Zero Maintenance Fence
Find zero maintenance fencing by shopping online for vinyl, PVC, and recycled plastic fence. Although wood fencing might cost less than vinyl up front, wood systems need to be maintained. Vinyl and other plastic fencing costs practically nothing to maintain and is little to no work. Look at your budget and decide how much you can afford to spend before you go any farther.
There are two purposes served by fencing: function and decoration. On the functional side, fences provide privacy and divide your property from your neighbors’ and from the road. The decorative aspect of fencing is that it can complement the design of your home and landscaping. Each type of fencing for sale in the consumer marketplace brings unique strengths and weaknesses to a yard. Many of those depend on your personal preference.
When choosing a style, look at the overall appearance of your home and garden. A cottage or ranch style home lends itself well to a picket fence. Ranches look great with post-and-rail fencing. A modern design home works well with a plain wrought-iron or synthetic style, or a panel fence in wood or vinyl. If you live in the country or on a farm, you might be able to use chainlink fence if you keep it tucked away behind buildings.
Panel fences give you privacy and block noise. They are available in heights from four to six feet. Some styles are plain, while others have lattice or scalloped patterns at the top. Panels come in wood, which is inexpensive and can stained in any of hundreds of colors. They also are available in vinyl, which is zero maintenance. Vinyl fence is available in white, or in imitation wood colors. Vinyl fencing is three to times more expensive than wood, but it doesn’t rot or fade and will last for years. Some vinyl fences come with a long-term warranty.
Post and rail fences look best with ranch style houses or on country properties. Post and rail looks like the old-time farm fences you might remember from you childhood. Post and rail fences are mainly a visual barrier since they’re so open, but they’re great for dividing property lines and to enhance the curb appeal of your home. If you’re buying wood post and rail fencing, cedar is the best way to go. It’s durable, looks great, and has built-in chemical properties that make it resistant to rot. Post and rail is now available as zero maintenance fence in plastic that looks remarkably like wood. You can even get recycled plastic fence that offers you a green fencing approach.
Chain link fence is also zero maintenance fence. It’s a cheap fence option and is a very effective barrier for keeping things in or out. It comes in heights from four to six feet and needs no upkeep.
Keep in mind that some neighborhood associations don’t allow certain types of fencing, or fences above a certain height. Check your association’s policies for the specifics.