Salem, Utah
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Fences, decks, pergolas and shade for Salem yards, with posts set to stay straight in wet clay and decks built to fit the Salem Hills slope.
“Jackson and his guys were all very polite and did high quality work for me.”
“they will definitely be my go to landscaper for many years!”
Fencing, Decks and Pergolas in Salem
Fence posts in Salem have a tough job. Much of the town sits on Lake Bonneville clay and silt that holds water, and near Salem Pond and the spring-fed low areas the groundwater can sit close to the surface. Wood posts set in wet ground rot at the soil line. Concrete footings in clay that freezes and thaws can lift a little every winter, until the fence line looks like a wave.
Decks and pergolas carry more weight on fewer posts, so the footing matters even more. Up on the Salem Hills bench, many decks step off the back of the house onto sloped ground, and the downhill posts get tall. That takes real footings, bracing and a permit check. A pergola over a patio needs footings that will not shift against the pavers around it, or the posts start to lean.
We build privacy fences, decks, pergolas, shade sails and covered patio sections across Salem. Shade is a big part of it, since a west-facing patio in July is too hot to sit on in the afternoon. Jackson looks at where the sun lands, where the ground stays wet, and how the structure fits the rest of the yard, then plans the posts before anything else.
Salem grew up around a spring-fed pond, and it shows: parts of town sit over shallow groundwater, so drainage and hardscape footings near the low areas need a real plan, not a guess.
Know your Salem ground
The Salem challenges
Where Salem ground stays damp, wood posts sit in wet soil most of the year. They rot right at grade, where you cannot see it, until a windstorm lays a section of fence over into the neighbor's yard. Pressure-treated posts last longer in that ground, but not forever.
With frost that can run into mid-to-late May, Salem clay goes through a lot of freeze and thaw. Footings set too shallow, or poured with a wide mushroom top, get pushed up a bit each year. Gates sag, latches stop lining up, and the top rail goes crooked.
Decks off the back of Salem Hills homes often sit high on the downhill side. Tall posts need bigger footings and cross bracing. A deck built like a ground-level deck on that slope can sway when a group of people stands on it.
Overspray from lawn heads hits fences and deck skirts every night. On Salem's metered system, that is water you pay for that does nothing for the lawn. It also keeps the wood wet at the bottom and speeds up rot.
The J&H approach
Each post goes below the frost line, and a layer of gravel at the bottom of the hole lets water drain off instead of pooling around the post. In the wettest spots near the pond, we lean toward vinyl, metal or rated ground-contact posts that hold up in damp soil.
For bench decks, we size footings and posts to the height, add bracing, and check permit needs with Salem City. The deck ties into the stairs and a patio below, so the whole back of the house works together.
We plan the pergola beam direction and slat spacing for where the sun sits on July afternoons. Where you need more cover, we add a solid roof section or a shade sail, and we wire lights and fans in the same build.
What homeowners say
"We had a really big project (full lot project) and a crazy timeline, and Jackson and his team were awesome. They are very efficient, work hard to get things done quick, and the quality of their work is top-notch. Great company. Great guys. I would highly recommend them for any landscaping needs."
"Jackson and his crew did a phenomenal job on our back yard. I had a vision and they brought it to life. We had them do a retaining wall, grading, underground trampoline, sprinkler system, and sod. They met deadlines, communication was on point, and the whole crew was friendly.…"
"…The job was completed quickly without sacrificing quality, and the results exceeded our expectations. We would absolutely hire this team again and recommend them to anyone looking for landscaping help."
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