Fences

Fences can drastically increase your homes retail value. They look good. They provide privacy. And they do all of that while being relatively easy to put up if you are pretty handy with screwdivers and 2x4 pieces of wood. Read more below on everything regarding fences in your yard!

Laws:

There are many laws regarding fences, but these are some of the most important and relevant:

1. Fences can only be 6 feet high. Any higher and they are illegal.

2. Fences can be 100% solid, so there is no need for transparency so people can see through.

3. Property owners are responsible for half of the fence (repair and construction costs), their neighbor is responsible for the other half.

4. You can cut off tree roots that encroach on your yard from your neighbors' yard.

How to Put Them Up:

There are many different ways to put up a fence, and it is a very time-consuming and involved process. The guide below will NOT be enough information for you to effectively build a fence, but it is a good overview of what is necessary and the supplies that you'll need to use. Alternatively, you can hire a company to do the job for you; at this time, A Yard Beyond does not offer fence building services.

1. Lay out where the fence will go; i.e. use small posts and wire or string to get an idea of where you need the fence to go exactly.

2. Measure out the spaces you need the posts to be from each other--generally a few feet to ten feet.

3. Dig holes and install the posts. 

4. Connect the posts with beams or cross-hatching; this is where you can play with "your style" the most.

Style Guide:

The basis of fence style begins with how tall you want the fence to be. A two foot high fence that you can step over will require different styling elements than a six foot high fence that is totally opaque and meant for complete privacy. Generally, here's what you should know when picking out a fence:

1. Wood is best. You could theoretically choose to build a wall out of stone, but building fences from plastic or any other weak material is not a good idea. Wind and storms will blow it right over; wood is solid.

2. Try and match coloring to your house: you most likely won't get an exact match, and you probably don't want an exact match for the sake of aesthetics. But doing something--colors, style, etc.--similar to what your house looks like will give your property a sense of cohesiveness.

3. One color--don't go multicolored on the fence. Understated with one tone is best.

There are many ways to go about planning, building, and styling a fence. Hopefully, this article will help you decide how you want to make YOUR fence YOUR OWN. Enjoy the privacy! (Or in the case of the two-foot tall fence, enjoy having a physical property line...)

Published December 27th, 2023.

Fida, Idlir. "Wood Fence." Wikimedia Commons, 22 Mar. 2005, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wood_fence.jpg. Accessed 27 Dec. 2023.