Humans have been putting up fences since we started farming. Fences provide privacy, safety, and can serve as decorative landscape elements. Whether you want to keep your pets safe, protect your family and belongings, or present a cheerful welcome at your front door, fences make welcome additions to any landscape. If you’re ready to jazz up your landscape with a new fence, here are five easy DIY fence ideas for your summer garden in Westchester County and Orange County, NY.
Before You Start
Before you start digging fence post holes, be sure to call your utility companies to ensure you’re not going to inadvertently hit an underground gas, plumbing, or electric line. You could be charged for damages, so you wouldn’t want to skip this important step.
Country Charm: A Split Rail Fence
Split rail fences give homes a bit of country charm. They’re also one of the easiest fences to build, as long as you line up your posts correctly: Just insert the rails into the premade holes. Add wire mesh fencing along the inside if you want to keep your pets contained. Otherwise, split rail fences (originally intended to contain cattle and horses) are wonderful when used to mark your property (for example, alongside the street-facing part of your front yard).
Big-Dog Tough: A Chain Link Fence
Chain link fences are cost-effective, durable, pet-proof, and easy to assemble. If you need to pet-proof a vegetable or flower garden, you most likely can’t go wrong with chain link. What these fencing options lack in charm they can make up for in toughness. Chain link can be the ideal solution for backyards, especially in wooded areas or wherever visual appeal isn’t the top priority.
You can also add a few touches to dress up your chain link fence and increase its charm: Wood-look slats are designed to slide vertically through the links, effectively creating a privacy fence. The finished product is much better looking from both sides.
Cottage Chic: A White Picket Fence
The classic white picket fence is pure Americana. Whether it’s surrounding a garden or gracing your front entry, its cheerful look is sure to brighten your landscape. There are two choices in picket fences: wood, which of course must be painted every couple of years, or vinyl, which is virtually maintenance-free.
Our ActiveYards fences come as pre-assembled panels that simply snap securely into place onto the posts. Once you decide which material is best for you, give us a call and your white picket fence could be a landscape feature before you know it.
Privacy, in Two Different Styles
Privacy is a top priority for backyard living spaces. When they surround a garden, they create a tranquil escape from the world’s stresses. Choose from wood or vinyl privacy fences in solid or lattice-top styles. Or you may prefer somewhat more open privacy screens. Both wood and vinyl ActiveYards privacy fences are easy to install thanks to premade panels that click securely to the posts.
While privacy fencing is relatively solid and therefore heavier, installation is still as simple as fence installation gets: Just snap the panels into place, and enjoy the satisfaction of a solidly built fence.
Security That Doesn’t Block the View
Aluminum security fencing offers unobstructed views if you want an attractive way to critter-proof your garden (or go big and secure your entire property). These DIY-friendly fences are durable, low-maintenance fences that would add an elegant atmosphere to your home.
