AVONDALE, PA – October 09, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –

In southeastern Pennsylvania, where a typical winter brings approximately 25 to 35 freeze-thaw cycles, a fence installed in early fall has time to settle into firm soil before the first hard frost. J&A Fence, a family-owned fence store and installation contractor in Avondale, is now scheduling fall installations throughout southern Chester County, allowing homeowners to choose materials in person and have posts in the ground before winter arrives.

A freeze-thaw cycle is a cycle of alternating below-freezing and above-freezing temperatures. Each time water in the soil freezes, it expands and pushes up on whatever is buried there, a process called frost heave that can slowly lift a fence post out of line. Under the frost-depth reference in the International Residential Code, the frost line, meaning the depth the ground is expected to freeze to, sits at about 36 inches across the county.

That depth shapes how J&A Fence builds. According to the company’s website, its posts are set in concrete at depths determined by the fence’s height and the local frost line. A post anchored beneath the frozen layer is held by soil that stays put through the winter, which keeps the fence line straight and the gates closing where they should.

Homeowners planning a fall project can compare materials at the company’s fence store on Gap Newport Pike, which opened in April and, according to the company, is the only fence store in southern Chester County. Aluminum, vinyl and wood sections stand side by side there, among them western red cedar, which naturally resists rot and insects, and the Country Estate aluminum and vinyl lines, both built in the United States. Because the store and the installation crews belong to the same company, the material a homeowner picks at the counter is the same material the crew sets in the yard. Do-it-yourself builders can buy materials there too.

Some municipalities in the area require a zoning permit before a fence goes in, and a fall start leaves time for that paperwork to clear. J&A Fence files those applications for customers as a paid service, or supplies layout drawings for homeowners who would rather file on their own.

J&A Fence has served Chester County since 2012 and holds Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor registration PA096517. A Master Installer with more than 25 years of construction experience oversees its crews, and the company’s owner prepares estimates himself. HomeAdvisor, a national home services platform, has given J&A Fence its Screened and Approved, Top Rated, and Elite Service designations, which it grants based on background checks and customer reviews. The company installs in northern Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland, as well.

Joe Giunta, owner of J&A Fence, said the case for a fall installation comes from what his crews see every spring. “People pick a fence by what they see above the ground, and that’s fair, because it’s what they look at every day. But when we get called out in March for a fence that’s leaning, it almost always comes back to posts that were set too shallow. The ground around here freezes and thaws all winter long, and a shallow post just doesn’t hold up to that.”

Homeowners can request a free on-site estimate by calling 484-368-2206, visiting jafence.com or stopping by the Avondale store, which is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Customer reviews, store directions and photos of completed projects are posted on the company’s Google Business Profile, where homeowners can learn more about its recent work.

About J&A Fence

J&A Fence is a family-owned fence materials store and installation contractor based in Avondale, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2012 by Joe Giunta, the company serves Chester County, northern Delaware, and Cecil County, Maryland, installing wood, vinyl, aluminum, chain-link, and split-rail fencing and gates for residential and commercial properties. J&A Fence is a registered Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor (PA096517) and has been voted Best of Chester County for fencing by Daily Local News readers every year from 2021 through 2025. Learn more at https://jafence.com/.

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For more information about J&A Fence Inc., contact the company here:

J&A Fence
Joe Giunta
484-368-2206
office@jafence.com
8997 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA 19311

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