Fences Buying Guide

Fences can serve a variety of purposes. They may serve to screen strangers from seeing inside, or to block an unpleasant view from those inside. They may provide an effective barrier to prevent people and animals from entering the yard - or to keep pets and livestock in the yard. They may provide a more symbolic barrier that is easily crossed, but delineates a space. Some fences are designed to be invisible to everyone except the animals that they affect. Fences may be purely functional, purely decorative, or a mixture of both.

What type of fence you buy depends on several factors. Most important is the question of what purpose your fence needs to serve. A beautiful fence that doesn't keep the dog in the yard may be a poor investment if that's part of what it is needed for! Most decorative fences are available in a wide range of styles and materials, and some may easily serve practical purposes as well. For more difficult practical applications, however, some people find the trade-off between appearance and functionality to be worthwhile.

While practicality may be a big concern, many homeowners are simply looking for a fence or fencing features that will contribute style and beauty to their homes and yards. In this situation, form is far more important than function, and the questions of style, color and material are more essential. Personal taste and style are considerations for any choice of fencing, and doubly so if decoration is the primary function

Finally, budget is an important consideration whether buying for look or practicality. Prices can vary greatly depending on the size, material, and purpose of the fence. Highly decorative fences, for instance, can be much more expensive than the simple cost of the materials. Some types of fence will require professional installation, which can also add to the cost. Prices are generally quoted in terms of length, so it is essential to know what area needs to be fenced, and how many feet of fencing are needed. In general, solid fences that are sold in sections will cost anywhere from a few dollars per foot to over $100 per foot. Non-decorative fencing material such as vinyl or wire mesh that can be purchased in rolls will often cost less than $1 per foot.

Arbors, Pergolas, Trellises and Accent Fences

Arbors, pergolas, trellises and accent fences are all primarily decorative options that can be used to good effect in gardening and landscaping projects. These attractive pieces may be made of a variety of woods, metal, and even low-maintenance vinyl.

An arbor is generally a light lattice or open-work structure made out of wood or metal. They commonly take the form of an arch, and may be used to create a shady sitting area or beautiful gateway. The structure of the arbor is decorative but also provides a frame for climbing plants such as ivy, roses or grapes to be grown over. As part of a garden or perimeter fence, the arbor can be an open arch or may be fitted with a gate matching the arbor and the rest of the fence. Either way, it can provide an attractive and stylish entryway.

Pergolas are similar to arbors. Rather than an archway, however, they are built with strong supporting posts and heavy beams to form the top. Because of the extra strength, some pergolas can also support the weight of hanging plants in addition to or instead of typical climbing plants. Like arbors, they often incorporate a trellis to support and encourage the spread of climbing plants. They can also be used to shade a seat or form a stylish gateway through a fence, and pergolas can often be found providing shade and beauty over garden walkways.

A trellis is an open patterned structure, generally of wood or metal. The open lattice structure allows climbing plants to wind around and up along the pattern, forming a living wall of great beauty. Some of the plants that are grown this way include decorative plants like roses and ivy, and also beautiful food bearing plants such as grapes and peas. Lattices may form part of an arbor or pergola, the panels of a fence, or a stand alone accent piece.

Accent fences typically form a stand-alone corner that frames and provides some protection to a flower bed or other landscaping feature. They may be made from any style of fencing, although the picket fence style is very popular. The accent fence provides a backdrop to draw attention to the flowers or other features, and because the fence blocks two sides of the area, it can be used to provide a wind break or to give additional shade to delicate flowers.

Roll-on Fences Roll on fencing provides an easy and relatively inexpensive way of changing or updating the look of existing fencing. It is available in a variety of materials, including reed, thatch, bamboo and willow. These materials are bound into flat mats that are easily clipped, nailed or even glued onto almost any style of fence. They provide full coverage, and are ideal for privacy screens, although they can also easily be cut to shorter heights.

Garden Fences Garden fences are often decorative, although they may also serve the purpose of keeping animals out of the garden - and reminding people not to step on the plants! This type of fence is generally between 2 and 4 feet high, and may include a trellis style openwork. In addition to gardens, these fences can be used for bordering lawns, driveways, or swimming pools.

Border Fences Border fences are typically decorative and between one and two feet high. They are often used to line driveways or walkways, although they are also well suited to bordering gardens if there is no need for the border fence to keep animals such as rabbits out. Picket style fencing is also often used for yard and garden borders or accents, and the pickets are often well spaced to provide a clear view of flowering plants.

Rail Fences

Metal rail fences are a familiar feature of front steps and city walkways. While utilitarian, their simple and clean lines can be very appealing. For those who like the style, this type of fence can be very appropriate for bordering yards or as a safety feature on raised patios.

Deer Fences

Deer can cause massive destruction to gardens and trees, so many homeowners in areas with deer face the difficult problem of keeping them out. Because of their size and agility, most normal fences are no barrier to deer. Deer fencing is an elegant and relatively unobtrusive solution to the problem.

Modern deer fences are made from polypropylene mesh, generally in a dark green or black color. It may not look like much in the package, but when set up with supporting poles, the mesh stretches out to cover a 100 foot length and 7 feet high. The height deters deer from jumping over, and the polypropylene mesh is strong enough to prevent deer or other animals from simply pushing through. Some homeowners even use these deer fences to keep their large dogs from straying out of the yard. The mesh construction of this fencing is also fairly unobtrusive. Like netting, the mesh is an effective barrier to movement while allowing homeowners to continue enjoying the view.

Snow Fences

Like deer fences, snow fences can be made of heavy duty plastic mesh. For snow fences, however, the mesh has smaller holes and wider strips of plastic. They also tend to be very brightly colored for easy visibility. Colors such as safety orange and neon yellow are common. As the name implies, these fences can be used to cut down on snow drifting, but they are also used in a variety of other applications. Many ski areas use this type of fence to mark the edges of trails to keep skiers on course, and homeowners may use them to clearly mark the edges of driveways for wintertime access. Because of the bright color, snow fences are also ideal for use as safety fences at any time of year.

Poultry Fences

Poultry fencing has traditionally been made out of wire mesh, which was easily shaped and posted to confine chicken runs or garden areas. This wire mesh is also a familiar supply in many craft applications such as modeling and papier mache.

More recently, poultry fencing made of plastic mesh has begun to replace wire mesh as the fencing of choice. The plastic mesh is just as effective at keeping chickens corralled or bordering a garden area, but it has several advantages over traditional chicken wire. The plastic mesh is easily cut with a utility knife or heavy duty scissors, and the edges are soft enough that they will not cut or poke unlucky hands. The plastic is UV stabilized so that there is no danger of it degrading in outdoor applications. Common colors are black, dark green and gray.

Electric Fences

Electric fences are generally used to keep livestock such as horses within a large area like a pasture. The fence consists of posts planted around the border of the area and a conductive wire strung from post to post. The wire forms a closed circuit when connected at both ends to a power box, which sends an electrical current running through the wire. The wire may be mounted at almost any height on the poles, and there is also the option of mounting two wires at different levels. When the horse or other animals brush against the wire, they get an electrical shock. Because the shock is unpleasant, animals soon learn to stay within their space without touching the fence. The level of electricity running through the wire is high enough to be uncomfortable without injuring the animal or causing serious pain.

The biggest advantage of electric fences is that they are relatively inexpensive to purchase and install, although operating costs should be considered before choosing what kind of fence to install. Repairs are also inexpensive and easy, although replacing the wire will involve running the whole length again rather than the sort of spot repairs that are done on traditional wood fences. More traditional wood pasture fences can be much more expensive in terms of both material cost and installation, particularly for very large areas.

There are also some important disadvantages to electric fences to consider. The shock from the fence is a deterrent to animals leaving the area, but the wire itself is not necessarily strong enough to physically stop a determined or frightened animal from breaking through. Also, if one section of the fence is broken, such as by falling trees, the entire fence stops working until it is repaired.

Wireless Fences

Wireless fences are a variation on the concept of the electric fence. In this circumstance, a wire is buried along the perimeter of the area to be fenced, and flags are planted in the ground to mark where it lies. The wire is hooked up to a control unit which turns it into a transmitter with a range of a few feet. The pet or pets that are to be confined are then fitted with special collars that contain a receiver and a battery capable of delivering an uncomfortable, but not dangerous, shock. When the pet goes within a few feet of the wire, the collar delivers a shock to deter them from continuing through the barrier.

The most important key to using a wireless fence and having it work is consistent training. Pets must be trained consistently and patiently to understand where the border is and that they are supposed to stay within it. Rather than being a physical barrier, the wireless fence is a tool to be used in training pets to stay within the yard or other area. Without consistent training and reinforcement, pets can inadvertently run through the barrier and then be unwilling to come back through because of the shock! If this happens, they can also learn that the shock is just a temporary inconvenience, since the collar will not activate unless it's within a certain distance of the buried wire.

Wireless fences can be incredibly effective as a training tool, but without a commitment to training on the part of the owner they will be ineffective. Be sure that you are ready to spend the necessary time for training before investing in this type of fence. Physical barriers can be more expensive to purchase and install, but require less commitment to training to be effective. Which type of fence is better will depend on the personalities and individual situations of both pets and owners.

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