Fence Armor Fence & Mailbox Post Protectors: Product Review
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High quality, durable and good looking protection for fence, mailbox, deck and other outdoor posts
Available on Amazon
Buy ItI have a big, long wooden fence in my backyard. I know just how long it is because a couple of years ago I pressure-washed it and resealed the wood. The wood sealer promised to last 20 years. All I know is that even if I’m still alive, I won’t be doing that again. Ever.
Given my proclivity to be “one and done” with tasks I abhor, I was intrigued when offered to test and review Fence Armor, a protector that saves posts from nicks and dings caused by power trimmers, mowers, etc. They have products designed for wood, metal, and vinyl. They even have a product designed for chain link fences.
So I said yes. But I wasn’t about to bite off protecting the entire fence in one shot. Instead, I opted to look at 3 different protective finishes that work on mailbox posts, too. I figured if I liked it, I would use one on mine and offer the others to a couple of neighbors. And then maybe in the winter, I would install Fence Armor on my back fence.
SPECIFICATIONS
Materials: American-made, G90, 22-gauge galvanized steel. This is in contrast to most post protectors on the market which are made of much softer aluminum or easily-damaged vinyl.
Color options: Multiple colors are available, ranging from white to black and everything in between, including a wood grain look. I tested galvanized steel, white, and black Fence Armor protectors.
Post size: Fence Armor has multiple sizes for most standard size posts. Note that the protectors are made to fit the actual size of a standard post, not the nominal size. So, for example, the 4 x 4 protector (nominal size) is actually 3.5 x 3.5 inches.
Optional: Matching screws are available, although my package didn’t come with them. A quick phone call got them to my door in a couple of days.
SMALL BOX WITH NICE EXTRAS
The small box arrived at my door quickly after I agreed to test the product. When I opened it, I found that the good people at Fence Armor practice lagniappe, a word borrowed from the Louisiana Creole French that essentially means “a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase.” So if you’ve ever been to New Orleans, if you order a dozen beignets, don’t be surprised if you end up with 13 beignets in your box. It’s just a nice little extra that you don’t expect.
In addition to three sample products, Fence Armor included a small pad of gridded paper and wooden pencil like the kind carpenters use. Nice touch.
Three samples and a couple of nice extras
I didn’t see any screws in the box. I had screws that would work fine for the galvanized product, but I thought the white and black sample should have matching screw heads to make the product look right. I reached out to Fence Armor, and their representative had the screws to me a few days later.
SIMPLE INSTALLATION
On the next dry day, I checked out my mailbox and chose the galvanized steel Fence Armor protector; I thought it looked best for me and I like the industrial look. It lets people know that a man lives here (and yes, I did this when my wife was away, so I didn’t need permission).
After eyeballing the product at different heights, I decided that I liked the look best with the Fence Armor about an inch off the ground. Keeping it off the ground also prevents rainwater from getting trapped behind the metal and sitting on the wood, which could lead to rot.
Since I never use any power tools around the back of my mailbox, I decided to use the product in the front only. This also spared me from the possibility of a spider touching me should I reach around the back. Yeah, I figured the front was safe enough.
I held the front piece in place and marked the hole carefully. Next, I predrilled a hole in the front.
To start I marked and predrilled the holes in my mailbox post
Finally, I held the Fence Armor in place, aligned the hole in the product with my predrilled hole, and screwed it into place.
The front piece of the galvanized Fence Armor on my mailbox
I liked the look. I liked it a lot.
On a walk around my neighborhood, I saw that two of my good friends had mailbox posts that were directly in the ground with no bushes or trees around them. Grass grew right up against the posts.
I decided to do them a favor.
Taking my cordless drill, a small drill bit, and a socket bit, I walked my streets feeling like Santa in June.
On my first stop, I decided that Ron needed the black Fence Armor. And I also noticed that Ron really NEEDED the Fence Armor, because his post showed the telltale signs of trimmer damage.
See those scars in the post? That’s why posts need Fence Armor.
Since his post had exposure from all sides, I used both the front and back pieces. Installation was just about as easy as using only one piece. I wrapped the product around both sides and held the pieces in place with one hand while using the pencil to mark where I intended to drill. Then I predrilled all four holes. Next, I screwed the front plate in place. Finally, I aligned the back plate to the slots on the side that matched up the slots on the front plate and screwed the remaining 3 screws into place.
To protect both sides of the post, I used the front and back pieces
By now, Santa was sweating. Not because this was difficult, but because Santa doesn’t like 95° F temperatures. But Santa still had one more stop to make.
Walking down two more houses, I stopped at Janet’s home. Since she had white address numbers on her post, I had just the right product. I followed the same procedure as I had with Ron’s installation. But since now I was experienced, I got in and got out fast.
One screw on each of the 4 sides keeps the Fence Armor in place
Performance
OK, so the Fence Armor looks nice and is easy to install, but does it really work?
Yup.
Check out the video below to see how it fared against my favorite professional grade string trimmer.
BOTTOM LINE
Here are some other things I like about Fence Armor—
- Can be installed on either new or existing posts
- Available for any type of post (ornamental, metal, wood, vinyl, or chain link)
- Sizes available for square, round or rectangular posts ranging in size from 1.5 inches to 7.5 inches.
- Comes in 9 different color styles including wood grains, solid colors, and even an American flag
- Installs quickly with only a drill (to predrill – this is optional) and a 1/4 inch socket bit (for the self drilling screws)
- Looks great
Come December, if I haven’t lost an arm in a chipper or a leg to a chainsaw, I’ll be buying Fence Armor for my fence posts in the backyard. If the sealer is going to last 20 years, I need to make sure that the posts will, too.
The end result looks good and will keep the post from getting damaged from the mower or trimmer
WARRANTY
Fence Armor has a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. As an aside, not since the starting of the Fence Armor company in 1990 has there ever been a warranty claim.
RECOMMENDATION
If you have fence or mailbox posts, Fence Armor will keep it looking nice longer. And it will extend the life of your posts.
WHERE TO BUY
Fence Armor prices vary based on size and the number of pieces you need.
You can see the full range of post protectors the company offers on the FenceArmor.com website.
Products can be purchased directly from the company, as well as on Amazon.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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