A fence keeps people or pets where they belong and also keeps strangers and wild or curious animals off of a property. Fencing might follow the entire property line, hem in a backyard, or just secure the area around a pool or vegetable garden. Fences are decorative and/or practical, often a bit of both. Here are some fence styles to consider as you prepare to have your own fence installed.
Chain Link
This is the least stylish and most commonly-seen type of fencing in the US. Chain link fences are secure and clearly state the boundary of a commercial or residential property. Chain link is mostly used for practical applications, not to achieve something attractive.
Wood Options
Wood is a relatively cheap fencing material but requires some maintenance and is more prone to damage and weathering than vinyl or metal. Depending on the grade of wood, it could crack or warp after successive heavy rainfalls or many days in the hot sun. Wood, however, is versatile and beautiful. The Dog Eared style is very popular: straight boards lined up without a cap and no gaps. A capped style with a parallel bottom feature is the Picture Frame style and a semi-private Shadow Box offers a small gap.
Metal
Aluminum and steel are very strong, almost maintenance-free. Tubes of metal form straight, uniform lines, scallops, or pyramids with pointed or ball tops. Posts are set at various distances from one another so they don’t provide complete privacy, but they are sturdy and simple. Metal won’t wear out during extreme weather and metal is favored for security purposes. An epoxy coating gives customers a wide range of color choices.
Wrought Iron
Numerous elegant, ornamental fence styles are created from wrought iron including Gothic. It has the antique look of something you might see on a late 19th or early 20th Century home in eastern America or on a modern English street. Because there’s little privacy offered by the gaps, wrought iron and other metal fences often stand at the end of a long drive with a gate of the same material featuring ornate iron work. Wrought iron will last decades without maintenance and comes in various powder-coated shades.
