Will aluminum pit or corrode on the beach side of St. Simons?

Bare aluminum can pit in heavy salt spray, which is why the finish matters. We install fence-grade aluminum with a powder-coated finish over a pretreated surface, and on lots facing the ocean at East Beach or the south end we specify the marine-grade coating. Rinsing the fence with fresh water after a storm keeps it looking new for decades.

What about the hardware? That is where I see rust on my neighbor's fence.

Their hinges and latches are probably plated steel. We use stainless steel or aluminum hardware throughout, including the pool gate's self-closing hinge and magnetic latch, so there is no steel on the fence to rust.

Black or bronze on an island lot?

Both hide against the oaks and marsh grass. Black is the classic and reads as period iron in the Village; bronze is warmer against a tan or gray house. We bring a section of each so you can see it in your light.

What does a code-compliant pool fence on St. Simons look like?

At least four feet high with no climbable rails, picket gaps a small child cannot pass through, and a gate that swings out from the pool, self-closes and self-latches with the latch mounted high. Glynn County inspects to those rules, and aluminum picket is built for them.

I have a marsh view. Which fence keeps it?

Aluminum. A four-foot flat-top picket fence keeps a dog in and disappears against the marsh grass and the oaks. Glynn County's marsh buffer restricts ground disturbance near the marsh edge, so we set the line back from it and let the view do the rest.

Will my HOA approve aluminum?

Aluminum picket is one of the most widely accepted fences on the island because it is open and unobtrusive, but committees still weigh in on height, color and style. We read your covenants first and submit the plan for you.

Aluminum fencing on St. Simons Island: pool safety and marsh views without the rust

On a barrier island, the fence around a pool or a view has to be open, safe, and immune to salt. That is the case for aluminum.

St. Simons Island is full of two things that call for an open fence: swimming pools and views. A privacy fence around a pool on East Beach blocks the breeze and the ocean; a privacy fence on a marsh-front lot off Frederica Road hides the reason you bought the house. Aluminum picket fencing keeps a child out of the pool and a dog in the yard while leaving the view alone, and because it is aluminum rather than steel, the salt air that eats the island's iron gates does nothing to it.

Golden Isles Fencing and Excavation installs aluminum fencing across St. Simons, from the Village and the south end up through Sea Palms, Hampton Point and the north end near Frederica. We are a family-owned, Christian-based company based in Brunswick, and we build aluminum on the island around the salt, the covenants and the trees.

Specifying for salt spray

Aluminum does not rust, but bare aluminum can pit in heavy salt spray, and the cheap hardware that comes with some kits is plated steel that rusts within a season. On St. Simons we treat every lot as a coastal lot. The fence-grade aluminum we install is powder coated over a pretreated surface, and on ocean-facing lots at East Beach, along the south end and anywhere with a direct line to the water, we specify the marine-grade coating. Every hinge, latch, screw and bracket is stainless steel or aluminum. Rinse the fence with a hose after a storm blows salt across the yard and it will look the same in twenty years.

Pool fencing that Glynn County will pass

Residential pool barriers on St. Simons are inspected by Glynn County, and the rules are specific: at least four feet high, no horizontal rails placed where a child could climb, picket gaps small enough that a small child cannot pass, and a gate that swings away from the pool, closes on its own and latches on its own with the latch mounted high. Aluminum picket is designed for those rules. We install to them and hang the gate with a stainless spring hinge and a magnetic latch that keeps working through island humidity. Many island pools are at rental houses, and a pool gate that latches every time matters more there than anywhere.

Keeping the view

The marsh-front lots along Dunbar Creek, Village Creek and the Frederica River are among the best on the island, and the last thing they need is a wall. A four-foot flat-top aluminum fence in black or bronze disappears against marsh grass and live oak. Georgia's marsh buffer restricts ground disturbance near the marsh edge, so we set the fence line back from it, keep our equipment out of the buffer, and let the marsh do the rest of the boundary work.

Working around the oaks

Aluminum posts go in concrete footings like any other, and on St. Simons that means digging near live oaks. Glynn County's tree protection ordinance covers mature oaks, and a cut structural root can kill a tree older than the house. We hand-dig near trunks, shift post spacing to miss large roots, and stop to talk with you if a root cannot be avoided. Aluminum is forgiving here because the panels rack, so an extra foot of spacing to dodge a root does not leave a visible step.

Styles that suit the island

Flat-top picket. The pool and marsh-view standard, four or five feet, three rails.
Spear-top with finials. Period-looking ornamental fencing at the front of a Village house.
Puppy picket. Narrower bottom spacing for small dogs.
Estate gates. Double drive gates in matching aluminum for the larger lots off Sea Island Road.

Covenants and the county

St. Simons is unincorporated, so the fence permit comes from Glynn County Community Development, and on most of the island an HOA architectural committee reviews the plan as well. Aluminum picket is widely accepted because it is open and quiet, but committees still have opinions on height, color and finial style. We collect the covenants before we design, choose a style that fits, and submit it for you.

How an island aluminum job runs

Estimate. We measure, note the trees, check the exposure and the pool rules, and collect your covenants.
Approvals. HOA submission and county permit prepared together.
Scheduling. Between bookings if the house is a rental.
Build. Hand-dug footings near oaks, racked panels, stainless hardware, self-closing pool gates tested.
Walkthrough. Gates and latches checked with you, scrap hauled off.

Estimates on St. Simons are free and financing is available for larger projects. If you are weighing aluminum against vinyl for a pool, we will price both.

Aluminum fencing in Brunswick and on Jekyll

Conditions and rules change off the island. Read about aluminum fencing in Brunswick, GA, aluminum fencing on Jekyll Island, and everything we do as a fence company on St. Simons Island.

Other options on St. Simons

If privacy matters more than the view, see our vinyl fencing on St. Simons Island, wood fencing on St. Simons Island, fence repairs on St. Simons Island, and aluminum fencing service overview.

Questions and answers

Common questions about aluminum fencing on St. Simons Island

Salt, pools and views: the questions island homeowners bring us.

Bare aluminum can pit in heavy salt spray, which is why the finish matters. We install fence-grade aluminum with a powder-coated finish over a pretreated surface, and on lots facing the ocean at East Beach or the south end we specify the marine-grade coating. Rinsing the fence with fresh water after a storm keeps it looking new for decades.
Their hinges and latches are probably plated steel. We use stainless steel or aluminum hardware throughout, including the pool gate's self-closing hinge and magnetic latch, so there is no steel on the fence to rust.
Both hide against the oaks and marsh grass. Black is the classic and reads as period iron in the Village; bronze is warmer against a tan or gray house. We bring a section of each so you can see it in your light.

At least four feet high with no climbable rails, picket gaps a small child cannot pass through, and a gate that swings out from the pool, self-closes and self-latches with the latch mounted high. Glynn County inspects to those rules, and aluminum picket is built for them.
Aluminum. A four-foot flat-top picket fence keeps a dog in and disappears against the marsh grass and the oaks. Glynn County's marsh buffer restricts ground disturbance near the marsh edge, so we set the line back from it and let the view do the rest.
Aluminum picket is one of the most widely accepted fences on the island because it is open and unobtrusive, but committees still weigh in on height, color and style. We read your covenants first and submit the plan for you.