What Do You Need?
Fences provide multiple benefits. The type of fence you choose will depend on its function. If you want to keep your children or dog in the backyard, a chain link fence might work. But if you want an attractive frame for the front or backyard, a wooden fence looks much better.
What Can Fences Do?
Fences are not just barriers against the outside world. They can provide distinctive boundaries within your landscape, separating a garden area from a play area, or a shady patio from the rest of the backyard. So think about how fencing fits into your landscape plan.
Steer Toward Your Home Style
Wooden fences come in a great variety of styles. A plain, unpainted grape stake or split rail fence will appear rustic and utilitarian. A white picket fence is the traditional choice that matches just about any home, while a trellis draped with plants forms a luxuriant mass of hanging plants for an organic look. Make sure whatever you choose matches the style and materials of your home.
Open Vs. Solid
Choose either an open or solid fence, depending on your style or need for privacy. Open fences with alternating boards, louvers or stakes allow some light and air to penetrate. Solid fences provide more privacy. Or choose a combination, with solid boards on the bottom and open lattice on the top, for example.
Materials, Paints and Stains
Posts should be made of pressure-treated or decay-resistant lumber to prevent rotting or damage from pests. If you can afford it, use pressure-treated wood for the rails, too. Redwood and cedar heartwood resist rot and repel pests naturally. Painting and staining is recommended for fir and pine. Unpainted redwood durably acquires its own weathered look.
Visit your home improvement center, see the styles and formulate your fencing design on paper, before you purchase anything! Now let's plot the rest of your fencing scheme.
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