Bestbuilt Fencing: Reliable Fencing Company Serving Lawton, OK 73507

It’s almost always the combo of our heavy clay soil and rapid weather changes. After a good rain, the ground near Sheridan Road or up by the north side can get saturated, then it dries out hard as a rock. This constant expansion and contraction loosens the posts. The best long-term solution, and one we use for all Bestbuilt installations, is to set posts in concrete below the frost line and use treated lumber or steel posts rated for ground contact. This stops the leaning and prevents rot where the post meets the dirt.

In most cases, yes. Especially here in Lawton, a sagging gate is often a sign that the hinges are overstressed or the frame has twisted. First, we’ll check if the latch side is just loose on the post. If the frame is solid, we can swap out standard hinges for heavy-duty, adjustable ones and add an anti-sag kit. We see this a lot on older homes near Elmer Thomas Park where the fences are mature. It’s a straightforward fix that saves you the cost of a whole new gate, and we’ll get it swinging free again without needing a replacement.

It really depends on the location and the style of fence. If you’re in an exposed area, like the open lots out by the high school, a properly installed wood privacy fence with wind breaks (small gaps between the pickets) is actually better than solid vinyl. Solid vinyl acts like a sail. For Bestbuilt fences, we always recommend spacing pickets an inch or two apart for wind to pass through, or using a shadowbox design. We also triple-screw the rails to the posts. For a lower-maintenance option, we’ll reinforce the vinyl posts with galvanized steel inserts. Both work great if installed with the wind in mind.