What Your Fence Says About You.
Fence or Defense?
Fences are tricky customers. They come in all manner of shapes and size, color, material and design. They can be bold, imposing, subtle and delicate, novelty or purely practical. They are the first thing a visitor sees when they approach your property and the style and fashion of your fence can really enhance both your home and your garden.
Fences inevitably serve an important purpose and that is to mark out your territory. In fact some of the earliest US settlers claimed their land simply by setting a fence around it. Later, as the American government became more officially formed, unsettled land became owned by the government and programs to register land ownership were developed. This meant that much raw land became available at low prices for the common man or even on occasion for free, if the owner improved the property, including the construction of fences. The incentive was therefore there to build a fence and claim your land, and this is perhaps where the birth of fences can be attributed.
Today where your land ends and the land of your neighbor begins can be a contentious topic and debates about access are age old in neighborhoods across the land. Arguments about responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of boundary lines and the type of fence which is required are managed by special laws designed to deal with these feuds. Once ownership is defined and agreed, fences are established and erected according to their owner’s taste.
Of course there are many types of fence, low level, higher level, ornate and intricate or dark and overpowering however you decide to fence your boundary line is to do with taste and purpose.
Security
Fences for many people are not only about the outlining of boundary lines, they also provide security. Particularly in urban areas where trespass is a common crime and theft and burglary result a fence with a locked gate can provide some comfort, as it is harder to gain access accordingly.
For people with young families it is reassuring to know children can play out safely without wandering straight onto a nearby road.
The nuisance of other people’s pets and common rodents can also be reduced by an appropriate solid fence being in place, leaving your garden a haven for you to do as you wish.
Fences can be used to define public places too, children’s parks for example where dogs and skateboards are not allowed are usually fenced off defining purpose and usage of the public area.
In agricultural terms fences are indispensable. Keeping livestock together or separated is vital to the livestock management plans and fences provide the security of not allowing any livestock to escape, breed or be subject to theft.
Your fence and your home
Many fences though are all about what they say about you and your home. Beautiful ornate ironwork at waist level is not in reality going to keep out unwanted cats or thieves, but it has an understated subtleness that says ‘this is a tasteful property’. A fenced perimeter and gated drive says money. Fetching wooden picket fences stained a rustic brown or a glossy white are beautiful features for small cottage properties.
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Looking after your fence
A fence is not just a fence, it is a commitment under which you undertake to love, nurture and look after your fence until moving out does you part! Annual maintenance of your fence, particularly wooden fencing is not negotiable. Treating the fence with a wood appropriate spray in an appropriate color to withstand the heats of summer and wet climates of fall and winter (according to your climate) are important considerations. A spray treatment should ideally be applied in the fall months to prepare for the winter ahead and protect from falling precipitation. Not only will it make the fence look more pleasing to the eye, it will also ensure a longer life span of the fence giving a better return on your investment.
Costs
Whatever you decide to do for your home in regards to fencing, it is likely to cost you, so it is best to price the options available and choose one to fit your budget and purpose. Speaking to a reputable specialist fencing company and talking honestly about your budget and requirements will ensure you get the fence and price which fits. Natural and beautiful fencing is a practical necessity and a labor of love.