Installing a fence, of one sort or another, is one of the basic urges of homeownership. It doesn't matter whether you live in a detached or semi-detached home, a townhouse, or a historic urban rowhouse. We all naturally crave the pleasure, privacy and increased security that comes from establishing borders, boundaries and visual barriers.
Fences come in every imaginable form. And, each form has its purpose.
- Hedges, house-high or diminutive, are living fences.
- Some fences are nothing more than trellises to support climbing plants.
- A stone wall, or stucco-covered concrete blocks, are both forms of fences.
- Some fences, such as those made in Huckleberry Finn's day from painted pickets, or cast iron, are designed to capture a particular architectural period.
- Some fence styles are constructed from regionally available materials, such as grape stems or bamboo.
- Some fences are required for safety reasons - around swimming pools, for example - or to contain pets or livestock.
- And, some fences are for purely aesthetic purposes, designed to create distinct outdoor spaces or to control lines of sight.
Fences Improve Property Values, Too
In addition to enhancing the enjoyment and use of your property, an attractive fence is also a surefire way to add luster to your home's value and curb appeal. So, look around. Jot down some thoughts. Be sure to include the notion of fencing when you begin to plan for home improvements. Mention your interest in fencing to your architect or design consultant.
Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
- Tired of looking out your kitchen window every day at the clutter of bicycles and vehicles in your neighbor's driveway? A trellis fence or evergreen hedge could be the answer.
- How about a tiny fenced-in tree or rock that's only visible from the new whirlpool tub?
- Why NOT reclaim the front yard as a private, landscaped haven?
- Maybe you and your neighbors could share parts of the expense of installing a property line fence that would be beneficial to everyone.
- Is your parking area a little too far from the house to feel totally secure coming home after dark? Consider putting in a fenced walkway with a gate.
- Have a budding mural artist in the house? Solid fencing makes a great canvas.
- Planning to have an outdoor kitchen area added? Be sure to include fencing that creates privacy from the main house, (AND from the neighbors' second floor windows), plus - offers some protection from the weather.
- The closer the residences are in your neighborhood, the more you'll appreciate fencing.
- A deck's usefulness will reliably benefit from a fence edge above eye level instead of an open rail that practically touches the neighbor's deck.
- Keep in mind that some homeowner associations or jurisdictions set height or style restrictions on fences. It's best to find out what rules apply in your situation before making changes. Associations tend to take their architectural standards very seriously.
If you're worried how the neighbors will react if you decide to blot them out of your visual universe - don't. Installing a good-looking fence is never a nose-thumbing insult to the neighbors. Neighbors, after all, have been chatting over the proverbial "back-fence" for a long time. It's neighborly, though, to casually bring up the subject before erecting the structure...if, for no other reason, than to discuss and confirm the property line. Compliments of ORT.
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