Fence Ideas

A fence around your house, whether just as an addition to your landscape design, or as a privacy screen in your front yard or backyard, is very common. The fence keeps intruders at bay and also renders a presentable look to your home. There's something about that white picket fence in the glorious sunshine that makes everyone want one, isn't there? So what are the best options as far as fences are concerned? What's feasible and for what? This Buzzle article will aim at giving you some help regarding those very points.

Popular Fence Ideas
As stated before, fences are a perfect way to beautify your yard, and also maintain a level of safety and security for your loved ones. Mentioned below are some of the most popular privacy fence ideas that are used by a majority of people to border their homes and gardens. You can check them out, make a note of what you think will suit your needs, your budget and also the weather in the area that you live in.

*Click on images to enlarge

Sturdy Wood
	Wood is one of the most favorite materials used to make fences. Wood fence panels are sturdy and strong, and they help keep away unwanted trespassers. There are a variety of wooden fence designs that you can choose from to have a lovely fence surrounding your home. You can go for a plain brown wood fence, by simply scraping it with sandpaper to give it a smooth finish and just applying a coat of varnish to keep it glistening in the sun. Or you can get a little creative and try out some of the other ideas that you can see in the images given. Paint the whole fence in one particular color, according to what your yard and the exterior of your home looks like. Another thing you can try out is have random designs painted on the wooden fence like the image given here. You can think of some innovative ways to make a wooden fence look sprightly and inviting. It's the first thing that a visitor will see when he visits and is sure to get a good conversation going, if nothing else. Cedar wood is quite strong, and so, is a favorite among fence makers. With its rustic and country feel and look, your kids will definitely love a cedar fence for your home.
Classic Stone
	If you're thinking classic style, then you simply cannot ignore a brick or stone fence as an option. Have a short brick or stone wall surrounding your entire home; front yard, and backyard included, like the image that you see here. Paint it in one single color, or if you wish to make it more attractive, take it up as a project with your kids, and paint different designs using bright and vibrant colors on it. You may also want to combine two ideas and go for something like the stone and wooden one given here. Keep the stone as the base and have a wooden fence built onto the stone wall. A comfortable and neat combination. If privacy is your top priority then after you have built a stone or brick fence around your home, you can have some pretty, flowering hedge plants growing on them. They make for a great privacy screen, plus you get major points for the dash of color that the flowers will add to your fence!
Elegant Metal
	For all the appearance conscious, one of the best decorative fence ideas is definitely wrought iron. The best part about metal fence, especially wrought iron is that you can get a local blacksmith to make a design of your choice for the fence. Or you can select an ornate design similar to the one shown here from a home improvement store near your home. If you want something simply functional, then the extremely basic one shown here should serve the purpose. Again, for those with privacy on the top of their minds, you can opt for something like the tall one shown here, with a tall hedge plant growing adjacent to it. You can reap the double benefits of this fence. For safety and security, well, the picture with the spikes atop the fence is pretty self explanatory.
Split Rail
	One of the other very popular fence ideas, that many home owners choose is a split rail fence. These can be made in wood, or also in concrete, and look absolutely regal and majestic. As far the design ideas are concerned, you can choose to go for one that has a careless rustic look about it like what you see in the image here. Or, you can have a neat one, by having it built and painted in a single color. While choosing the color, see that it matches the color scheme of your yard. White split rail fences look breathtaking with a background of lush green grass. If you have a huge yard or garden that you can experiment with, then the zigzag design depicted here is also quite appealing. Another idea for a fence purely for boundary's sake is a low wooden one like the one that the little boy is walking on. It cordons off the area, yet does not look very threatening or unfriendly.
Chain Link
	Using this idea is not only safe and secure, it is also very cost effective. Chain link fence installation is quite easy, and is one of the most sought after fence ideas for big grounds and gardens. Plus, there is quite some variety within chain link fences. Just some of them have been shown here. If it's a commercial property that you want to border and keep safe from trespassers, then go for something similar to the one with the barbed wire above the fence for double insurance. If it's just your vegetable patch that you want to keep safe from the kids playing ball in the vicinity (or something of the sort), then a very basic and elemental chain link fence with a gate for entry should do the trick. You can pretty it up a bit by painting it in a lively color and hanging a sign that indicates to the people to watch where they're going. On the same lines, you can go for a grid wire fence, which is just another version of the traditional chain link fence.
Beautiful Bamboo
	Who thought a grass could be used as a fence! But it sure can be. Get a bamboo privacy fence installed in your front yard and see how beautiful it looks, from the inside, as well as the outside. It will give your home an Oriental look and feel, and will keep the air cool and clean. There are some interesting options that you can explore as far as bamboo fences are concerned. For instance, if you want to have a true Oriental experience, you can have a traditional Japanese wood and bamboo fence made, like shown in the image. If you want something a little less complicated, then the very fundamental bamboo fence, fastened with metal clasps shown here should be sufficient. Else, you can always opt for something like the lovely crisscross, lattice pattern shown here. Or, if you're willing to be a little more eccentric (purely for lack of a better word), how about installing a simple bamboo privacy screen and then heaving paint onto the bamboo to give it a cheerful and abstract appearance?
Privacy Hedge
	Using a plant hedge is also a great garden fence idea. It serves a lot of purposes. First, it is an environment-friendly option for a fence. Second, it helps to keep the area around your home cool. Third, a thick plant hedge can be quite difficult to penetrate. Thus it provides you with enough privacy. Also, it increases the aesthetic value of your lawn when used as a border. You can use it surround a flower bed that you don't want children to enter. Or you can simply use it as a partition between your lawn and the pathway. You can even use it to surround a fountain or other water body that might be present in your garden. Having a short, well-trimmed hedge around your house will also add a touch of life to the surrounding. Regular maintenance by watering and pruning is of utmost importance if you want your hedge to be a fence. So take good care of it.

There are many more fence ideas and fence styles that you can choose from. For instance, you can use vinyl to recreate most of the fence ideas mentioned above. Earlier scorned for its easy weathering in the sun, the vinyl fences that are manufactured today, are quite durable and can be built easily even by you. Make a day out of it, and have your friends or family help you out with the installation. These were just some of the most widely used options for fences. Experiment with the different styles and ideas and you'll find the perfect fence for your home!