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From Fences to Gardens: Decisions in Outdoor Home Design

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There are a number of factors involved in deciding what type of fencing is best for your yard. You will want to consider the basic purpose of the fence, the material it is made of, maintenance issues, how its design relates to your home and possibly to the neighborhood.

Best Fencing Options

What’s The Purpose of Your Fence?

If your main purpose of fencing in your yard is to keep your pets in, your neighbors’ pets out, or to provide an enclosed area for children to play, a chain link fence may be sufficient. However, if you want to make a fence a part of your exterior design for both function and aesthetics, you’ll probably want fencing material that is more attractive than chain link.

Wood, vinyl, aluminum and wrought iron are fencing materials that can improve the curb appeal of your home and provide you with an opportunity to make your fence a decorative part of your landscape design. You can use some of these material options for the purpose of creating privacy around a pool, patio, your entire yard or to block an unattractive view. You can also determine whether you want a full-privacy fence, or partial-privacy fence surrounding your home.

Fence Material & Maintenance

Wood fences are available in various styles. For cohesiveness in your exterior decor, you will want to choose a wood fence design that complements the exterior design of your home. Wood fences are ideal for making your lawn or a specific area of your lawn a private oasis. They do require regular maintenance such as sealing or repainting. The best wood out there for outdoor fencing is Western Red Cedar, which withstands all kinds of weather, and does not warp over time. You can choose between many different design in wood fencing, such as shadow-boxing, horizontal panels, picket fencing and more.

Vinyl Fencing Options

Vinyl fencing is more expensive than some of your other fencing options. On the positive side, they are maintenance free, available in many styles and can last as much as fifty years. Vinyl fencing is available in neutral color options that will complement the exterior of most homes.

Composite Fencing

Composite fencing is an environmentally friendly material option. It is durable, low maintenance, resembles wood fencing and ideal for anyone wanting to use green products in and around their home. It is a relatively new material option and is more expensive than some of the other material choices.

Custom Wrought Iron Fencing

Wrought iron or decorative metal fencing has long been a popular choice for garden and lawns where an attractive design is a major requirement. Powder coating makes these fences a durable option for numerous outdoor designs. Along with selecting the most appropriate style of wrought iron fence, you have the opportunity to select an impressive, decorative gate to make your lawn, garden and home more secure and private.

Incorporating Fencing Into Your Outdoor Design

For aesthetic purposes, you will want to consider how the fencing you add to your landscape will look in relation to other homes in your area. You don’t have to select fencing that is identical to your neighbors, just a material type that blends well with the over all appearance of the neighborhood. There should also be a balance between the impressiveness of your fence and the style of home you have. Fencing can be used to enclose an entire yard or to enclose a garden space, a pool area or a patio living space. Fencing is a wonderful way to enhance the curb appeal of your home, add privacy to your yard and provide some extra security for your home and family.

Viking Fence is a custom fencing business, with offices located in Dallas and Austin, Texas. Viking is the only fence company with it’s personal cedar fencing wood mill at the factory, giving you the highest quality wood fencing you can find. From custom wrought iron fencing to temporary fence rentals, your fencing needs are covered.

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Kendall Everett

Tuesday 23rd of August 2016

I love the idea of using a wrought iron fence to help my property stand out. As you mentioned, a decorative gate to go with the fence would be a great way to add visual interest as well as protect the home. It would be beneficial to choose a style of fence that matches the style of your home as to increase the value of your home.

Petunia Evans

Tuesday 26th of April 2016

I never considered much about thinking about the purpose my fence will serve. I think I'd like to go for a wooden fence look, as I like the look they have. However, I like the sound of having the same look with composite fencing!