Benefits of a Wooden Fence

Benefits of A Fence

The best way to achieve getting the fence you want is to explore your options, there are plenty of fencing options for you to choose from. With so many materials, styles, and colors to choose from choosing a fence may seem overwhelming for some homeowners. The best place to narrow down your options is to speak with your Fort Bend Homeowners Association (HOA) regarding any rules and regulations that may apply. Where I live these are the fence guidelines our family must adhere too.

Perimeter Lot Fencing: Fencing standards must be adhered to as recorded in ….Design Guidelines.

a. Materials: Builder fence types shall be constructed of wood, metal or masonry based on original construction.

b. Wood Fences: All wood fences are to be constructed with #1 cedar 1x6 pickets and #2 treated (southern yellow pine or cedar) posts and three rails. Pickets are to be attached with screw or ring shanked shank nails, on a straight-line guide. Used material is not allowed. Pine or Right wood Pickets are not allowed. Wood fences on lot lines common with neighboring lot lines shall be installed with alternating eight-foot panels of solid pickets and exposed rails. Fences visible to public view shall be installed with the finished side out. All fencing visible shall have a continuous 2x6 cedar cap with a lx2 cedar trim.

c. Metal Fences: Metals fences are to be maintained based on original construction. All metal fences shall be five (5') in height adjacent to amenity areas and be set three inches (3') from natural ground. The rear yard may transition to a side and front yard wood fence that encloses the remainder of the back yard. Gates in rear fences adjacent to greenbelts or lakes with walking trails will require DRC approval. Metal fences require continuous welded connections. Metal posts require concrete footings. AU metal fences shall be painted black….

One reason these HOA are so actively involved in the process of what happens to the house you buy is for resale purposes. We work with dozens of realtors who say the best return of investment is a solid wood fence. Chain link is more affordable but does nothing in terms of your home’s resale value. A solid wood fence or a concrete fence can garner you as much as 50% of the labor and material cost when it comes time to sale. HOA may seem harsh but imagine living next door to a neighbor who allows your property value to drop because of their poor choices.

Still, Houston homeowners have plenty of choices to choose from, almost all HOA allot for wooden fences. The bulk of our customers choose to build wooden benefits, here is why:

Benefits of a Wooden Fence

· Resale Value

· Privacy

· Reduces Noise

· Security

· Keep Wildlife Out

· Affordability

Privacy

The biggest benefit of having a solid wood fence is the element of privacy, whether you are a do it yourselfer or hire a fence contractor, a fence will allow you access to your personal and private space. Sure, you may have a solid relationship with your neighbors and enjoy the friendly wave “hello” you may even trade tools back and forth or take care of their pets when they travel out of town but a privacy fence isn’t to shut them out of your life, you’re not constructed the wall of Jericho but instead a wooden fence defines clear boundaries.

Having a privacy fence that helps you account for every square foot of property you own is always a wise idea especially when it comes time to sale. The more land you have, the higher the resale value. If your property lines are blurred you may want to contact a surveyor to come out either way do not extend your fence past those clear cut lines or the wave may appear more like a middle finger even after you tear down the fence and start over. If your planning to sell your home, a fence may be what closes the deal. We had an elderly couple contact us who had not sold their home in months, the realtor explained the downfall was they did not have a fence. The week after the fence was installed the received their first offer. This is the only time a bad fence is ever better when there is no fence at all.

Reduces Noise

Another reason for having a privacy fence is to reduce the noise, especially if your house is near a busy street or highway. Nothing can kill a great afternoon in the hammock reading a book as the sound of incoming or outgoing traffic zooming by. A quality fence will dramatically absorb and reduce the noise by 6 to 10 decibels so you can enjoy your personal oasis. Baring in mind you have a 6 to 8-foot fence with no gaps between planks. Peace and quiet is a step towards being a happy homeowner. A good rule of thumb is to block the line of sight blocks out the noise.

Security

Your fence provide protection, your home is your refuge from the craziness of life and Houstonians, we all must be a little crazy to drive 45 during rush hour or deal with the heat, but home is where memories are made so its important you feel as safe outdoors as you do indoors.

When you build a fence or hire a fence contractor you want a fence where you can see whose on the other side, one way to do this is to top off your wooden fence with a trellis. A trellis will not only add privacy but make your fence more difficult to jump over. Many HOA only allow a certain height of fence but if you allowed, I suggest an eight-foot fence, the taller you make the fence the more security it provides. If you build a six-foot fence, consider having pickets that are pointed at the top to discourage burglars from climbing over. If a burglar can go around, under or through your fence, its not as secure as it should be. Regardless of the height always make sure you concrete in your fence post; concrete keeps your post strong and sturdy. They make uninvited guest unable to be remove the post to crawl underneath the fence. Any fence you build should have an equally secured gate. The fence is only as strong as its weakest point.

You also want to consider those four-legged critters that you want in your yard and those you do not. Where we live, Katy has a plethora of bunnies. In other areas there are racoons, deer, and coyotes. Fencing is the only sure way to keep wild animals out of your yard and save from costly damages, not to mention the fear of finding a yard invader while walking outside on a Sunday morning. A fence will provide a visual block, so the animals do not know what there missing, like your prized garden. Electric fences are an even greater deterrent. A clever idea if you have an electric fence is to use peanut butter as bait, it only takes once, and wildlife will leave your fence alone.

Should you have deer in your Katy or Fulshear yard you are wanting to keep out but are restricted by height requirements build your fence at a 45-degree angle to stop them from jumping over and snug to the ground so they can not wiggle under. As far as Katy rabbits use a 2-foot-tall chicken wire fence with a 1-inch diameter hole to prevent them from digging under. You want to curve the bottom of the fence at 90 degrees to create an apron a foot or so wide, then bury it several inches deep. Racoons and Opossums also are diggers, so you want a 4-foot fence with a top 18-inch hole unattached, so these crawling creatures fall backwards. To prevent them from going under, curve the bottom just as you do for rabbits and placing electric wire on top of the fence also works wonders. The more affordable solution is netting on the ground outside the fence and keep the grass mowed. They do not like material that clings to their feet. Coyotes can jump so you want to start with a perimeter electric fence, add a sheep fence with another electric fence wire strung 8” off the ground and a few inches in front of the sheep fence.

Affordability

Other than chain link a wooden fence is your most economical choice, compared to vinyl and composition fences. However, it does depend on the type of wood and fence design you choose. Lumber prices do fluctuate, as I am writing this, we have seen a massive shortage of wood from our manufacturers. In large part there is a shortage of everything post COVID-19. Keep in mind wooden fences especially in Fort Bend climate require maintenance, if you build it and leave it your tossing money away. With the proper care and installation, a wooden fence can last 10 to 50 years.