Using wood to create fences is one of the oldest ways to protect your territory. The availability of the material and the relative ease of manufacture have made wooden fences the most common type of fencing in our country. New building materials are appearing, lightweight structures with excellent technological qualities, but loyalty to natural raw materials, the ability, at least in some elements of landscape design of a site or yard, to be closer to nature, outweighs all innovations. That is why, even today, the construction of a wooden fence is a common occurrence to create a fence for a personal or summer cottage, a large country yard or a small backyard in a private urban home.
Pros and cons of a wooden fence
When choosing materials for fencing construction, people are increasingly giving preference to natural materials. Wood has always been highly popular, so a wooden fence for a private home will be relevant at any time.
Advantages of wooden fences:
- naturalness and environmental safety;
- good decorative characteristics, allowing wooden structures to fit organically into
- various styles of landscape design;
- availability of material;
- ease of processing;
- the possibility of constructing mobile small fences, which, if necessary, can be easily mounted and moved to another location;
- simple care, which involves the use of various decorative elements if the decorative characteristics of varnish or paint are lost;
- simple installation, allowing you to install wooden fence structures without the involvement of specialists;
- a wide range of different fencing configurations;
- an organic combination of wood with any other building materials - stone, brick. Concrete, metal, plastic;
- the ability to replace one damaged fragment of the fence or carry out a complete repair on your own.
Disadvantage of a wooden fence:
- Among the disadvantages of wooden fences are the flammability of the material, susceptibility to rotting and the possibility of damage by rodents or insects. But these shortcomings can be overcome by using special compounds against burning and destruction of wood;
- Some are not satisfied with the short service life of fences, which even with impregnation is about 10 years. But with constant updating of the coating and carrying out repair operations, a wooden fence will last much longer.
Wood for fencing: strength, reliability and beauty
The choice of wood determines not only reliability and durability, but also the appearance of the fence. By choosing different types of wood, you can create beautiful patterns and find stylish color solutions. The most popular types of wood are coniferous; they are cheap, durable, and resistant to harmful insects and weather conditions. These are pine, spruce, larch. These types of wood have light colors. Wood stained with a special composition can acquire dark tones. Oak is used less often, as it is more expensive. Oak has dark tones, is durable and reliable.
A wooden fence is still a popular fencing option due to the availability of the material, fairly easy manufacturing and attractive appearance.
By combining wood of different shades, you can create original patterns.
Basic functions of a fence for a private house
The fence on the site primarily performs two functions - decorative and protective. Fences are installed not only around the perimeter of the entire garden or dacha area. Fences are often used to mark out a front garden, a recreation area, a playground, flower beds and flower beds, outbuildings or enclosures for animals.
Fence trend
Everyone’s taste is different, however, recently the so-called fence-pergon has been gaining popularity. This fence is a metal mesh, which is filled with various stone fractions, crushed stone or pebbles.
This type of fence is mainly used together with other materials to achieve set design goals.
Types of wooden fences (photo)
The type of fencing is selected depending on its main functionality. There are many options, the analysis of which will help you correctly decide what kind of wooden fence will be for a private home.
Palisade
It involves installing pointed stakes or boards strictly along a vertical line. Such a beautiful fence protects the site, since getting over the sharp tops is quite difficult.
For durability, a strip foundation is made. You can use a bamboo version of the palisade, which is easier to install, but it lasts less than its wooden counterpart. You can purchase a rolled ready-made palisade.
Log paving
Such a fence consists of logs tightly laid in a horizontal or vertical direction. For convenience, material with a large diameter is cut into two parts along the central longitudinal line.
Fence
This traditional option remains popular. A fence is created from vertically arranged planks with gaps between them. Diversity is achieved by changing the width of the dies and intervals, coating the wood with paint, varnish, or stain.
Solid fence
It is considered one of the most beautiful types of wooden fence . To ensure reliable protection of the area, the boards are mounted without gaps, placing them in a horizontal or vertical direction.
A strip foundation is pre-equipped for such a fence. You can fix individual parts of the fence between brick, metal, stone, and wooden posts.
Herringbone
This is another type of original fencing that performs a protective function. The boards are fixed overlapping and horizontal, imitating siding. Often such a modern fence for a private home is called an American fence or a ladder. It will withstand strong, sharp gusts of wind.
Wattle
A widely used decorative wicker fence is made from a flexible material, which is often used as long, even branches and twigs of willow and hazelnut. For a horizontal fence, weaving is carried out between dug stakes. If the wattle fence is made in a vertical direction, then three horizontal crossbars are first strengthened on the posts.
Lattice
The openwork design of the lattice fence looks very decorative. Place the planks in a straight direction or obliquely. The second option gives the design an extraordinary airiness. Climbing plants are often planted nearby to form an elegant composition.
Chess
It is a picket fence that is nailed to the base on both sides. This design, which has a magnificent decor, provides reliable protection from prying eyes.
Ranch
A beautifully designed fence that imitates livestock fences is constructed from horizontally oriented wooden planks attached to posts. They are also sometimes supplemented with vertical slats.
We protect the yard from indiscreet glances
If you want to protect your yard from prying eyes, build the lower part of the fence solid and the upper part lattice. The solid fence can be painted deep gray or silver, and the top lattice can be painted white. It will emphasize the lightness of the design. And the combination of a fence and an arch will create a unique stylish look. Throw roses, clematis or campsis along the arch, and they will serve not only as decoration, but also as a kind of screen.
Decor of wooden fences - interesting ideas
Wood is one of the types of materials that are easily decorated, which allows you to turn the fence into an original element of the landscape. There are a large number of options to make a wooden fence for a private home beautiful.
The simplest and most affordable method of transforming wooden fences for private houses of any design is painting or applying varnish. The shade is chosen based on the overall color scheme of the entire area.
The dies are often fired using a torch. This treatment not only protects the wood from damage by insects, but also gives the fence an exclusive, fabulous look.
Fences made of wooden structures enclosed between brick or stone pillars look prestigious. Forged or cast metal elements perfectly highlight the natural elegance of wood.
A variety of volumetric elements will help to update an old fence and give it an unusual and very expressive decorative sound. They use flowerpots with flowering and green crops, toys made from waste material and other items.
A photo grid will allow you to quickly transform a fence that has lost its beauty for a private household and hide its shortcomings. This is a modern technology that involves applying patterns to a polymer mesh. It is enough to attach it to the fence and the area will acquire a magnificent bright sound. The drawing is selected based on the overall design of the landscape and facade of the house.
Log cuts can be an original option for masking damage to a wooden fence. With the help of these parts, if desired, a continuous panel is created based on the finished openwork fence.
An original and stylish wooden fence for a country house can be achieved by combining wooden elements with pergons or gabions.
Craftsmen with carving skills are able to make charming objects that will not only serve as a fencing for the territory, but will also become the central decor of the entire landscape.
A picket fence with holes of different shapes and sizes looks beautiful and unusual. They are arranged in different orders, which gives dynamism and style.
An interesting artistic effect occurs when wooden parts are complemented with inserts of glass, marble, and mirror tiles. The sun's rays reflected in them make the fence sparkle, giving it an attractive appearance.
The quality, durability, and appearance of the fence depend on the type of wood. Pine parts, thanks to their resinous secretions, are well resistant to external atmospheric influences.
- Larch has high hardness. It can withstand high loads. When in contact with water, the characteristics of this wood only improve.
- Ash, oak, and mulberry are used to build fences. Alder and aspen will do. It is not recommended to use birch that cracks quickly.
Why do this?
There are several reasons why we plant plants along the fence and look for other ways to improve its appearance.
- Soften the strict geometry and dilute the monotony of a neat but boring wall made of wooden picket fence (brick, corrugated board).
- Conceal partially collapsed wood or fallen brick.
- Add privacy to the garden. This is especially true if it is fenced with a forged lattice or chain-link mesh.
- Support the stylistic theme of flower beds and landscape compositions for which the fence acts as a background.
Article on the topic: How to properly install double-glazed windows in a wooden house
How to preserve the beauty of a wooden fence
To preserve the decorative characteristics of a wooden fence for a long time, several rules must be followed: Before starting work, all wooden parts are impregnated with antiseptic compounds.
Along the entire length of the future fence, check the absence of anthills. When they are detected, measures are taken to eliminate insects that quickly render the tree unusable.
If possible, polycarbonate, metal, and glass canopies are installed over wooden spans and support posts. The painting of a fence for a country house is renewed every 2-3 years.
Installation of wooden fences is carried out in dry weather. It is important to provide a gap from the soil to the bottom line of the fence. This will protect the tree from rapid rotting.
Wooden fences with beautiful designs will never lose their popularity. They are attracted by simple techniques for processing materials, the ability to create original designs, using their own creative ideas and skills in practice.
Hedge
Such a fence is used to frame or mark the boundaries of an area. This type of fencing is obtained by planting low-growing trees or shrubs.
A hedge can consist of single-species plants or combined ones. In the second case, the plants are intertwined with each other using branches. In this case, you can choose either a deciduous or evergreen option.
In most cases, such a fence is used for decoration, but it also has a number of important functions. A fence of living plants will retain moisture in the soil, making it possible to evenly distribute a layer of snow on the surface of the earth, etc. A fence of this type requires constant care, but at the same time you can get a large amount of materials for household needs. Such a fence looks majestic and gives the fenced area a certain aristocratic look.
Contractor help
Contractors will know city and suburb regulations regarding installation and will offer a variety of design ideas. Also, keep in mind that this is a time-consuming project. You will need to dig holes, mix concrete, use professional equipment to measure levelness, and remove landscaping problems and other obstructions.
Interesting idea for a fence
Also, don't completely rely on online fencing construction guides, as local conditions can have a significant impact on the installation process. Soil consistency and wind exposure are just two of the regional factors that can change fence installation, even fence design.
Before you begin, also compare your costs for supplies and tools that you will have to rent or buy. After all the calculations, you can already decide what to choose - self-installation or hiring a professional.
The main step in building a fence is thoughtful planning.
PHOTO: Brief overview of construction options
Wooden fence options
Tips and tricks
