What fence is right for you?

Privacy fence

The search for privacy is what inspires many homeowners to consider a fence. Privacy fences are tall, usually 6 feet or higher, with no gaps between boards.

When planning, check with your local government and homeowners association for rules and restrictions. For example, many cities limit fence height to 6 feet. Some allow fences no taller than 4 feet facing the street. In that case, you could build a tall privacy fence like this one in the backyard and a shorter, ornamental fence in front.

A basic wood privacy fence starts at around $10 to $35 per linear foot, installed, depending on costs in your area.

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Privacy fence (continued)

Privacy fences don't have to be plain. Even the choice of hardware contributes to a fence's aesthetics.

This 9-foot-tall fence uses two sizes of boards — 1-by-6-inch and 1-by-3-inch. The horizontal placement gives the fence its contemporary look.

Small gaps between slats sustain privacy yet allow some light in and offer a suggestion of the view from next door. The lumber is ironwood, or ipe, from Brazil; it is extremely hard and dense. A 6-foot fence like this one starts at around $85 per linear foot installed.

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Privacy fence (continued)

You can add privacy and curb appeal by installing a fence like this one. It combines a decorative vertical lattice on top with the height and solidity required for privacy. The stain, post caps and decorative horizontal framing enhance its good looks, and the sections are built at different heights.

Will adding a fence such as this one increase your property value? It depends on the fence and on your neighborhood.

Some homebuyers put a premium on fences and, depending on the cost, style and construction, may pay more so they can avoid the hassle of putting in a fence themselves, says John S. Brenan, spokesman for the Appraisal Foundation. But another buyer might dislike the fence and want to tear it down.

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Semiprivacy fence

One question to ask when planning your fence is what problem you are solving. You would not, for example, build this fence, with its spaced pickets, if you want total privacy. A "privacy" fence has no space between pickets; a "semiprivacy" fence like this one has 1- to 2-inch gaps between pickets.

This fence gets its simple good looks from stained posts, unfinished cedar slats and a horizontal top board. A border of large rocks along the bottom edge will keep animals from digging under the fence, and the gaps between pickets give it an open, neighborly feel.

Experts recommend discussing your fence plans with next-door neighbors. Some people dislike tall, solid privacy fences.

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Garden fence

When you plan a garden fence, study how to deter the common pests in your area.

This garden fence is attractive, but it won't keep out all pests. Beneke says that with burrowing pests such as rabbits, it's best to use a small-hole wire mesh with a pre-formed mesh "apron" underground.

For largest pests: Remember that deer can jump a 6-foot fence. A good deer fence is 7 or 8 feet high and uses black plastic mesh to deter deer.

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Garden fence (continued)

Portland, Ore., artist Jane Hart used playful ingenuity to makes this garden fence practical and beautiful. She embellished and framed weathered slats with stained and treated wood. The short fence inside the garden combines decorative panels made from new cedar with inexpensive wire mesh — "a design element requested by the family dog," Hart says.

For the front fence, she framed weathered, embellished slats with new cedar boards and treated posts.

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Bamboo fence

Bamboo's popularity is growing because it's farmed and harvested more quickly than lumber. Because harvesting bamboo means slower-growing forests are spared, bamboo is considered a "green" building product.

Bamboo is strong and durable, but it requires a protective coating to prevent it from turning black from exposure to light and moisture. The coating should be reapplied every five to seven years.

A 6-foot bamboo privacy fence costs at least $28 per linear foot, installed.

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Pool fence

Most building codes require swimming pools to be fenced for safety. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's guidelines for pool barriers is a good place to get the basics on pool security. Learn specific requirements in your community from your city or county building department.

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Magnetic gate

This magnetic pool gate locks automatically when the gate closes, a typical requirement for pool gates. The latch is at the top of the gate, rather than in the middle, to make it more difficult for children to reach.

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Vinyl picket fence

A picket fence has boards spaced 2.5 to 3 inches apart. Even a decorative fence like this one can help keep your house secure because intruders may think twice before stepping over a boundary, says Chris McGoey, a Los Angeles-based security consultant.

Here, the classic American picket fence has a twist: It's made of vinyl. Vinyl is not the best choice for a fence that must endure abuse, because it's not as strong as wood. But prefabricated vinyl fences have many pluses: They are easy to assemble, they come with strong warranties and they require no maintenance beyond the occasional scrubbing. A short front-yard fence like this one can be combined with a taller privacy fence in the back of a property.

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Wrought-iron fence

Wrought iron is strong and attractive. In the hands of skilled craftspeople, it can be formed into elaborately embellished, custom-built fences and gates. It also can be perfect choice for restoring a historical home.

But wrought iron is not mass-produced and requires a lot of labor, which makes it expensive. Costs for a simple, hand-crafted, 6-foot-tall wrought-iron fence start at about $37 to $45 per linear foot, installed.

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Wattle fence

If you have the time and ingenuity, a fence project can be a means of expressing your creativity.

A traditional wattle fence is made by weaving green saplings through posts driven into the ground at intervals.

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Handmade fence

Performing even some labor on your fence helps cut costs, as does the use of salvaged or found materials. This post-and-rail fence uses twigs for pickets.

Building your own fence lets you use your imagination and creativity. But homeowners should understand that a fence is a big project. Think through the planning and get help if the project is more than your time or skills allow.

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Handmade fence (continued)

Artist Jane Hart uses a scroll saw and salvaged, old-growth cedar fence boards to create one-of-a-kind fences, gates, garden panels and retreats for neighbors and clients in Portland. She rescues cedar fence slats, scrubs years of accumulated dirt from them and trims away any rotten wood.

"I'm happy anytime I can keep from buying a new board," Hart says.

She starts a fence by sketching designs on paper. She copies the chosen design onto the scrubbed boards and cuts around the pencil lines. Hart's husband, David Meyer, assembles and installs the structures.

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Handmade fence (continued)

Hart says she finds inspiration for everywhere, from gardens and animals to Celtic art. Here, snow frosts a winged horse galloping in a forest.

When Hart was growing up, her mother decorated the family home with her own cutout work on wooden railings and porch trim, she says. Hart has expanded the family passion by collecting ideas from decorative wooden cutouts on fences and farmhouses of Romania, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

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Maintaining your fence

Maintenance is one of the most important things to take into account when selecting fencing materials. Wood is popular because it's attractive, durable and relatively inexpensive. But it must be repainted or stained every few years or sooner, depending where you live. Prefabricated fence products made of metal or vinyl require little or no maintenance and often come with long warranties.

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Maintaining your fence (continued)

Higher-end prefabricated steel fences usually have a no-maintenance, 20-year warranty if installed 10 miles or more inland from saltwater.

Not sure what kind of fence to build? The best source of ideas for your fence is a drive around your neighborhood, Beneke says. You'll be able to envision which styles, materials and proportions work best for homes and lots like yours.

If you're looking for a builder, Beneke says, "Knock on the door and ask, 'Who built this fence?'"

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