Aside from deciding what home to purchase, one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make about your home is whether or not installing a fence is right for you. Some people enjoy having an open perimeter that doesn’t block the view of the land around them; others need that strong perimeter to create a boundary to ether keep children and pets safe inside the yard or to keep intruders from using their yard as a passageway to another area.  Some find installing a fence helpful because they want an established boundary of their property that creates some privacy—especially when they live close to their neighbors.

Looking for residential fence options for your home? Based on what your needs might be, here are some helpful suggestions to consider before choosing and installing a fence. 

Choosing and Installing a Fence for Your Children and Pets

Family—whether it’s children or four-legged furry creatures—continues to be one of the predominant reasons for installing a fence.  We want our children to play outside (trust me, you WANT your children outdoors some days) and we want to know that they’re safe inside the yard.  The same goes for our pets.  Rare is the dog who doesn’t appreciate the freedom that comes from being able to run around untethered either fetching a ball or socializing with the neighbor’s dogs nearby.  Residential fence options offer you some peace of mind knowing you can enjoy some quiet time in your house while the little ones are outside and confined to your back yard.  Trust me, installing a fence is sometimes your best babysitter when you just need a few moments to have adult thoughts without hearing the phrase “Mommy can I…” over and over again.  Likewise, a fence also means you don’t always have to wander your neighborhood with a pooper scooper late at night when your dog has to take care of business one more time before going to bed.

There are many residential fence options available to you for keeping your animals and young ones safe—it all depends on your budget and—depending upon where you live—your homeowner’s association!  If you have a small budget, either split rail fences or chain link fences get the job done.  A split rail fence with wire is a highly cost-effective and natural looking solution that keeps most children and dogs safe inside the yard.  I often prefer these residential fence options rather than chain link because it has such a natural look and often matches the surrounding hills and greenery in our area.  Split rail is also easy to install!  However, if you have other needs in addition to protecting your family, you may want to look at other types of fences.

Choosing and Installing a Fence to Create Some Privacy

Want to avoid your neighbors while protecting your loved ones?  Want to spend time in your yard without having everyone in the neighborhood know what you’re up to?  Privacy is another leading reason why homeowners decide on installing a fence.

Face it, sometimes you just want to enjoy reading a book with a glass of wine outdoors.  Sometimes you just want to plant flowers and then enjoy the lovely view without having to see that neighbor with the hairy back stand at his grill while smoking a cigar.

The best options for privacy fence include wood fencing or vinyl fencing. A vinyl fence generally requires more money up front than a wood fence, but you never have to worry about it ever again.  A lot of the newer communities in the Maryland and Virginia area realize in this so if you are looking for a new town home or modern community, don’t be surprised if the HOA requires you to go with vinyl fence.  At the end of the day, I think it’s one of the best fences you can buy as you’ll never need a second one!

However, if you love that rustic and traditional look of a wood fence, you can choose and install one of the following if privacy is what you want:

• Stockade Fences
• Board on Board Fences
• Traditional Privacy Fences

Choosing and Installing a Fence With Little to No Maintenance

Here’s a question a lot of homeowners need to consider before choosing and installing a fence—how much time to do you want to spend taking care of that fence?  Another question you need to think about is how much budget do you need to allocate to keep that fence looking great year after year?

I love wooden fences.  I think they’re beautiful and that there’s nothing more lovely than the look of a fresh western red cedar or pressure treated southern yellow pine fence surrounding a beautifully sculpted yard.  Just remember that wooden fencing requires more maintenance than any other kind of fence, no matter what style you choose to install!  You will devote time and money to clean and seal that wood if you want to extend your fence’s lifetime.

And in our area, where we’re subject to extremely cold and wet winters and whacky rains and rollercoaster temperatures in the summer, your fence will require a little stain, sealing or a replacement board or two.  The worst thing you can do is install a wood fence and then do nothing for it.  You’d be surprised at how often we get asked to replace wood fences that are within six to seven years old simply because the homeowner built a wooden fence and then did nothing to protect it.  Treat your fence like your car and make sure you give it a good tune up at least once a year!

Now, if you don’t want to deal with any of that, then go for an aluminum or vinyl fence as they require little to no upkeep.  True, wooden fences are easier to repair after major storm damage, but vinyl fencing is so durable that it takes a lot to destroy it.  As for aluminum fences, make sure you go with an aluminum fence that’s American-made and powder coated—there’s a lot of cheap stuff out there on the market and in a lot of retail stores; if you want to install an aluminum fence, go for quality at a good price!

When choosing an aluminum or vinyl fence, I suggest you consider buying materials that come with a good guarantee.  At Frederick Fence and our sister company, Powers Fence Supply, we sell materials that will be around for many years to come that will indeed last for the long haul.

Choosing and Installing a Fence for a Pool

A good rule of thumb is that if you own a pool, you will also own a fence.  You cannot build a swimming pool in your yard and NOT own a pool fence in this area (unless you like being a rebel and think you’re free from insurance regulations and county laws!  Good luck with that!).   There are many considerations that go into choosing and installing a fence surrounding a swimming pool–the most important being that your fence meets all required safety codes.  Before digging your pool, check with both your local county and homeowner’s association to ensure your fence design satisfies all their requirements.

Beyond that, it’s really a matter of budget and how much maintenance you wish to devote to your fence.  Here’s a tip—since we know you’re going to spend a lot of time taking care of the pool, go with a fence that requires minimal maintenance!  After all, on a hot summer day, where would you rather spend your time—in a nice, relaxing pool or sweating it out while you stain and seal a wood fence.  When given the option, I think most homeowners would choose vinyl or aluminum fencing to place around the pool.  Both are gorgeous to look at and add aesthetic appeal, and they easily meet code requirements.  If you’re working with a limited budget, a good chain link fence with a decent lock system can also meet your needs.

Ready to Choose and Install a Fence That’s Right For You?

If you’re ready to purchase a fence this summer in time for fall, then give us a call at Frederick Fence.  Now that a majority of homeowners have installed their fence this season, now is a great time to buy and install a fence before cooler temperatures become the norm.  Contact us today and we’ll send out one of our expert fence consultants to help you select the best fence that meets your needs and stays within your budget.  You can also request a quote online!