FAQs

American Fence Association contractors are the best in the industry and you can expect high-quality work. Whether setting up a fence around a property border or installing a high-level security system, AFA members subscribe to the highest of ethical and professional standards.

This highest professional certification in the industry, a Certified Fence Professional (CFP) undergoes a rigorous certification program and demonstrates an ongoing commitment to quality products and improving standards within the fence industry by gaining a sound technical knowledge. This includes:

• Possessing a good understanding of the specifications, product quality and installation techniques that will help assure a first-class product for the consumer.
• Meeting a continuing education requirement, as well as industry service requirements to maintain this certification.

To ensure that you are receiving the highest quality of fence installation, look for the CFP designation on your fencing professional's business cards, letterhead, and Web site. Never hesitate to discuss specifications with your fence sales associate or project manager to assure that you are getting the appropriate materials for your needs.

A Certified Automated Gate Operator Installer (CAGOI) is nationally certified by the American Fence Association (AFA) in conjunction with the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation (IDEA) and the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA). Fence and access control professionals can be certified by passing a rigorous exam after completing a self-study course and meeting the two years field experience requirement.

Yes. We offer financing through Tower Loan.

Our safety policy consists of:

• Mandatory Drug Testing
• E-verified
• MDOT Safety Approved
• CPR Certified

Once you have decided to install a fence, you should be prepared to discuss the following points:

• The purpose of the fence
• The exact location of the fence
• What type of design features you want (height, style, material)
• Approximate budget
• Desired completion date

There are many different styles of fences, which are often called different names depending on the companies you talk to and the area in which you live.

• Chain link fences can be vinyl coated or galvanized and could have plastic slats inserted for adding privacy.
• Wood fences come in a variety of styles, such as stockade, wyngates, flat board, estate, paddock, picket and split rail.
• PVC fences are relatively new to the fence industry. PVC fences come in many of the same styles as wood fences. This product is very easy to maintain.
• Aluminum fences can look much like the old wrought iron fences (which are still available). Both aluminum and wrought iron are often ornamental by design.

Basic fence materials for residential use include tubular iron in square or round shapes, steel wire with steel or wood frames, wood for panel and rail fences, aluminum fence available with wire mesh, panel or glass insert, and the new polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fences.

Jefcoat Fence Co. wants your fence installed with minimum inconvenience and problems.

We suggest the following:

• Talk with your neighbors about the fence. Most neighbors will allow you to tie-in to their fence if they know what you are doing. A new fence can create problems with neighbors if they are not aware of what is going on.
• Proper staking of fence line will allow you to see fence placement and alert you to potential problems like trees, shrubs, etc. in the fence line.
• JFC will place a call to Mississippi One-Call to have all major underground utilities marked. Homeowners are responsible for any underground lines that are not marked by One-Call. These include sprinkler lines, low voltage lighting, gas grills, lights, etc. JFC will not be responsible for these lines if damaged.
• Be aware of subdivision covenants that will require prior approval for fence installation.
• We appreciate your cooperation and understanding concerning the scheduling and starting times of your fence dealing with weather related issues and special order materials.

Workmanship

Oversights in workmanship will be corrected at no charge if requested within 90 days from date of contract.

Wood Materials

Pressure treated wood products have a manufacturer's warranty depending on the product. Manufacturer's warranty is available on request. Cedar products are untreated and carry no warranty. Natural characteristics of wood are checking, shrinking, and warpage.

• Checking is small hairline cracks that occur and are not considered defective.
• Shrinking can be expected from all wood products and is not considered defective.
• Warpage is a natural process of wood depending on the cut from the mills. Minor warpage is not defective and is not covered under warranty. Major warpage of wood product, as determined by JFC, that will effect the strength and longevity of the fence will be covered under warranty during the 90-day period from date of contract.

Chain Link Materials

These materials carry a limited manufacturer's warranty. JFC will honor these warranties set forth by these manufacturers.

Ornamental

Iron and Specialty Products - All warranties provided by the manufacturers of these products will be supported by JFC.

• Down payments will be required on most projects as determined by your salesman.
• We offer 90-days same as cash option through our Credit Service Company.
• We accept VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards, as well as personal checks, business checks, and cash.

There are three major components to your automated vehicular gate system: the access control system, the gate operator and the gate. UL 294 sets the safety criteria for the access control system while the UL 325 standard sets the safety criteria for the gate operator. The standard to which automated vehicular gates are designed, manufactured and installed is ASTM F2200-02: Standard Specification for Automated Vehicular Gate Construction. This standard, published in September 2002, was written by an Ad-Hoc committee consisting of members from the following industry trade associations:

• American Fence Association (AFA)
• Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA)
• National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA)

This standard compliments the UL 325 safety standard and was written to eliminate or guard against pinch points, entrapment areas, harmful protrusions, etc. It also requires positive stops to prevent gates from traveling past their design limits, methods to insure gates cannot fall over if they become detached from their supporting hardware, etc. Keep in mind that this and other safety standards are written for YOUR protection. As such, you should heed your professional DKS system installer recommendations regarding entrapment prevention and gate construction criteria. To insure this safety, he will check to determine if your gate meets the criteria of the ASTM F2200 standard. Some of these key points are listed below. For a full copy of the ASTM Standard, please contact ASTM directly at 610-832-9585; service@astm.org or visit their web site at www.astm.org. Some (but not all) of these gate construction criteria are listed below.

Slide Gates

• Weight bearing rollers are guarded or covered.
• All openings in the gate are guarded or screened from the bottom of the gate to a minimum of 48-inches above the ground to prevent a 2.25-inch diameter sphere from passing through the openings anywhere in the gate, and in that portion of the adjacent fence that the gate covers in the open position.  
• Gaps between the gate and fence, or other stationary objects do not exceed 2.25-inches.
• Smooth bottom edges.
• Positive stops to prevent the gate from sliding past its design limits.
• Insure that the gate cannot fall if it becomes detached from its supporting hardware.
• Swing Gates
• Designed and installed so as to not create an entrapment area between the gate and other fixed objects.
• Installed, in such a way, so that the pillar or column covered by the swing gate, when in the open position, does not exceed 4-inches.
• Insure that the gate cannot fall over if it becomes detached from the supporting hardware. 

The standard to which vehicular gate operators are designed, manufactured and tested is UL 325; Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Standard for Safety: Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems. In addition to the 325 standard, vehicular gate operators must also be tested to UL 991; Tests for Safety-Related Controls Employing Solid-State Devices.

The UL 325 Standard has undergone significant revisions over the past several years. The purpose of the revisions is to create entrapment prevention criteria for vehicular gate operators and systems, and to increase over-all safety of the product. The standard also calls out for specific construction specifications for the vehicular gate itself (see ASTM F2200-02). The revised standard was first published September 18, 1998, and went into effect March 1, 2000.

Keep in mind that this and other safety standards are written for YOUR protection. Your professional DKS system installer will provide you with a safe gate operating system. To insure this safety, and to comply with the manufacturer’s installation instructions and industry safety standards, your installer will present you with different options of certain safety devices that he feels is necessary to insure a safe gate system. We STRONGLY suggest that you discuss these options with your installer and heed his recommendations regarding entrapment prevention devices and gate construction criteria. You should also refer to the manufacturer’s installation manual for more information on the safety provisions and requirements of your vehicular gate system.

You just finished spending between $2,000 and $6,000 on your new fence. It makes sense to protect your investment by weatherproofing your fence, thereby extending the life of your fence, deck or outdoor structure up to 15 years.

Wood left exposed to the elements will split, warp, and crack if it is not protected. We have seen pressure-treated lumber warp in as little as two weeks. Because pressure-treated lumber is used to build almost all of the fences and decks here in the south, it is 300 to 500 times more likely to warp because of the chemicals it is saturated with to prevent it from rotting.

Most homeowners think that pressure-treated wood is protected from the elements, but they are just misinformed. Pressure-treated wood is treated to prevent against rotting and termite damage (for about 15 years). The wood and treatment does not prevent damage from the effects of weather.

The two biggest contributors of warping are sun and rain. Most damage occurs on fences and decks from April to October when days are the longest and the sun is the hottest. Rain causes the lumber to absorb water and the sun causes it to dry out. The result from this is expanding and contracting of the wood. When this happens, the lumber is generally damaged and has to be repaired by rebuilding the warped parts.

Graying, twisting, bowing, cracking, and splitting are all symptoms of wood damage and exposure.

Fences and decks that are not protected with Stain Coat's professional brand stains and sealer, can look bad and cost a significant amount of money to repair. Staining and sealing your wood fence can extend the life of your wood fence, deck or gazebo by up to 15 years. Repair costs can sometimes be as much as sealing your asset to begin with.

Homeowners get themselves into trouble when they listen to advice to "wait weeks or several months so the wood can dry out" before staining. An incredible amount of irreversible damage can occur even in the first few weeks after your fence or deck is built. Stain Coat's stain and sealers can be applied the SAME DAY that your deck or fence is installed.

We take great care in protecting everything around the fence. Unlike regular paint sprayers, Stain Coat uses special nozzles that keep the cleaning and staining limited to just the fence itself. Stain Coat uses a low pressure sodium chloride wash to clean your fence.

Your new fence is installed, or your existing fence is cleaned and ready to be sealed. How much can you expect to pay? While each job is different, you can estimate that it will cost approximately 1/3 of what you would pay for a new fence. Call 601-939-8141 today for a FREE quote or contact us if you have other questions.

To make the construction process of your new fence progress smoothly, please be aware of several customer responsibilities:

• Property lines need to be identified by customer or surveyor.
• Customer should clear property lines or coordinate with JFC to have done.
• Customer, with coordination of JFC sales representative, needs to have fence lines staked, painted, or otherwise marked.
• Payment is due upon completion of job unless other arrangements have been made.
• Customer must notify JFC in writing of any contract changes.

There are many factors that affect the life of a fence, including local climate, soil conditions, and the materials used. You can expect a properly installed fence to last a long time if properly maintained. Your Jefcoat Fence professional should be able to help you decide which type of fence will serve your needs best.