When you’re in the market for new residential fencing, you want something secure, attractive, and also affordable! A new fence installation, especially for a larger property, can cost hundreds if not even thousands of dollars. Maintenance and repairs also add to your ownership costs over the years, but of course no homeowner wants to sacrifice safety or aesthetics just to save a few dollars.
Vinyl, glass, or wood panels are typically considered the most secure residential fencing material, but note that glass offers no privacy and wood requires consistent upkeep. Most glass fencing is also pricier than other materials. Chain link residential fencing is very affordable but also offers little privacy and is relatively easy to climb; adding twisted barbs at the top does provide some security against intruders, however.
If all that information is confusing, it’s often helpful to consider some added details about various residential fencing materials, including their pros and cons and average pricing. You might also note some tips on how to add security and privacy to a more affordable fence, and how to improve the look of a fence as well!
Remember that a residential fencing company near you can also offer suggestions for the best fence material and style for your property, and that fits your budget. In the end, you’ll have the beautiful fence you need at a price you can afford, and will be able to enjoy your property in comfort and security.
Before choosing any residential fencing material or style, ensure you’ve checked on local building codes and HOA restrictions, if any. Once you’ve determined any restrictions or requirements for your new fence material, note some vital details about various styles and other features. You can then discuss your needs with a fencing company near you.
No fencing material choice provides perfect security, so it’s vital that homeowners note some tips for ensuring a safe, secure property. Your fencing contractor might also have added tips for enhancing fence security around your property.
One simple tip for keeping a property secure is planting thorny shrubs behind a fence and underneath first floor windows. Even if someone should climb your fence, they would then wind up in the shrubs and potentially call attention to themselves trying to remove those thorns and thistles! Thorny shrubs underneath windows also makes it very uncomfortable for someone to hide there while they inspect your property or take the time needed to force a window open.
Noisy gravel also helps alert you to someone on your property! If possible, replace paver stones with crunchy gravel and use it close to your property’s fence, around your driveway, or any other area where intruders might walk. You can also use gravel as mulch around plantings under windows, as this can also alert you to a potential intruder trying to make their way into your home.
A homeowner might also avoid storing items underneath a fence that intruders might use when climbing. Very often scaling a fence is not the most difficult part of entering your property; getting down from that high point is what’s challenging for an intruder! Bikes, a storage or trash bin, bags of mulch, and other items along a fence can offer potential thieves a foothold for a successful climb, so keep items away from the home’s fence and stored securely elsewhere.
For too many homeowners, a beautiful wood or wrought iron fence is simply out of their reach financially. Some building codes or HOA regulations might also dictate that homeowners only erect a chain link, small vinyl, or mesh fence. While these materials are satisfactory for marking property boundaries, they might do little to enhance your yard’s overall appearance.
One way to hide an unsightly or somewhat drab fence is with thick shrubbery, as said. Consider lilac or hydrangea bushes for color and a nice scent. You might also invest in a climbing vine that you can start around a chain link fence and allow to grow through its links. Grapevines and ivy are excellent choices for just about any area and these both can grow to be very thick and lush, hiding those otherwise drab links.
If you’re considering a chain link fence, ask your installer about slats to go through those links. Colorful slats give an otherwise drab fence a bit of personality and style and also offer a nice backdrop for landscaping. Those slats also provide more privacy in your yard than a plain chain link fence.
To spruce up plain and tall vinyl fences, invest in some hooks or appropriate hangers and screws and hang potted plants or outdoor artwork along the fence. Landscaping trees also break up the look of a long, dull fence and offer a nice complement to your landscaping features.
Consider a few bonus tips for choosing the best residential fencing material and style for your home. One vital consideration is your home’s style as well as any outdoor patio, deck, flower garden, and other such features, as you want a fence that coordinates and complements these details! A traditional wood fence might seem out of place outside a modern home, and might mean too much wood in a yard with a wood deck. Choose a glass or mesh fence for a modern style, a vinyl fence for homes with a wood deck, and a wood fence for a traditional brick home with a stone patio.
Flower colors are also an important consideration as you want a fence to provide a nice background for your landscaping. If you have white rose bushes, as an example, avoid a plain white fence! A darkly painted wood fence allows those white flowers to pop, while a white vinyl or wood fence is a better choice behind red or purple flowers.
If you prefer some privacy from neighbors, invest in a solid panel wood or vinyl fence, or a mesh fence with very small mesh. If you live in an area with wildlife nearby, reconsider a glass fence as it’s not unusual for deer and other animals to run into them, not realizing there’s a fence around your property! Not only might your fence cause injuries but you might also need to clean paw prints, marks from animal noses, and other debris from your glass residential fencing material consistently throughout the year.