For at least 400 years, wood has been the clear favorite kind of residential fencing. And there’s one main reason for its popularity.
Relatively low cost is a consideration, of course. But wood is similar to chain link in that regard. No, what really sets it apart is the sheer number of attractive wood fence designs available.
Choose from ranch-style post and rail, lattice, picket and more, and all the many options within those general categories. Then, by using stain, you can turn your fence into a unique design statement. Painting wood fence is not recommended. Some fence styles lend themselves to maintaining privacy, while others are more suited to being used as visual accents to showcase attractive parts of your landscape.
Most people (80 to 90%) buy stockade fence, and many install it themselves. But arguably a neater and more durable result can be obtained by using the services of an experienced residential fencing service.
As long as you opt for pressure treated wood that resists rot, you can usually count on getting about 20 years of life from a fence. The posts are embedded in the ground, so they tend to go first.
Depending upon what kind of coating you use, it will be necessary for you to re-do the application at differing intervals: every year for waterproofing and clear toners, three to four years for semi-transparent stains and up to seven years for stains that are a solid color.
When you’re budgeting for a new wood fence, remember to factor in the additional cost of the posts. Pressure-treated, they sell for an average of $10 apiece.
Before deciding for sure on one of the wood fence designs, take some time to drive around the neighborhood. It soon becomes obvious which styles enhance the curb appeal of a home and which ones simply give the appearance of wanting to keep people out.
Fencing is a very large industry in the United States, employing more than 270,000 people and generating about $51 billion in revenue.
There are web sites that have pictures of the many wood fence designs that are available to you.