Selecting the right fence for you will depend on what you want the fence to do for you. Looking for privacy, need security, looking for decoration, need a fence to contain pets or children or just need a perimeter demarcation line?
You will often find that you need a combination of all of the above options rather than a simple direct selection. With this in mind, we can assess which common fences may be best for you.
If privacy is the key word in your selection, you’ll want something relatively tall, no gaps, durable yet cost effective. You will often find that wood fences will cover all of these bases for you. Initially, you’ll see a typical fence panel fence based on the most affordable price and easy installation and height options. Fence panel fences come in standard heights from 3 feet to 6 feet, and with a standard width, they are easy to install and maintain over time.
If security is your goal, you’ll look for a fence with height, structural strength, but a solid fascia may not be as critical. The best security can be achieved with a rigid mesh fencing system mounted on steel posts at heights of 6ft to 8ft, or alternatively, a steel palisade fence which can be purchased up to 3m in height.
The problem with steel fencing is that they are great for industrial or commercial situations, but can feel like a prison when used in a domestic context. If you’re looking for better home security, you’ll want the strongest, tallest wood fence you can get to conceal your property, prevent intruders from scaling the fence, and provide a solid boundary, such as a gated plank fence or otherwise. If you’re so concerned about privacy, then a chain-link fence can be built higher and is more difficult to climb than a wooden fence. A closed board fence will be more expensive than a fence panel fence, but being mounted on heavier section posts and having more height options will offer a higher degree of security than fence panels.
If decor is your primary concern, then your options range from the least expensive: wood trellis fencing, picket fencing, decorative fence panels to many varieties of metal railing. Budget and appearance will be the main deciding factors, although generally the more you spend, the more durable the fence will be. The common factor with statement fences is that they generally have little privacy and security, but if used as internal dividers on your property they can be nice additions to the garden. Metal railing fencing can offer a degree of security without privacy and is often the best, but most expensive, option for perimeter fencing.
If it’s containment, for children or animals, you’re after, you have many options ranging from waist-high wooden rail fences lined with animal mesh to the safety fencing discussed above. Deciding how much and what type of containment you need will depend on your exact situation and what you are trying to contain. Containing a horse will require a fence with different characteristics than a child-containing fence!
If you are simply looking for a demarcation line for your property, the most economical starting point will be a simple chain link fence mounted on natural stakes a couple of inches in diameter at 10′ intervals with a line of wire strung between them. Farmers will often enhance such a demarcation line with a wire mesh fence (1m high) instead of the line wire, or for larger animals or more durable fencing they will opt for a wooden post and a fence. rail system approximately chest high and with either 3, 4 or 5 rails depending on your livestock (when raising sheep/pigs, this type of fence will also have the cattle mesh encased on the bottom section of the post and the rail for added containment). Choosing what style and type of fence you need will depend on your exact situation.