To Fence or not to Fence Part 1 Choosing a Fence

Purchasing a fence for your home is just one of those things that most people don't really think about until it's time to do it. We see fences everyday, but they are just sort of there. Not a whole lot of thought goes into it.

So let's say you've bought a house, or you own a house and you want to fence in your backyard. Your first decision is the type of fence that you want to go with. There are quite a few choices out there. We'll take a look at the pros and cons of the more common ones.

First up, post and rail. There are a few variations on this style, but ultimately they all perform the same function. It doesn't really keep anything in or out, an animal is either going over or under it and a person can usually figure out how to get on the other side without the burden of using a gate. It usually just defines the borders of your property, which if you have a large property may be all that you really need.

Then we have chain link, the granddaddy of modern fence. It's quite simple. It's generally more of a function over form type of thing, most people I know don't say "oh what a beautiful chain link fence you have." There are a few different ways to go with this. You can go with an all galvanized system, or an all vinyl coated system or a combination of the two. The last version is probably the most economical as vinyl coated wire has less metal in it thusly making it cheaper than the galvanized wire, but galvanized pipe is cheaper than color coated. If you need to enclose your pool, ask for the 1-1/4" mesh. It is a little pricier, but unfortunately a necessary evil, unless you really like your installer and want pay him more money to come back and switch out the wire.

Next is the good old fashion picket fence. I have to admit, these just look so darned cute. Generally 4' high is the average height for this type of fence. This height is pretty good at keeping a small dog wrangled. If you want to keep a child in or people out you should ask about a reduced spacing. Generally if you are trying to meet a pool code, you probably want a reduced picket spacing variation. This smaller space prohibits little feet from getting in between the pickets making it harder to climb. If you are actually enclosing a pool, most town codes require at the very least, a reduced spacing. Do yourself a favor, if you are thinking about putting a fence around your pool, call your townhall and find out what they require in a fence. You don't want to find out after you spend $5000.00 on a fence that it has to be taken out.

After this we move onto privacy and semi privacy. Full privacy is typically less expensive than semi privacy. I know you're thinking, wait, why is it more when there is usually less material on semi privacy? Here's the deal, most manufacturers pop out full privacy like Mc Donalds makes hamburgers. It's the most common fence and generally the production of it is the most streamlined making it more economical to manufacture and thusly more economical for you to purchase. Both types are usually fine for that annoying little pool code. Stockade also falls into this category. It's cheap and provides a whole lot of privacy.

Ok... the million dollar question wood or vinyl? Three of the types of fences I've listed above are available in both. Obviously chain link is not one of them. Some people are just dead set against vinyl. That is a personal preference, but keep in mind vinyl is just easier to maintain. Wood rots. It is a natural product and as such has a much more limited life span than vinyl does. I would highly suggest using some kind of sealer on it. Also keep in mind, when wood dries if it dries quickly, in the sun for example it will most likely warp. If you have a privacy fence there is a good chance that when it dries the pickets will contract and form gaps. There is nothing your installer or the manufacturer can do. You can call, but I know you will not get anywhere with it, except really frustrate the heck out of your installer. Vinyl on the other hand is pretty much maintenance free. I will admit it doesn't have the same classic appeal as wood, but you really don't have to do much in the way of maintaining it except clean it every once in a while. And since most vinyl styles are modeled after wood styles you can still get a similar look.

I hope this helps answer some basic questions. My next post will be on how to choose your vinyl fence.