checking.

1. Storm and Heat Damage From Summer

Texas summers are hard on fences — UV exposure dries out and warps wood, and any storms we got likely knocked something loose even if it's not obvious from the driveway. Walk the full fence line, not just the front. Look for cracked pickets, leaning sections, and boards that have pulled away from the rails.

2. Post Stability — Our Clay Soil Doesn't Sit Still

North Texas clay soil expands and contracts a lot more than people realize, especially after a summer of dry heat followed by fall rain. That movement is one of the most common reasons a fence post loosens or a whole section starts leaning over time. If you can wiggle a post by hand, that's worth addressing now — before winter moisture makes the ground shift again and turns a simple post repair into a full section rebuild.

3. Hardware, Hinges, and Gate Alignment

Gates take more abuse than any other part of a fence — they get used daily, and hardware wears out. Check that hinges aren't sagging, latches still catch cleanly, and the gate isn't dragging or rubbing on the ground. A gate that's slightly out of alignment now only gets worse, and loose hardware is cheap to fix compared to a gate frame that's racked out of square.

4. Stain or Seal Wood Fences Before It Gets Cold

If your cedar fence is looking gray or dried out, fall is a good window to stain or reseal it — temperatures are milder, there's less direct sun beating down while it cures, and you're protecting the wood going into the wetter months. Skipping this for a year or two isn't the end of the world, but it does shorten the life of the wood, and it's a lot easier to stay ahead of it than to strip and refinish a fence that's been neglected for years.

5. Rot, Termites, and Insect Damage at the Base

The bottom few inches of any wood post or picket — right where it meets the ground — is where rot and termite damage almost always start first. Press a screwdriver or your thumb into the wood near the base. If it's soft, spongy, or crumbles, that section needs attention before it spreads or takes a whole post down with it.

None of this requires anything fancy — just paying attention while the weather's still good to work in. If you walk your fence line and find something that doesn't look right, or you'd just rather have someone who does this every day take a look, give us a call. Better to catch it now than deal with it after the first hard freeze.

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September 16, 2026

5 Residential Fence Trends We're Seeing Across DFW Right Now

By Greg Davis, Owner — Landscape Investments

Every week I'm out walking properties across Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth, and it's given me a pretty good read on where residential fencing is headed. Here's what homeowners are actually asking for right now — not just what's trending online, but what's holding up in real North Texas yards.

1. Horizontal-Slat Wood Fencing

The classic vertical picket fence isn't going anywhere, but horizontal-slat cedar fences have become one of our most requested looks over the last couple of years. It gives a clean, modern feel that pairs well with newer home builds, and it photographs beautifully for resale listings. We build these with the same quality cedar as our traditional fences — the look changes, the durability doesn't.

2. Black Aluminum & Steel Replacing Traditional Wrought Iron

Matte black aluminum and steel fencing has really taken over from the old-style wrought iron look. It's lighter, resists rust better in our humidity, and gives that sleek, upscale curb appeal a lot of homeowners want — especially on front yards and pool enclosures where you still want to see through the fence line.

3. Mixed-Material Fences

We're building more fences that combine materials — cedar pickets with black metal posts and framing, or stone-and-wood combinations for the front of a property. It's a great way to get a custom, higher-end look without the cost of an all-metal or all-masonry fence.

4. Tall, Full-Privacy Board-on-Board Fencing

With more people investing in their backyards — pools, outdoor kitchens, pergolas — privacy has become a bigger priority. Board-on-board privacy fencing (where boards overlap so there are zero gaps) at 6 to 8 feet tall is one of the most common requests we get for backyard-living projects.

5. Low-Maintenance Composite & Vinyl

Not everyone wants to stain and reseal a wood fence every couple of years, and I get it. Composite and vinyl fencing that mimics natural wood grain has come a long way — it holds up well in Texas heat and storms, and it's a solid option for homeowners who want the look of wood with less upkeep.

Whatever direction is right for your property, the fundamentals don't change: quality materials, proper installation, and building something meant to last decades — not just a few seasons. If any of these trends caught your eye, I'd be happy to come take a look at your yard and talk through what would work best.