Installing a Fence With a Designer’s Eye: Beautiful Fencing Tips

Posted on: 18 September 2015

Wood is one of the most attractive and affordable fencing materials available, so you may be considering using it to fence your property. This article discusses some helpful tips that will help homeowners make the best decisions if they want to put up a wooden fence.

Compare Ready-To-Use Panels and DIY Lumber Sections

You can buy prefabricated fencing panels from any lumber store near you, or you can buy lumber sections and cut them to size yourself. Each option has its pros and cons, so be careful when making your selection of which option to take. For instance, prefabricated fencing panels save you the hassles of wielding a saw and tape measure to cut lumber into the sections you want. However, you may have a limited selection of styles to choose from if you live in an area where there are few suppliers of timber fencing products. The DIY approach has the advantage of allowing you to come up with your own signature timber fencing style (such as using fencing posts of seven different lengths) but the downside is that you may need a more than basic grasp of carpentry so that all the time and energy you invest in the project pays off.

Compare Staining to Painting the Fence

Paint makes a wooden fence look very beautiful when the fence has just been painted, but that same paint can look very ugly some years down the road when the elements have taken their toll on it and it has started fading or peeling. Prepare to scrape off the old paint and sand the surface before you apply new paint if you choose to paint your fence. If that seems like a daunting prospect, then choose a semi-transparent stain. All you have to do once that stain fades is to apply a fresh layer over the old one without going through the hassle of scraping and sanding.

Consult with the Local Authorities

You may not need a building permit to put up a wooden fence, but it is still advisable to consult with the municipal authorities before you construct that fence. They will offer you helpful advice on issues like how far that fence should be from the end of your property. They will also advise you on how deep the fence footings should be based on the frost line in your locality. Such advice will be instrumental in ensuring that your fence lasts for a very long time.

Use the tips above, and you will reduce your chances of making mistakes that may be very costly (such as being compelled to remove the fence because it did not adhere to local codes on setback distances).

For more information, contact a local fencing company.