When installing a new fence, there’s sometimes a bit of existing infrastructure to work with. A retaining wall, for instance, can present unique opportunities as well as interesting challenges to overcome. This was the case at one of our most recent projects at Cottonwood Valley in Irving, TX.
A Quality Fence for a Luxury Community
Cottonwood Valley is a luxury resort community that shares property with the Four Seasons Resort and Club. With rolling hills and lots of greenery, Cottonwood Valley has a beautiful aesthetic that needed to be supplemented with high quality fencing. Anything short of that just wouldn’t fit in.
The sloped terrain and existing structures presented some challenges, but our representative Ron Lewis and his team were able to overcome them with ingenious thinking and coordinated effort.
The Challenge – Hundreds of Feet of Stepped Fencing
The original fence was set on top of a 10’ retaining wall, which offered an excellent basis for a new fence. An eight-foot fence with 6” Western Red cedar pickets was chosen to complement the stonework and surrounding greenery with some rich warm tones, but the existing structure presented some challenges after the original fence was torn out.
Among these challenges were the steel posts already set into the retaining wall. While they were set at convenient 6’ intervals, they weren’t quite tall enough for the 8’ tall fencing that was chosen. On top of that, some additional posts were needed in order to support the stepped structure made necessary by the terrain changes along the fence.
After welding extensions onto the existing posts and adding new posts where needed, we were able to tackle the fence’s construction without risking any unsightly gaps.
A Fence on a High Wall – Rising to the Challenge
An additional challenge came from the retaining wall’s height, however. Originally, the plan was to use a lift to install the rails and pickets, but recent rainfall meant that would be a bad idea—a lift would just sink into the ground. In addition, there was some concern for the sprinkler system as well. A lift could damage some of the sprinkler components.
To avoid these problems, we used a system of extension ladders to get outside pickets in place. A crew inside the wall would pass pickets through to the crew on ladders outside the retaining wall, allowing them to handle the outside installation efficiently.
The end result was a board-on-board pattern with a 2×6” cedar top cap and 4” of adorning trim. A 2×6” pressure treated kickboard was also installed at the base to protect the fence, and a couple of 13’ single walk gates< with headers were put in place as well. Work began on June 3, 2022, and was finished on June 7.
Custom Fences for Custom Needs
This is just one example of how Buzz Custom Fence can handle complex installation challenges with finesse and consideration for existing infrastructure. As a custom fence installation company, we build each fence from the ground up—even if that ground happens to be on top of a 10’ retaining wall.
To learn more about our work or to get an estimate for your own custom fence, get in touch with Buzz Custom Fence today.
