Although it’s debatable whether good fences make good neighbors, it’s hard to argue with the proposition that good neighbors ought to make good fences. The goal is to provide a buffer that gives privacy but is good looking and neighborly too. If spring has you thinking about undertaking a fence project, here are some ideas about what constitutes a good fence.
First, think about function. What exactly do you want your fence to do? Second, assess the range of fencing materials available. Finally, if you are planning to do all or most of the work yourself, make sure that your choice matches your skills, endurance and budget.
Fence functions
Before choosing a fence, think about what you want it to do. Some examples:
– Create privacy. Privacy fences are intended to create “outdoor rooms” that, paradoxically, enclose your yard while simultaneously making it more appealing for social activity. It’s hard to relax outdoors when you sense that neighborly eyes are watching. Put up an outdoor screen, and this dynamic changes. Privacy requires a high fence with fairly solid infill. Solid board fences or a thick row of shrubs are good choices.
– Secure property. Security fences require strength, which can be achieved with either a solid wood or masonry fence, or with an ornamental metal or chain-link fence. Keep in mind that privacy and security do not always go hand in hand. The best security is often provided with a fence that is hard to get through but easy to see through. Gates are often the weak link in security fences. Strong and secure hinges and latches and a jimmy-proof lock are mandatory.
– Mark boundaries. Boundary fences adorn more than they protect property. They do not contain pets or scare off intruders or block views. They simply help to define the landscape and, at best, discourage pedestrians and cyclists from taking shortcuts through the lawn. Boundary fences are usually low and open. Picket fences and minimalist post-and-rail fences are popular choices in wood, while a low, dry-stacked stone wall can be equally effective but with a very different visual effect.
– Control critters. Fences are often built for the sole purpose of containing your pets or excluding everyone else’s. Here, the best choice in fencing depends on the animal. Dogs typically can be enclosed by 4- to 6-foot-high fences, depending on the breed. Keep in mind, however, that even though Fido might be too old to leap over a fence, he may still have the motivation to dig under one. Burying some wire mesh along the fence perimeter will prevent this. (This also is a good trick for keeping burrowing raccoons out of your garden.)
– Enclose a pool. With children, where there’s fun, there is often also danger, and this is certainly true of swimming pools. Pools should be completely surrounded by at least a 4-foot-high barrier to keep children from gaining unsupervised access. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) has established detailed instructions for wood and metal fencing that will minimize the chances of kids climbing over, crawling under or squeezing though. Your local jurisdiction may have even stricter guidelines.
– Block views. Small fences can be used to hide garbage cans, propane tanks and other eyesores. Larger fences can relieve you of the need to watch traffic fly by your house. One easy approach is to plant a hedge of evergreen trees.
– Create views. Fences also can be built to draw your eye to them, much like hanging a picture on your living room wall. Add some texture to your yard by building a 10- or 20-foot-long fence to serve as a visual focus, and perhaps perform double duty as the background for a small flower or rock garden. A few posts and rails should suffice.
– Act as a weather barrier. A fence can alter your immediate environment in ways other than strictly visual. Snow fences can be effective at controlling drifts across your driveway. A post and rail fence placed perpendicular to the prevailing breeze is one option (horizontal 1-by-6 boards spaced 6 inches apart create the ideal level of porosity); a hedge is another.
A tall fence can provide shade for the house, deck or patio. And a strategically placed windbreak fence can direct winter breezes over, rather than straight into, your house, reducing heating bills. Likewise, a wood fence with louvered boards can reduce breezes enough to permit a more comfortable spot to relax in the yard.
Fencing materials
– Wood has long been the most popular choice for residential fences. Because of this long history, wood easily suits a traditional design. Due to its versatility, however, it can also be adapted to modern styles.
Wood also is affordable, easy to work with and readily available. A downside is it requires regular maintenance and repair. Today, fences that mimic wood styles are often built with low-maintenance plastics.
– Natural stone also has been used to construct fences for centuries. A dry-stacked (that is, mortarless) stone fence requires a lot of heavy lifting, but once completed it is virtually maintenance-free and likely to last longer than either you or your house. Cutting and shaping stone requires some special skills, which anyone can master with some practice, but many stone fences have been built without need for tools. Brick, concrete block and manufactured stone also can be used to build tough, long-lasting fences.
– Metal fences cover the gamut, from gorgeous (and expensive) wrought iron creations to utilitarian, low-priced wire mesh and chain-link enclosures. Newer tubular metal products fall in between, offering a range of color and style options along with affordability and easy maintenance.
– “Living fences” are grown rather than built. Technically, anything that grows high enough to suit your needs can function as a fence. A hedge of evergreen shrubs can fill nearly any fencing need while offering natural beauty and low-maintenance. Ornamental grasses are popular choices for colorful privacy barriers. Some grasses grow to a height of 10 feet and maintain their foliage all year.
A hybrid form of a living fence is to grow vines or “fence crops” up and through panels of wood lattice or metal mesh. Garden crops such as beans, peas or cucumbers offer seasonal screening along with tasty pickings.
Jeff Beneke is a home- and yard-improvement author whose latest book is “The Fence Bible” ($24.95, Storey Publishing).
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Before you start
Fences are great do-it-yourself projects. A good-quality fence does not have to cost a lot, and since the work takes place outside, you don’t have to worry about disrupting life inside the house. Building a fence is a great way to learn some basic construction skills.
Early spring is an ideal time to assess fencing needs. With trees and shrubs largely empty of foliage, you can see a great deal more of the things in your environment that you might like to block out. Then, once the ground dries and the weather warms, you will be ready to get started on building your fence.
Before proceeding, check local building and zoning codes. Many specify maximum fence height, distances you can build from property lines and even the materials you can use. If you’re putting up a first-time fence and aren’t sure of the boundary, you may want to hire a licensed surveyor to find it.
— Jeff Beneke
