Do you want a way to keep children and pets safe while outside? Are you looking for a little extra privacy in your yard?
Surrounding your backyard with a new fence is a great way to add safety, privacy, and style. Whether you live in an urban or rural setting, you’ll find many houses that have stylish fences surrounding their yards. You’ll see a range of styles serving purely aesthetic purposes to keeping pets in the yard.
Image by Nicole Köhler
With so many unique options, how can you pick the best type of fence for your home?
Fortunately, finding the right fence for your home is much easier than it sounds. There are several aspects to a fence you need to consider, such as its purpose and the material. Knowing why you need a fence will make selecting the right one a much easier process.
Do you want to learn how to choose the best type of fence for your backyard? Then check out this handy guide on what you need to know about fences!
House Style
Nothing is as big of an eyesore as a house with a mismatched fence.
Before you start installing a fence, you must consider is the style and color of your home. You’ll want to find the best type of fence that matches or complements your house’s exterior color.
Imagine you have a dark modern looking home. Surrounding the house with a classic white picket fence would look terrible. Surrounding the home with a dark fence with colors matching the home would fit much better.
Vintage houses with a classic architectural design will look best with ornamental or brick fences. Contemporary homes look better with vinyl or wood fences offering privacy.
This will ensure good curb appeal and make your home the envy of the neighborhood. A quality fence that looks great will also increase the resale value of your home.
The Purpose of the Fence
Why do you want or need a fence? The purpose of the fence plays a major role in determining the type of fence you need.
Do you need a fence that offers plenty of privacy? You’ll want to avoid chainlink or wooden split rail wouldn’t work. Focus your time looking at privacy fences that are taller and don’t allow anyone to see through them.
Perhaps you’re looking for a fence to mark a boundary or accent your home. Shorter artistic fence options are worth checking into.
Fence Maintenance
Over time, fences will require some maintenance to keep looking good and function properly. Some fenced require more maintenance than others. Now you must ask yourself how much time and money do you want to spend maintaining a fence?
The fencing material ultimately determines the amount of maintenance it will need.
Wooden fences require the most care. Every one to two years, a wooden fence will need re-staining or a fresh coat of paint. Since they’re made of organic material, they’re susceptible to termites and other damage.
Aluminum and vinyl fences require the least amount of care. The material is resilient and hard to stain. They usually only need maintenance when a storm or another object damages them.
The drawback to aluminum and vinyl is they can be challenging to fix and repair. If the fence manufacturer no longer exists, you may need to replace the entire fence with something else. Conversely, wood is easier to repair and replace, even when the manufacturer no longer exists.
The Fence Material
There are many great fencing materials available but some will fit your needs better than others. Your budget and the amount of maintenance you’re comfortable doing will ultimately decide the best fencing material for your home.
Wood
Wood fences offer a timeless look to any home. Fence builders can manufacture wood fences in a variety of styles, sizes, and shapes to match any style. You can leave the natural wood texture visible or paint them a color that better matches your home.
As mentioned, wood fences require more maintenance but are often a more affordable fencing option.
Vinyl
Vinyl, sometimes referred to as plastic, is a popular fencing choice due to its minimal maintenance. There’s an endless selection of styles, colors, and sizes of vinyl fences.
You can find unique privacy fences such as the SimTek fence that resemble stone and other materials. You can read more now to learn about this unique fence!
Vinyl fences are hollow, making them susceptible to cracks and breaks when there’s too much pressure. Vinyl fencing is one of the most expensive fencing options on this list.
Composite
Another plastic-based fence often referred to as engineered wood, is the composite fence. This type of fence mimics the classic look and feel of wood with the advantage of little to no maintenance.
Due to these advantages, composite fencing is more expensive than vinyl. Fence installation is a more challenging process with composite and best left to the professionals.
Ornamental
Ornamental fences can consist of wrought iron, cast iron, galvanized steel, or aluminum. The iron and steel options can last for hundreds of years. These fences are incredibly strong and are customizable to fit any style, size, or shape. This fence type is low maintenance and often a cost-effective option.
Most ornamental and cast-iron fences don’t offer privacy and are best for decorative use.
Chain Link
Chain link fences aren’t the most attractive but they’re easy to maintain, durable, and affordable. These fences are great for keeping children and pets safe in the yard and are recyclable, making them environmentally-friendly.
Chainlink fences don’t offer any privacy and have a very utilitarian look that many find unattractive.
Your Budget
The final item that will help you decide on the best type of fence to choose is your budget. You’ll need to plan for the fence material, amount of fencing, and fencing installation.
You can save money by choosing a more affordable material, like wood or chainlink, and installing the new fence yourself.
Select the Best Type of Fence For Your Home
There are many great fencing options available. You’ll find stunning styles and colors to fit any home on any budget. By following this guide, you’re sure to find the best type of fence for your home and yard.
Want to learn more great tips to improve your home? Check out my latest Project articles to find more inspiration and tips for improving your home!
