Customer Story: Replacing a Leaning Cedar Hedge with a Black Metal Fence in Burnaby, BC

Cedar hedges are a classic along Metro Vancouver property lines, until they aren't. This one had grown into 28 trees leaning sideways over the line, eating up the side yard and spilling into the neighbour's property. Barrie R. took it out and put in a BarrierBoss fence: six black corrugated metal privacy panels in Western Red Cedar frames, set on seven cedar posts. The result is a clean, straight property line that needs no trimming, no painting, and no apology to the neighbours.

The Problem: A Hedge That Took Over the Property Line

The hedge started as a privacy screen and ended up as a maintenance project. Twenty-eight cedars had grown sideways along the line, leaning into the neighbour's yard and swallowing several feet of usable side yard on Barrie's side. Keeping it in check meant constant trimming, and some of the trunks were past saving.

So the hedge came out. What was left was a row of stumps, a few leaning trunks and a bare property line that needed something better.

The Fence: Cedar-Framed Black Corrugated Panels

Barrie chose six 6' x 8' Corrugated Metal Privacy Fence Panels in black, built into Western Red Cedar frames, along with seven 4" x 4" x 8' Western Red Cedar posts. It is a look that suits a West Coast yard: warm cedar framing around clean black steel, with full privacy and none of the upkeep of a hedge or an all-wood fence.

The steel infill is 26-gauge galvanized steel with a NoFade finish that is the same colour on both sides, so it never needs painting. The cedar frames and posts are the only part that takes stain, and Barrie found them ready for it out of the truck.

The Build: A DIY Install, With a Little Extra

Barrie installed the fence himself. Where the fence line meets a retaining wall, he went a step further: "I installed 3 additional steel supports extending down onto the retaining wall. It wasn't necessary but added extra support for a few more dollars." It is the kind of detail a careful DIYer adds for peace of mind, not something the panels need.

Once the fence was up, he stained the cedar frames and posts with a solid exterior stain he has used around the yard for years. In his words, "It's very easy to reapply wherever necessary." The black steel between the frames needs nothing at all.

The Result: More Yard, Less Work

Swapping a deep, sprawling hedge for a slim fence line gave Barrie back 3 to 4 feet of side yard. The property line is straight, the neighbour's side looks as good as his own, and the one cedar he kept at the end of the run now reads as a feature instead of a problem. Friends and family were impressed with the results, and the only maintenance left is an occasional touch-up of stain on the cedar.

Why a Cedar-Framed Metal Fence Worked Here

This project shows what a hedge replacement can look like when the goal is privacy without the upkeep:

• No more trimming. A hedge needs cutting every season. Galvanized steel with a NoFade finish needs nothing, and the cedar frames only need an occasional coat of stain.
• Space back. A fence line is a few inches deep. Replacing the hedge returned 3 to 4 feet of side yard.
• Good on both sides. The panels are the same colour on both faces, so the neighbour gets the same finished look.
• Ready to install. The panels and posts arrived kiln dried, straight and fully assembled, so the build could start as soon as they landed.
• Made for West Coast weather. Galvanized steel doesn't rot or swell in Lower Mainland rain the way an all-wood fence can.