If you need a new fence, you may struggle to choose which
one you want. Most people install fences for more protection and privacy. If
you want to better protect your home with a fence, check out these three types
of fences that offer excellent home security, privacy, and protection from
liability.
1. Privacy Fence
Privacy fences are usually tall and constructed of boards
nailed flush together. This way, no one can peek through or over the boards.
This type of fence also helps block some sound from entering your yard and
home.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that you can usually
only install privacy fences in your back yard. In most residential areas, you
are allowed to have taller fences in the back yard (usually about 6 feet). In
the front yard, however, you may only be able to have a three-foot-tall fence.
Thanks to the low visibility through these fences, criminals
have a harder time seeing into your backyard to discover what they can steal or
how they can get inside your home. They also can't easily get over or through
the fence, especially if the gate is locked or the latch is hard to reach. Keep
in mind that if a criminal does get into your yard, the privacy fence may also
prevent your neighbors from seeing them.
Privacy fences can be made from wood, but more and more
people choose vinyl because of its affordability and the fact that it can look
like wood. Vinyl fences also require less work to keep them maintained, but if
you get a cheap product, the fence can quickly look shabby.
2. Chain-Link Fence
Chain-link fences can also provide security, but they offer
no privacy, so anyone can see into your backyard. These types of fences are
particularly good if you have a dog you want to keep confined because it is
aggressive. If the dog gets out and bites someone, you could end up with a
lawsuit, but most chain-link fences are great at containing dogs (even small
dogs that can slip through some fences).
You can offer some privacy by adding slats to the chain-link
fence. If someone is taller than the fence, they can still see over it, but
this will help keep children from seeing into your yard. Children also present
other dangers: they have small feet that can easily climb the chain-link fence.
If they do so and get hurt, you may be responsible.
Most adults can't climb chain-link fences as easily because
their feet don't fit in the holes. However, you can better protect your home
from adult intruders by installing a taller chain-link fence, which is even
harder to climb or jump. For extra deterrence, you can also choose to install
barbed wire on top of the fence.
3. Wrought Iron
Wrought iron fences are extremely durable so you don't need
to worry about anyone breaking down the fence, which may be possible with wood,
vinyl, and chain-link fences. Plus, trying to climb over a wrought iron fence
can be extremely difficult. You don't have any horizontal bars on which you can
step, and the spikes at the top of the fence can harm anyone who does try to
climb over the fence.
Wrought iron fences are also great if you need to keep
larger dogs and children safely in the yard.
Wrought iron fences can be expensive to install, costing
about $20 to $100 or more per linear foot for a DIY project or $30 to $300
per linear foot for professional installation. However, once the fence is
installed, you won't have to replace it for years, as long as you maintain the
fence properly.
Fences help define your property and increase security and
privacy. With so many types of materials from which to choose, picking the
perfect fence can be difficult, but if you want something that will keep people
out of your yard for years to come, a wrought iron fence may be the right
choice. If you would like to know more about iron fences, contact us today
at Capital City Iron Works.
