If your house has a garden, then it probably has a fence too. Many homeowners overlook the importance of their yard’s fence, seeing it more as a burden than something that’s positive. A fence keeps intruders, pests, and blown debris out of your yard, in addition to making your yard a much more private place. Some would argue that a fence is the most important feature in a backyard. Whether you agree with this or not, you likely still understand the importance of fencing, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this.
This post will offer a comprehensive guide for choosing the right fencing option for your house:
Fence Material
What kind of material do you want your home’s fencing to be made out of? According to the folks from gates-scotland.co.uk, you have a choice of composite, steel, aluminium, and timber. The type of material that you select should reflect your property’s design and also security. Metal fences are a lot more secure than wooden ones because wooden ones can be kicked over. If security isn’t a concern, then a wooden fence looks prettier and is, therefore, a better option, purely for the sake of aesthetics.
Location
Something that you need to think about is your fence’s location. Do you want it located at the front or the back of your property? If you have a very large garden that borders woodland, then you might not want to have a fence at the back, because your garden extends out and is inaccessible anyway. If your house looks out onto the main road, then a fence at the front of your property could give you more privacy. You can of course install a fence at the front and at the back of your property, but that could turn out to be very expensive.
Automated Gate
If you are going to add fencing to the front of your property, then do you also want to install an automated gate? An automated gate is a gate that opens electronically when it detects your license plate. You can also install an electronic gate, which will open if you enter a code, or open it using a device on your phone. You can also, of course, purchase a traditional gate, which is locked and unlocked by hand.
Fence Height
How high do you want your property’s fence to be? In the United States, it is common for fencing to be around knee-high. In the United Kingdom, on the other hand, it is more common for fences to be very tall, so that people can’t look into each other’s gardens. The main reason for this is that properties tend to be larger and more private in the United States, so people are less likely to be able to look over into other people’s gardens, whereas in the U.K. everybody basically lives on top of each other.
Security Measures
Do you want any additional security measures? If you are installing a fence purely for security reasons, then additional security measures are a good investment. An example of an additional security measure is barbed wire topping your fence, or shards of glass glued to the fence’s top. If you are going to put down shards of glass, then it is a good idea to invest in imitation shards, so that any cats or animals that end up on top of your fence don’t hurt themselves. The presence of shards of any kind will deter would-be intruders from trying to scale your home’s fence.
Planning Requirements
Depending on the type of fencing that you are putting down (and whether or not there will be an accompanying gate), you may need to get planning permission. If you do need planning permission, then you will also need a surveyor to visit your home and draw up a blueprint, which can then be submitted to your local council or government body. With that said, it is very unlikely that you will need planning permission to erect a fence around your property’s boundary. It’s only likely if you are intending on building something bigger, like a wall, or if you will be installing a very large gate.
Professional Installation
You need to make sure that your fence is professionally installed, regardless of where you get your fence from and what it looks like. A fence is only as good as its installation, as they say. If you invest in a high-quality fence, and it’s not installed properly, then it will fall down, or won’t grant protection or privacy. It is a bad idea to try and install your home’s fencing yourself. A lot of homeowners try to do this and end up making mistakes. Make sure that professionals handle your fence’s installation.
Complimentary Installation
The installation of a fence can be very expensive if you hire an independent contractor to do it for you. Buying fencing can also be very expensive. You may be able to get your fence installed for free if you reach out to the fence’s manufacturer and ask them to install it for you. If you are spending over a certain amount of money, then it is very likely that they will do this for you. The complimentary installation of your home’s fencing will allow you to save yourself a lot of time and money.
Lastly, make sure that you work out a budget before you go ahead and start investing in fencing. If you do not have a lot of money, then you will need to choose a cheap fencing option. There are lots of fences available to purchase online, some more expensive than others. Keeping costs down will allow you to save money, which considering everything that’s going on in terms of cost of living and food shortages at the moment, isn’t a bad thing. The more money you save, the more you have freed up to purchase food, fuel, or just to put into a savings account.
Most people have fences around their houses. If you want to install a fence around yours, then there are a few things that you need to think about. Taking the time to do your research and working out exactly what you need before buying a fence will help you to make a better decision and get the most for your money.
