FENCE
DECORATIONS DRESS UP YOUR STRUCTURES
CONVERTING THEM FROM BORING TO
CREATIVE
When it's time to
select a fence design for your
property, you may be overwhelmed by
the number of options from which to
choose. But selecting a fence design
largely comes down to two
considerations:
- Form (i.e., stylistic
considerations)
- Function (i.e., what
practical purpose the fencing
will serve)
Fences serve a wide variety of
functions, depending on the size of
the property, the goal of the
homeowners, and the style of the
architecture. Fences may feature
spaced boards or solid faces,
depending on the desire for privacy
and the look homeowners wish to
achieve. Fences can be concave or
convex, scalloped along the top or
straight edged. Fence styles vary
widely from the standard to the
custom, and often reflect regional
and architectural preferences. The
key to any fence project is to
determine the need and the budget,
then work with the available
components to create the style.
Fence Components
Fence styles are determined by four
key factors: height, board width,
spacing of the boards, and board
profiles. Picket fences are shorter,
usually four feet or less, with
narrow boards, typically
3-1/2-inches wide. In contrast, a
true privacy fence will be at least
seven feet tall, with tongue and
groove boards that completely block
the view. Other fence styles use
board width and spacing, height, and
number of rails to define the style.
Woven fences, like lattice and
basket weaves, use the style of
weave as their defining element.
Fence Styles
In essence, all fences have similar
structure, unless constructed of
brick, concrete, or stone. Commonly
referred to as "board and post"
fences, most fences are sold as
sections, with a horizontal
structural member to which "boards"
are attached. Picket, stockade, and
privacy fences are all constructed
in this way. Each section is joined
at a post, which anchors the fence
to the ground and the sections to
one another. Posts, caps and tops
may be stylized to match the period
or theme of the fence.
 Ranch
Fences
Ranch fences may have two, three, or
four rails and are available in post
and rail or cross buck styling.
Horizontal rails that connect to
vertical posts spaced eight feet
apart on average characterize rail
and ranch fences. Sections may have
straight rails, split rails, or
crossed bars between called cross
buck. Rail fences may have one, two,
or three rails. Often used for horse
and livestock fencing, these
ranch-style fences define the
perimeter of an area.
 Basket
Weave and Lattice
Basket weave and lattice fences
are made with strips of material,
usually wood or wood-look vinyl,
woven or crisscrossed to create a
pattern. Basket-weave fences block
the property completely from view
and can function as privacy fencing
if tall enough. Lattice fencing is
more open and delicate looking,
while the crisscrossed members are
actually thicker in diameter than
their woven counterparts. Lattice
designs are often used for toppers
on tongue-and-groove fences,
providing an airy look and height to
the full coverage of the solid face
below.
 Privacy
and Semi-Privacy Fences
Privacy and semi-privacy
fences—board-and-post or
board-on-board—are defined by the
width of the board and the amount of
space between them. A full privacy
fence, commonly found in urban or
closely settled suburban spaces, is
tall (six feet or more) with
overlapping, shadow box, or
tongue-and-groove boards.
Semi-privacy fencing aims to allow
air and visual space between the
boards, while protecting the space
and residents from full view. Board
on board fences like shadow box
offer an advantage to homeowners in
that they can show finished faces on
both sides. Often topped with a
lattice, top board, or ornamental
top section, privacy fencing
features more detail and board feet
than picket or rail fencing. Among
full privacy fences are stockade and
tongue-and-groove. Either style can
be finished with Gothic, French
Gothic, flat, or dog-eared tops.
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