Home Tips for Women

  • Home
  • Saving $$$
    • Buying a House
    • Homeowner Finances
    • Bills, Budget & Saving $
    • Selling Your Home
    • Smart Homes
    • Homeowner Checklists
    • Contractors Tips
    • Housing Industry News
  • Home Repairs & More
    • DIY Home Tips & Tools
      • Hand & Power Tools
      • Homeowner Books
      • Building Products
    • Home Options
      • Appliances
      • Doors
      • Electrical & Plumbing
      • Fireplaces
      • Flooring
      • Heating & Cooling
      • Home Lighting
      • Roofing & Siding
      • Windows
    • Wood Rot Repairs
  • Dream Home
    • Design & Decor
    • Remodeling Your Home
      • Kitchens & Dining Rooms
      • Bathrooms
      • Attics & Basements
      • Bedrooms & Closets
      • Family & Living Rooms
      • Garages & Sheds
      • Home Offices
      • Laundry & Mud Rooms
      • Outdoor Living Spaces
    • Building a House
    • Lifestyle at Home
    • An Organized House
      • Organizing Gadgets
    • Homeowner Stories
  • More
    • Contact Us
    • Glossary
    • Share a Homeowner Story
    • Contribute Articles

Fencing For Privacy, Safety or Curb Appeal?

by Tina Gleisner, in Curb Appeal Ideas, Gardening & Landscaping, Outdoor Living Spaces

planting perennials along your fence can help keep the weeds down.

Mark Twain said “Good fences make good neighbors.” This is especially true when there's not a lot of space between houses, and fencing for privacy helps define your space.

Fencing is an integral part of the American landscape with more than 72,000 miles of fencing sold in the United States each year (New York Times on Fences). Fences are part of our history, where cattle herds needed to be kept in their pastures and farmers used fences to stake a claim on their land and other resources.

Do you have a fence somewhere in your yard? Maybe you're still trying to decide what type of fence you want or where to place it? Homeowners, unless there is a critical requirement like a pool or puppy that requires a fence, will think about adding a fence for a long time.

There are many reasons for adding a fence somewhere in your yard. It's not a simple decision as you've got to decide where the fence should sit, what type of fencing material to use, how high the fence should be and where the fence gates should be placed. Before you contact a fencing company, you should decide what your priorities are for a fence because this will narrow your choices. For example, if fencing for privacy you'll need a taller fence, made of a solid material that people can't see through.

sometimes good neighbor fencing is more about landscaping for curb appeal without blocking views

HomeTipsforWomen.com may received compensation when you click to a brand site & make a purchase

Fencing for Privacy

There are many different types of privacy fences and the function of the fence is where you want to start your planning. If there's not much space between your home and your neighbor's house, you might put up a fence to define your space. Sometimes a house on a busy road warrants a fence to block some of the noise and provide a better view.

With bigger yards, some homeowners want to create multiple living spaces so privacy fencing can help you separate family space like your cooking and eating nook, from a quiet, reading haven with a beautiful view. Privacy fencing might simply be functional when used to hide tools and equipment for yard work or storage like trash cans.

Privacy fencing can be built from wood, vinyl or often when it's bordering the property line, it can be shrubs like evergreen trees, cypress and slightly shorter, needle point holly or little gem magnolias. Privacy fencing is anything that fully blocks the view. But not anything above the fence, like that basketball hoop in the top left of the photo. Learn more on choosing styles.

fencing around an in ground pool is code

Fencing for Safety with Children, a Pool or Busy Road

One of the most common reasons to add a fence to your home is safety. If you have young children, and they're playing outdoors with limited  adult supervision, you'll feel more comfortable when there's a fence to keep them in the backyard. A fenced yard, or smaller dog run, reduces the time you have to spend letting pets outside and back into the house.

Pools require fencing so people don't accidentally fall and drown. There are strict requirements on the height of pool fences and also on the locking mechanisms to prevent unsupervised children from getting inside the pool area. Check with your town's building department to make sure you understand local code requirements (sample Pool and Spa Fencing Requirements for San Ramon, CA).

Landscaping with Arbors, Gates and Fencing

Fencing is also a popular feature when landscaping your yard. Many fences provide a complete enclosure which makes sense when you want this privacy. You can attach a fence to the house or garage, but there isn't always a need for this level of security.

Ornamental fences are used to highlight other landscape feature. You can use a fence to define the beginning of the driveway or draw a line that separates the lawn area of your yard, from the surrounding trees. Below are a few items you may consider when you are picking fencing for your home. My favorites are:

  • Dog window (below left) for your fencing which might also cut down on barking.
  • Green faux panels (below right) are also fascinating, especially if you don't have a green thumb.

Amagabeli Decorative Garden Fence 32 in x 20 ft Rustproof Green Iron Landscape Wire Folding Fencing Ornamental Panel Border Edge Section Edging Patio Fences Flower Bed Animal Barrier for Dog OutdoorDecorative Landscape Edging for Flower Beds or Animal Barrier Zippity Outdoor Products ZP19008 No-Dig Vinyl Outdoor Unassembled Screen Enclosure (2 Pack), 36No-Dig Vinyl Outdoor Screen Enclosure for Hiding ThingsAmagabeli Decorative Garden Fence 24in x 10ft Outdoor Rustproof Metal Landscape Wire Fencing Folding Wire Patio Fences Flower Bed Animal Dogs Barrier Border Edge Section Edging Decor Picket BlackDecorative Patio Fence
for Dogs and Flower Beds
PetPeek Fence Window for Pets by PetPeekPetPeek Fence Window
for Your Favorite Pet/Dog
Zippity Outdoor Products Manchester Semi-Permanent Vinyl Fence Kit (2 Pack), 42Semi-Permanent Vinyl Fence Kit to Try Things Out
Artiflr 2pack Artificial Boxwood Hedge Panels,UV Protected Faux Greenery Fence Panels Mats for Privacy Fence Patio,Greenery Walls Indoor Outdoor Decor,16Faux Greenery Fence Panels
for Use Outdoors & Inside Too

Want more fencing ideas and other tips to create your dream backyard? Here are our top picks …

  • Choose the Right Fence for Your Home
  • Fence Materials for Every Budget
  • An Extraordinary Picket Fence
  • 8 Ideas for Dog Friendly Backyards

More from my site

  • Picking Your Fence StylePicking Your Fence Style
  • 8 Ideas for Dog Friendly Backyards8 Ideas for Dog Friendly Backyards
  • Tops 10 Landscaping IdeasTops 10 Landscaping Ideas
  • Top 15 Landscape TrendsTop 15 Landscape Trends
  • Types of Landscaping for Curb AppealTypes of Landscaping for Curb Appeal
  • Creative Alternatives to Window ShuttersCreative Alternatives to Window Shutters

Tags: picket fence, pool fence, privacy fence

About Tina Gleisner

Tina helps women homeowners create homes they love, homes that support how we live today. Leveraging her experience owning 14 houses and running a handyman business, Tina offers a free Savvy Homeowner Report.

Comments

  1. Ridley Fitzgerald says

    April 10, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    Thanks for the tips for getting a good fence. We want some more privacy in our yard, so we definitely need a better fence than the little picket fence we have. Getting a wood one sounds like a great idea.

    Reply
  2. Courtney Galler says

    January 12, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    I appreciate all of your different reasons behind fences for a home. Since we’ve moved, I’ve been wanting to get a fence for my dog. He behaves well, but our new neighbors both have dogs that are easily excited, and a little bit rowdy. I think that if I got some fencing done, maybe install a couple of gates, our problems would be solved. Great article!
    http://morrisfencecompany.com/gallery

    Reply
  3. planning permits says

    September 20, 2011 at 11:00 am

    Exactly it’s not a simple decision as you’ve got to decide
    where the fence should sit, what type of fencing material to use. I am also so
    confuse in this and looking for solution. Your post really helpful for me. I did
    enjoy a lot to read your post. Thanks.
     

    planning permits

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. An Extraordinary Picket Fence - Home Tips for Women says:
    February 11, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    […] Fencing For Privacy, Safety or Curb Appeal? […]

    Reply
  2. What do you need to know before starting a fence project? « Hercules Fence says:
    November 20, 2013 at 11:31 am

    […] http://www.hometipsforwomen.com/fencing-for-privacy-safety-or-home-decor […]

    Reply
  3. Thanksgiving safety: How to keep the family pet safe with a privacy fence « Hercules Fence Washington DC Hercules Fence Washington DC says:
    November 12, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    […] http://www.hometipsforwomen.com/fencing-for-privacy-safety-or-home-decor […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

every homeowner needs home repair books to maintain their home & protect their investment

Articles for Homeowners

About Us

The name tells our story! We provide women homeowners with "how to" resources to manage their homes with confidence. We strive for homes that support how you want to live, while building equity for your future too.
 

Learn
Smart Decisions
Save Money!

Home Tips & Resources

  • Homeowner Books
  • Building Products
  • Hand & Power Tools
  • Checklists
  • Contractors Tips
  • Homeowner Stories
  • Housing Industry News
  • Glossary

Home Tips for Women

609 Portsmouth Ave, #426
Greenland, NH 03840

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy

Get Social With Hometips

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

©2019 Home Tips for Women. All rights reserved worldwide.