Mike's Fencing Unlimited - Elkhart's Expert Fence Contractors

Elkhart's heavy clay soil holds a lot of moisture, and our freeze-thaw cycles during winter cause the ground to shift significantly. This leads to posts rotting at the base and fences leaning. Mike's solves this by setting our posts deeper than standard, typically 30 to 36 inches, and backfilling with a concrete collar. We also use pressure-treated lumber rated for ground contact to resist rot from moist soil, giving you a fence that stands straight season after season.

It's very likely the soil. In Elkhart, clay soil expands when it gets wet and contracts as it dries, which can literally push your fence posts out of alignment. This is a common sign that the posts weren't set deep enough or reinforced properly. Mike's can inspect your fence to see if it can be straightened with additional bracing or if it needs replacement with a deep-set, reinforced system. Either way, we'll make sure it's built to handle our local ground movement.

Absolutely. Sagging gates are a common complaint here due to settlement from the clay soil. Mike's builds custom gates with heavy-duty, welded frames and uses adjustable hinges. We also set the gate posts extra deep with concrete to prevent them from heaving over the winter. The result is a gate that hangs true, swings smoothly, and stays that way even with the seasonal ground shifts in Elkhart.