Most people do not have to choose a timber garden fence on a regular basis. Usually a timber garden fence gets replaced at the end of its life when it is falling down beyond repair, sometimes the weather can bring a fence down leading to replacement and at other times you might consider changing your garden fence if you are carrying out a large landscaping or building project on your home.
Clearly, these scenarios are not everyday occurrences so for householders, when the time does come to change the timber fencing on their property it can be difficult to know which timber fence design to opt for. What usually happens is that the householder goes for a like for like swap usually on the basis that the previous fence did fine and they don’t actually know of any other choices available.
Choosing a timber fence for the garden or your property can be simple when you factor in what you want the fence to achieve. Do you need security and privacy? Are you looking for a decorative effect? Do you need a painted or organic finish to the fence? Maybe you need a blend of all the options.
Most people want a timber fence that can supply an element of security and privacy. Whilst a steel fence provides optimum security, a timber fence can, if it is tall enough and flat faced without hand and foot holds provide a degree of security and often privacy. A good timber fence to opt for in these situations is a close board fence. They have a flat, closed fascia and can be erected to a height of three metres.
If your interest lies in the decorative appeal of the timber fence rather than security or privacy you will find many options available. Many decorative fences can also offer a level of privacy if required. For decorative fences you could opt for traditional picket fences that can be installed in heights from 3ft through to 6ft with round top, pointed stop or square top picket options. You could also choose whether or not to have the fence painted in a suitable color or left natural.
If picket is a little too traditional you could opt for trellis fencing. Trellis normally comes in standard panel widths and although offering little in way of privacy are good for climbing plants in borders or if you are looking to create a hedge over time. They also allow sunlight into the garden at most times of day so can be worth considering. Perhaps you consider trellis to light weight and open? Then you could opt for other decorative panels with closed fascias but with timbers aligned to form various patterns. These are very common in Europe as they are mass produced to standard sizes so are cheap and easy to replace in the event of damage.
Whichever option you go for you should give thought to budget, longevity of the fence and whether you want the option to paint the fence in the future. If budget and longevity is a prime consideration opt for a fence made from pressure treated sawn timber. This is rough cut carcassing quality timber that is treated for longevity and offers the cheapest and most durable option for fence timber. The downside is that because of treatment the fence cannot be painted and the rough finish of the timber is not the most delicate look or style. If budget and longevity is not as important as style a planed timber fence should be chosen. Picket fencing is often constructed from planed timber. This timber is more expensive due to the extra machining involved in preparation and the lack of treatment increases the likelihood of rot in wet conditions but the timber can be painted for protection and decoration.
Before choosing a style of timber fence consider which balance of security, privacy and decoration you need to achieve the best result, either way a timber garden fence should last a good ten years and can change your environment for the better if you choose wisely.
Find out more about garden fencing at Tom Bell’s site.
