Fence Builders Piedmont SC | Call Coastal Ironworks

In our area, clay soil expands when wet and contracts during dry spells, causing concrete footings—especially shallow ones—to shift. Over time, that movement twists the gate frame and hinges. The solution is to install a gate with a heavy-wall tube frame and use adjustable hinges that can be re-aligned if your posts move slightly. At Coastal Ironworks, we also set posts at least 36 inches deep with a gravel collar to improve drainage and reduce soil pressure on the post.

If you notice daylight coming through the gap between the door and the jamb when it's closed, or if the door sticks at the top in summer and sticks at the bottom in winter, the door itself is likely warped. In Piedmont's humidity, wood and hollow metal doors can twist over time. A new iron door from Coastal Ironworks won't warp because the steel frame holds its shape. We also install a magnetic weatherstripping system that handles the 90-degree temperature swings from July to January.

Rust starts where the protective coating is compromised. The number one cause here is lime from pressure-treated wood decks splashing onto iron fence pickets when it rains. The lime eats through paint. Our solution is to specify a hot-dip galvanized iron underneath the powder coating, and we avoid placing fence sections too close to treated wood. We also use a marine-grade topcoat that's designed for coastal humidity, even though we're upstate—it holds up better in river valley moisture.