One of the first things I wanted to tackle when I bought my new home was the fence. It was old, leaning, and missing boards. It certainly was not up to the task of keeping the dogs in our back garden. I wanted a new fence which provided privacy, strength to keep the dogs contained, and was maintenance free. This blog is all about fences. I plan to write about the different types, how to maintain them, and how to choose the perfect fence for your situation. From steel to bamboo, privacy to animal containment, there is a lot to know about the different fences available to you.
A great front fence will show off your house in its best light and help generate kerb appeal. You will have a lot of fence styles to choose from. Before you start planning, however, check with your council to see if a permit is required. Here are several other considerations.
Choosing a Style
You will need to choose a style for the front fence that complements the house's architecture. Modern fence styles include slat barriers, consisting of horizontal strips of aluminium. These fences have straight lines and no embellishments, so they appear clean and contemporary.
Another alternative is a picket fence. These suit a range of homes; they often grace period properties. The top of a picket fence line can be straight, arched, or finished with a top rail. A plain design with square-topped pickets can suit a modern house. If you have a Victorian cottage with ornate edging on the verandah, you can install pickets with decorated tips and set them with a curved fenceline to match the architecture.
Other popular styles include tubular metal fences. These, too, come in variations to suit diverse house styles. Some designs have a double top rail with a circle, creating a mid-century modern look. A loop-top fence has rails that bend over; they don't feature pointy tips. A fencing services company can advise you on what styles match your property.
Picking a Colour
Another consideration is the fence's colour, which should relate to the house so the kerb view feels cohesive. The fence could echo the colour of the window trim, gutters, or front door.
Some fence styles are a uniform colour, but others often feature two colours. For example, picket fences can have posts of one colour and pickets of another. Both hues are often related to the house; one may echo the siding and the other the window trim. Slat and tubular metal fences, on the other hand, are usually a uniform colour. This adds to their simplicity and elegance.
Selecting a Material
While each of these fence styles commonly uses one material over another, you do have options. Picket fences were traditionally made from treated timber, but they are now manufactured from PVC and aluminium as well. Both of these materials require less maintenance than timber.
Wooden fences need to be repainted once the old paint starts to flake. On the other hand, vinyl and aluminium are both almost maintenance-free. The colour of PVC extends through the material, so it doesn't chip.
Slat fences often use aluminium. Because the finish is often powder-coated, the paint melds firmly to the slats and doesn't tend to flake. Tubular fence styles can use aluminium or steel. Steel is typically stronger, which is why these fences are often used in schools and other public places.
To learn more, contact local fencing services.
Share31 May 2023
