Fences and Outdoor Screening

Fences and outdoor screens can trans form a garden into a secure, attractive retreat from the outside world. When well designed, they filter the sun’s glare, turn a biting wind into a pleasant breeze, and help to muffle the cacophony of street traffic, noisy neighbors, and barking dogs. As partitions, they divide the yard into separate areas for recreation, relaxation, gardening, and storage. Fences serve many of the same purposes as walls, but fences are generally less formal and imposing in appearance, easier to construct, and, when you calculate labor costs, less expensive.

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Most fences are built partly or entirely of wood. The versatility of wood as a fencing material is reflected in the wide variety of its forms—split rails, grape stakes, dimension lumber, poles, and manufactured wood products such as plywood and tempered hardboard. Though the design possibilities are endless, wooden fences fall into one of three basic types: post-and-rail, picket, and solid board. The one you choose may depend on the function the fence is to serve; a board fence may be the best choice for a full privacy screen, for example. Fences can also be designed to edit views with the inclusion of louvers, slats, lattice, or see-through trellises that provide a glimpse of what lies beyond.

Alternative materials beyond boards, slats, and timbers include plastic, galvanized wire, plastic mesh, and ornamental iron. Vinyl fences are readily available, easy to maintain, and simple to install. if you don’t like the look of wire or mesh fencing, plant annual vines such as morning glories or climbing nasturiums for temporary, quick cover or install evergreen plantings for permanent cover.

Whatever your choice of fencing, coordinate the fence with the style and materials of your house. A picket fence that would be too dainty for a contemporary stone-and-glass house might look fine with a colonial brick or clapboard structure. Louvered or board fences, however can complement a variety of house styles.
Most communities have regulations restricting fence height. In many places, the maximum allowable height is 42 inches for front- yard fences and 6 feet for backyard fences. Tall fences are also more difficult to build and require more materials. An alternative way to pin more height is to train a plant to clothe the top of a fence.

Normally, a boundary fence is commonly owned and maintained by both neighbors. Make every effort to come to a friendly agreement with your neighbor on the location, design, and construction of the fence. (One option is a ‘good neighbor” fence with crosspieces mounted in alternating directions.) If you can’t come to an agreement, you can circum vent the problem by building the fence entirely on your land, within your property boundary.

Choosing a gate

Place a gate for access, to frame a view or to make a design statement in tandem with the fence. You may want to build the gate in a style and material that match the fence, but you can also choose a contrasting material or design, such as a wooden or wrought-iron gate within flanking brick pilasters. A low picket gate or one made of airy lath invites people in with its open, friendly appearance; a high, solid gate guards the privacy and safety of those within.  The minimum width for a gate is usually 3 feet, but an extra foot creates a more gracious feeling. If you anticipate moving gardening or other equipment through the gate, make the opening wider For an extra-wide space, consider a two-part gate or even a gate on rollers designed for a driveway.

• An arbored gate and picket fence made of unfinished, heavily weathered wood provide a pleasing contrast with bright- colored climbing plants and a well-tended garden beyond. The heartwood of redwood or cedar can turn gray and last for decades with no maintenance.

• Herringbone patterns can sets a split-rail fence apart from the crowd. Open fences have the effect of merging the property with the surrounding landscape and serve more as psychological barriers against intrusion than as true privacy fences.

• A traditional picket fence is a perfect midpoint between a white clapboard house and a rustic stone wall. For variation, the space between pickets can be either wide or narrow and tops can be pointed, rounded, spearheaded, or double or triple saw-toothed.