A client in Springfield swore by cedar posts for everything, even chain link

I was giving a quote for a 150 foot chain link run for a backyard in Springfield. The homeowner, a guy in his 60s, insisted I use cedar posts instead of the standard galvanized steel. He said steel would rot out from the inside in 10 years and that cedar lasts a lifetime. I tried to explain that pressure-treated wood is for wood fences, and that steel posts set in concrete are the standard for a reason, especially for the tension of chain link fabric. He wouldn't hear it, said he'd done his own research. I walked from the job because I won't build something I know will fail. Has anyone else had a client demand a material that just doesn't fit the fence type?

3 comments

3 Comments

alexw7522d ago

That "done his own research" line gets me every time. Man, I feel for you walking away from the job but you probably saved yourself a headache down the road. Nothing worse than having your name on something you know is gonna fail.

victorb171mo ago

Man, that's wild. So what was his actual plan for setting the cedar posts? Did he want them in concrete too, or just straight into the dirt? Because if he thinks steel rots, wait until he sees what ground contact does to untreated wood, even cedar.

milestaylor1mo ago

My buddy tried that with a fence last year. He just shoved cedar posts in holes like @victorb17 said, no gravel or concrete. They were wobbly as hell after one winter.