Custom Western Red Cedar Shadowbox Fences | Twin Cities Installation
If you live on an open suburban lot, a corner property, or an area exposed to sweeping winds across the Twin Cities, a standard, solid privacy fence can quickly become a structural liability. In a severe Minnesota thunderstorm or an intense autumn gale, a solid wall of wood acts exactly like a giant sail. The immense lateral wind pressure strains the fasteners, twists the horizontal rails, and can completely snap structural posts at the ground line.
The elegant, engineered solution to this problem is the alternating wood privacy fence—frequently referred to in the industry as a shadowbox or board-on-board design.
Fence Man Dan’s Verdict: “I call the alternating shadowbox style our ‘wind-breather’ design. Because the vertical pickets alternate back and forth on either side of the horizontal rails, heavy winds can pass right through the fence gaps instead of slamming into a solid wooden wall. It is the ultimate insurance policy for open-wind properties across the metro, giving you excellent privacy without risking structural failure when a severe storm hits.”
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The Shadowbox Advantage: True “Good Neighbor” Privacy
The alternating board construction offers unique aesthetic and functional benefits that traditional solid privacy panels cannot match:
1. Identical Aesthetics on Both Sides
With a standard privacy fence, one side shows the smooth face of the pickets while the other exposes the structural horizontal rails (often called the “ugly side”). An alternating wood fence solves this neighborhood dilemma. Because the boards stagger back and forth, the fence looks completely identical from both your yard and your neighbor’s property, making it the ultimate “good neighbor” boundary line.
2. Controlled Sightlines and Enhanced Airflow
When viewed from a direct, 90-degree angle, the overlapping pickets block out lines of sight to give your family exceptional backyard privacy. However, the staggered spacing allows natural ambient light and fresh summer breezes to filter through. This prevents your outdoor living room from feeling stifled or completely boxed in by stagnant air.
3. Assembled with Premium Fasteners—Never Staples
Because an alternating fence carries a heavy structural load with boards on both sides of the rail, fastener integrity is critical. Budget contractors rely on cheap construction staples that easily pull loose under stress and leave ugly black chemical streaks running down the wood. Every alternating fence built by Midwest Fence is secured using premium Stainless Steel or Hot-Dipped Galvanized ring-shank nails that grip the wood permanently and never bleed.
Premium Wood Alternating Fence Specifications
To help you shop confidently, here is how the Midwest Fence manufacturing and installation blueprint compares to generic retail alternatives:
| Technical Feature | Midwest Fence Standard | Standard Industry Alternative |
| Lumber Species | 100% Premium Western Red Cedar | Low-Grade Treated Pine or Mixed Whitewood |
| Panel Construction | Alternating Board-on-Board (Staggered Open-Air Mesh) | Solid Flush Wall (Sails in High Winds) |
| Fastener Type | Double-Blind Stainless Steel or Hot-Dipped Galvanized Nails | Brittle Construction Staples or Drywall Screws |
| Post System Option | DuraCedar™ Posts (Advanced Rot Protection) | Standard Untreated Wood Posts |
| Foundation Type | Deep-Set Concrete Footings (Below the 42″ Frost Line) | Shallow Driven Soil Stakes / No-Dig Pipes |
Local Twin Cities Authority: Engineered for Minnesota Ground
Whether you are looking for a classic picket fence in Edina or a heavy-duty privacy fence in Woodbury, our wood fences are built for the local soil. Minnesota’s severe freeze-thaw cycles subject underground footings to massive shifting forces known as frost heave. If a contractor takes a shortcut and fails to dig below the local frost line, the winter ground will literally choke the post and push it upward, destroying your investment.
At Midwest Fence, we dig every main structural post deep into the earth and anchor them with massive concrete foundations to ensure your fence line remains perfectly plumb, straight, and level for decades. We invite you to visit our 7-Acre South St. Paul Showroom to see these premium wood privacy styles in full-scale before you buy.
Before scheduling your installation, discover how our specialized underground foundations keep your alternating panels perfectly square against both heavy wind loads and winter frost heave: Deep-Set Concrete vs. Driven Posts: Why MN Fences Fail.
