CHEHALIS, WA – October 20, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

As southwest Washington’s flood season gets underway, PNW Fence & Gate, a family-run fence contractor, is issuing guidance to homeowners in Lewis and Thurston counties on preparing a fence for the wet months. The advice centers on the base, where wet soil and winter wind do their damage, and on the post choices that decide whether a fence still stands straight after several winters.

The City of Chehalis reports that flooding is most common from October through April, when Pacific storms bring intense rainfall. The Chehalis River has flooded more than 18 times in the last 20 years, according to the city. Annual precipitation there averages about 45 inches, according to PRISM Climate Group data from Oregon State University. The city’s building department lists design values of 85 mph basic wind speed and a 110 mph three-second gust, the wind that local buildings are designed to withstand.

The Wood Handbook from the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory states that decay can be prevented if wood is kept below 20% moisture content. A wood post buried in wet soil has little chance of staying under that line all winter.

PNW Fence & Gate builds every cedar fence on metal posts rather than wood posts, so none of the wood goes into the soil. The cedar is custom-cut to a lumber grade called “two and better,” which leaves out the lowest grades, and milled to a full 5/8-inch thickness.

For existing fences, the company advises homeowners to walk the fence line after the first heavy storm and look for leaning posts, standing water at the base of a post, and boards resting on the soil. A section that moves when pushed by hand, or a gate that has started to drag, usually points to a post that has loosened below ground level. Raking soil and leaves away from the bottom of the boards lets the wood dry out between storms. Anyone planning drainage work along a fence line should check with the city first, because its rules prohibit berms and barriers that divert water onto neighboring properties.

The company pre-stains its cedar on a machine that owner Tallon Ball, a welder by trade, designed and built himself. It can stain 1,000 linear feet of fence in a day, so the boards go up with stain already on them.

Tallon Ball, owner of PNW Fence & Gate, said, “People pick a fence by the boards, but around here the boards are rarely what gives out first. It’s the post, right at the dirt line, after a few winters of standing in wet ground. If someone is going to put up good cedar, it ought to be sitting on something that will outlast it.”

Homeowners planning a new fence before spring can schedule a free on-site estimate at (360) 996-4250 or through the company’s website. Readers can learn more on the company’s Google profile, which has photos of completed fence projects and reviews from past customers.

About PNW Fence & Gate

PNW Fence & Gate is a family-run fence and gate contractor located at 132 Pier Rd, Chehalis, WA 98532. Owner Tallon Ball leads crews in the field, and the company serves residential, agricultural, and small commercial properties across 13 cities in Lewis and Thurston counties, from Castle Rock north to Lakewood. Services include cedar, vinyl, chain-link, steel, aluminum, and ornamental iron fencing, as well as custom gate fabrication, gate automation, and gate repair. The company backs all labor with a 2-year workmanship warranty and holds a 5.0 rating based on 27 Google reviews. More information is available at https://www.pnwfenceandgate.com.

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For more information about PNW Fence & Gate, contact the company here:

PNW Fence & Gate
Tallon Ball
(360) 996-4250
pnwfenceandgate@gmail.com
132 Pier Rd, Chehalis, WA 98532

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