Burning Question: Do You Fence?
This week we got to thinking about where you guys stand when it comes to fences. Do you believe they make good neighbors or do you hate how they break up the landscape and alienate the people in your community? Whether you love ‘em for the privacy they offer or loathe them for the communication breakdown they may create, we’d love to hear which side of the fence you guys stand on.
And speaking of hiding from the neighbors, here’s how we hid a few ugly exterior eyesores from the rest of the neighborhood with- you guessed it- paint (what can we say, it’s our favorite cure-all!).
Image found here.
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I grew up in the south, and if you didn’t have a privacy fence in your backyard your house was “unfinished”. My boyfriend is from Maine, and privacy fences up here are uncommon both because the heavy snow severely shortens their lifespan and they are also considered rude. I think it’s just a culture thing! Personally I subscribe to the fence-in-back philosophy. The backyard is like another room in your house, you need to be able to enjoy it without feeling like someone is watching you. The front yard is a totally different thing, it’s practically public.
In Australia, everyone has a fence at least on 3 sides, depends on the neighbourhood if you have a front fence. I found it really strange when I visited America that hardly any houses had fences. I don’t think it’s un-neighbourly to have fences. It’s just a way to have some privacy.
For front yard fences, here they vary. Some have just plants lining the front, some have a small (usually brick or stone) fence, heaps in my suburb have picket fences and some have 7-8 feet tall fences (again, usually brick). This is mainly for privacy and no one thinks badly of someone who puts up a high fence as they usually do it for a valid reason, not just because they don’t want anything to do with the neighbours. Some people don’t have a back yard so they use their front yard as their outdoor entertaining area and want some privacy for that reason.
I don’t feel like fences restrict neighbourly relations but that’s probably because it’s the norm here.
I am not a big fan of fencing, except as necessary to contain pets and small children for safety. I am a big fan of pockets of privacy though, including in one’s own backyard – so my ideal is landscaping as privacy. I have a serendipitous stand of woods behind my house that shields me from a busy access street, and it’s wonderful – but fence-free. We had another house that had a concrete covered lanai and adjacent pool, with a “birdcage” around the entire thing (in Florida, not a lot of climates can do that much screening!!) There were privacy hedges around the pool bumpout, and that was perfect. Open backyard, enclosed patio area.
I *would* build a fence to deal with difficult neighbors, though. Much less stressful than moving, if you love the house.
I’m of the opinion that privacy fences are a big “Eff you, neighbor! I hate you and the way your house looks!” But I guess sometimes a person has to do what he/she has to do.
I’m in SW Ontario, and these days practically every new home has a fence. Houses are built so close together that you can’t really have any privacy without a fence. Our brand-new neighbourhood all got together this summer and put up backyard fencing in everyone’s yard and we all love it.
Back at my parent’s house, which is 180+ years old, the houses were far enough apart that there isn’t a lot of backyard fencing in that area because it’s not necessary to enjoying your own yard. You can sit in your own backyard, and your neighbours can sit in their backyard, and you are more than 10 feet apart. Can’t do that in my neighbourhood!
(in regard to the pun in the post title: yes, I fence, as in with swords as well! ;) )
I live in the country and fences are neccesary to keep the horses and cows where they need to be! We also have lots of deer so if you want a garden then you have to have a fence. I think in the city ,you have to ahve some sort of privacy, I wouldn’t want to be in my backyard and have the neighbors seeing me. But it wouldn’t ahve to be a fence but you could do hedges or other screening.
After moving in to our ranch home two years ago with one dog, we decided we didn’t need a fence around our spacious 1 acre (barely-out-of-the-city) lot. Then came our second dog, who surprised us a bit with his wacky behavior and tendency to run and bark at nothing… Needless to say, we’re reconsidering the no-fence idea, for the dogs alone. We really don’t want to cut off our neighbors, and our dogs are no more than 25 lbs each, so we’ve decided to look into a half fence (like 4 feet tall or so). That way we can still see our neighbors, chat with them a bit, and keep our dogs poopin’ in our own yard!
I think it depends on your neighbor situation. I grew up with low chain-link fences, over which our sweet old neighbor Ziggy would give us hard candies on one side, while sweet old neighbor Mrs. Morris would greet us in her delightful southern drawl on the other. However, my brother lives next door to a rental unit in which (and in the backyard of which) much less-than-desirable activity goes on. They put up tall fences because it made them feel their children were safer being out in the yard.
I can understand how sometimes a privacy fence can help ‘keep the peace’, but I prefer see-thru fencing, like wrought iron. We are lucky to have a lake and walking path behind our house…I wouldn’t dream of putting up a privacy fence as it would block my view. We use strategic plantings to provide privacy rather than fencing. Now, if I had a neighbor behind me with rotting old cadilacs sitting in their backyard lol….
I love having a fenced in backyard, if only so my dog can run free without causing me multiple ulcers. I’m not really crazy about 6′ privacy fencing though – maybe because at 5′, I don’t like not being able to see over it. I’m all about the 4′ fence. Keeps the pooch safe without making your yard feel like a compound.
We use living fences – emerald arborvitaes on one side (approx. 8-9′ tall after 4 years), japanese holly on the front walk, a tree line out back with bittersweet, evergreen vinca and oaks, and on the other side we built another living fence (purple sand leaf cherries interspersed with more emerald arborvitaes) to cover our neighbor’s ugly stockade fence.
I appreciate really good fences: wrought iron, custom, traditional picket fence, but the prefab stuff at Home Depot really bothers me. I’d rather plant. It’s earth friendly, attractive, and usually cheaper than custom fencing.
I don’t particularly like fences, especially big, huge privacy fences in neighborhoods. Why live in a neighborhood at all if you have no desire to be neighborly?
I always think living in the country would be a better fit if seeing, hearing and communicating with others isn’t something one desires.
I am not a big fan of fences but there are times that they needed!! Living alittle farther out we don’t have one for our pets but we have family members that have cute fences in their backyards–not privacy more like picket fences.. They work to keep fido in but allow neighborly conversations
I grew up on a block where nobody had fences- and I didn’t like it. Our neighbors didn’t like when we played kickball and the ball went on “their” property and the other neighbors were a bit nicer but always had late night BBQ’s in the summer and people would be walking over our backyard too. Now that I have my own home we have a fence very similar to the one pictured above- and I love it! I can sit out and get a tan without everyone watching me and my neighbors and I socialize on our front lawns. Go fences!
I also grew up where most homes didn’t have fences (though my backyard had a white, picket fence). The lack of fences helped when it snowed since our street had a hill. We could sled through 3-4 backyards until we got to my house. :(
I think privacy fences are pretty ugly, but I love black, iron fences. Even some of the modern, affordable metal fencing is pretty.
Fences are absolutely, positively, bad for kids’ lives in their neighborhoods. If you want them to stay inside and play video games and watch TV, build a fence. But if you want them to play, they need to see other kids when they go outside.
See my article on this at Playborhood.com:
Imagine There’s No Fences, It’s Easy if You Try
http://playborhood.com/site/article/imagine_theres_no_fences_its_easy_if_you_try/
Growing up on 7 acres in the country in California meant there would always be fences, usually separating boundaries between properties and keeping in cattle, horses, and sheep. Most neighbors also had a fenced off back yard to keep their dogs/kids in and coyotes/bobcats out (or at least try to). Now that my boyfriend and I bought our first home in town we have a worn out old fence that needs replacing. Being on a corner lot, we feel like we need it there for the privacy as well as to wrangle our two shih tzus.
Well when we lived in KY we had 5 acres and did not fence it in. No livestock or anything so no real reason to do so. Our neighbors were far enough away that we didn’t need it for privacy either. Although we did consider having a nice decorative fence (not a privacy fence)….but with high costs we didn’t do that either!
Our current living situation pretty much requires fencing. And not your typical wooden fence either…it’s more like a brick fence..LOL! It’s a subdivision with houses right on top of each other….so it’s very much needed. We may have some privacy from the ground…the houses are so tall that you can still look at your neighbors yard from the second floor windows!
My husband and I just bought our first home and it has a fence. We live in TX and in TX if you live in a planned neighborhood you get a fence, it’s not a choice. We enjoy it but plan to buy land one day. When that happens we won’t have a fence. It’s not about being neighborly or not that is just simply how it is down here in TX and we’re pretty darn friendly!
I think chain link fences are pretty unattractive, but privacy fences I’m okay with. Our neighbors have nice yards, but we can see across the backyards down a hill to some ugly unkempt houses and yards. We’re planning to either put up a privacy fence or a row of fast growing trees to block that view. :)
I like fences and the privacy they provide. Also, if you have little kids a fence can help keep them from wandering off. It also can help “hide” the mess of plastic toys or a weedy garden (a result of spending my time caring for little kids…)
We live in Tacoma, WA. An urban area south of Seattle. We purchased an old 1927 home that needed lots of love. We desired to get to know our neighbors but didn’t want to block off all communication between us and them by building a giganto fence. So, we built a tall 6 foot fence next to the sidewalk for privacy and then built a 3 foot fence so that we could communicate and live life with our neighbors directly behind us and on the side of us. We have had the best conversations with our neighbors over the 3 foot tall fence – many times leading to, “What are you doing for dinner tonight? Come on over!”
I like fences if there is a purpose- privacy, keep in dogs, etc. We love our fence because it means we don’t have to go outside with our dog in 20 degree weather. On the other hand, they can be rather boring and I’m always looking for ways to spice it up. I saw a fun look on a privacy fence in a courtyard in the city- fun colored hula hoops hung on the fence and brightened up the courtyard area.
They make for better neighbor relations, in my opinion.
I adore the fence between our vandalizing, nightmare neighbors to the one side.
And the fences on the other two sides haven’t stopped me from meeting and making friends with my pleasant, polite neighbors.
I love the privacy fence in our backyard. It provides us with a totally private space to enjoy the outdoors. It is a wonderful backdrop to our garden, which adds texture and colour and softens the harsh straight lines of the fence. It allows us to enjoy bbqs, the hot tub, quiet relaxing afternoons as well a providing a safe secure place for our two pups to wander (and do the stuff doggies do ;)!)
My hubs and I both grew up waaaaay out in the country and out there we had no need for fences. Now that we’re in the ‘burbs we installed a fence – 6′ privacy for the front, and a split rail with black chain link for the back and sides. Makes it nice, as we’ve got heavy woods right behind the house, and “light” woods on the sides. We get to keep the view of those gorgeous trees! Thank goodness for that fence, as our dog has finally discovered bunnies and LOVES to chase them.
I am very surprised that people feel like it’s rude to have a privacy fence (the “why live in a neighborhood” comments). I’m introverted, and forced conversation with people makes me very uncomfortable. That doesn’t mean I’m not a nice person, I just like to choose when I socialize. You should be able to feel comfortable and safe in your own home!
Mike wrote: “Fences are absolutely, positively, bad for kids’ lives in their neighborhoods. If you want them to stay inside and play video games and watch TV, build a fence. But if you want them to play, they need to see other kids when they go outside.
See my article on this at Playborhood.com:
Imagine There’s No Fences, It’s Easy if You Try
http://playborhood.com/site/article/imagine_theres_no_fences_its_easy_if_you_try/”
Mike, I understand your point but I don’t think installing a fence ensures a solitary, mind numbing childhood existence. While I personally don’t use wood, metal or wood-alternative fencing, I think moderate green landscaping ensures a sense of boundaries while also creating a sign of openness and ‘neighborly feeling’. I wish I was able to provide my son with the rolling open landscape of my child, but as we live 4 miles from an urban New England city with limited space and very close neighbors, some sort of fencing was in order. Our neighbors live close enough that if someone is outside, we can hear them and out our son goes to meet them and commence some serious outdoor play time. I think a compromise can be made with fencing and allowing for free, active and engaged playing. There are always solutions!
…wanted to add that our main driveway is built into an impressive incline which is open to our neighborhood in winter when it is completely iced over and makes for some seriously fast, intense sledding experiences. We’ve even watched the kids add water to create more ice to create more slick! My husband was not happy about it at all, but it created some crazy, bladder-clenching sledding. Our use of green fencing hasn’t kept anyone away from our winter ‘playground’ and we have both boundaries and a sense of welcome in the ‘hood.
My point? Sometimes you have to think outside the box to keep the kiddos engaged and entertained while creating boundaries that don’t isolate.
Dear Mike Lanza –
I disagree. Fences are NOT absolutely, positively, bad for kids’ lives in their neighborhoods. That’s one of the silliest statements i’ve ever heard. In my neighbourhood, we all have fences.. it’s a municipal by-law requirement. Anyhow, the children in the ‘hood still spend lots of time together. One day it’ll be play time in Jane’s backyard, another day it’ll be play time in Jack’s. Seems to me they are pretty content. And what about the neighbourhood dog who terrifies the kids? I think they are postively HAPPY that the dog is contained behind the FENCE.
“But if you want them to play, they need to see other kids when they go outside.” Pfft. Um, so if a child doesn’t see another child playing, then they will refuse to play themselves? How ridiculous. There are many only children out there who play on their own when they come home from school. It inspires a colourful imagination. Independency.
I really like privacy fences, depending on the space, because, to me, they offer that sort of Secret Garden feeling.
I don’t care for fences or wall around neighborhoods, though.
Kelly
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com
I think all depends on where you live, as in your proximity to your neighbors. I live in a downtown townhouse, my yard is small than many suburban decks. Many of my neighbors have tall 8′ fences and it didn’t inhibit anyone from coming over and introducing themselves when I was moving in. In fact I know more of my neighbors with a tall fence than with a short one. My fence is only about 3′ and I’m not sure yet if I will change it.
I am sitting on the fence :) Currently we have a variety of fence heights and styles, primarily to:
a) keep kids from entering the pool area without adult supervision
b) stop the neighbour’s backyard garden from falling into ours since her house is more elevated than our land
c) keep the dog from escaping (as much as she would love to hang out at the neighbour’s houses, I don’t think they want her there eating out the contents of their pantries)
d) provide a safe area in the front yard where I can watch my kids play from the kitchen window without fear of them running onto the road
However we did make them a combination of styles to suit the different outdoor “rooms” we have created around the house. The pool/patio fence is glass so there is no visual barrier between the two (and the pool lighting looks amazing at night when dining outside), the neighbour’s wall which is very high is now a nice horizontal slatted timber which gets loads of comments from visitors, the back fence was ugly grey but now a nice deep ocean blue to blend into the background and accent up the greenery I am growing in front of it and the front fence is a combination of rendered bricks and slatted timber so neighbours can still see us but not so obvious. We always have the neighbourhood kids over to play and I know they are safe from the road.
However I did rent a house once which had a shared backyard and it was great for communal games of cricket or whatever. I think the original owners were even planning a communal pool to share use and maintenance of. Now that’s a great idea – one pool for everyone so less water use, less chemical use – and one garden to maintain and mow. I guess you’d have to have a roster for maintenance and some “rules” but could be fun (if you got on well)
Just had a fence put up this past May and we are thrilled with the privacy that it provides. However the main reason was for our dog and because of one neighbor (unfortunately) whose child would come into our yard and was destructive and tried to harm our dog (throwing rocks). The fence gives us much piece of mind in our urban neighborhood. We have a lot of landscaping to do and that will “hide” the starkness of the fence in the future. We did it the cheapest way possible-first off family helped (my nephews, brother and brother in law); secondly we bought stockade fencing from Home Depot and stained it ourselves a cedar color (the fencing is spruce) to weatherize it and make it look reddish. We love how it turned out!
I love a picket fence. Privacy fences are just so off-putting and simply say, “Go away and leave me alone,” in my world. Where I grew up my parent’s house was set back on the lot with a huge front yard. This meant there was a front porch for sitting and lots of space for playing. This encouraged a lot more neighborly interaction. I would say my ideal is to have that set up with a picket fence. After all, dogs and children need to know they haven’t gone too far.
I am all for fences. I grew up with a fence and it didn’t hinder the neighborhood kids from playing all hours of the day together (as one reader claimed). They keep unwanted strangers out of your yead, and as a mom myself, that is a big plus. They keep stray dogs and other animals out as well. I wish we could have a fence around our front yard! That would give my son much more room to play with safety from the street! It would give my dog more places to roam and keep an eye on the neighborhood. Most importantly, it would keep our neighbor’s dog from pooping all over our front lawn, which they seem to think is funny and refuse to clean up (Their reason is we have a dog of our own and should just clean up their dog’s poop as well.).
I think it depends on the neighborhood and the acreage of the yards. In Chicago you live very close to your neighbor and the only way to clearly define the yard, get a little privacy, and contain the dog is to have a fence. There isn’t a house on the block that doesn’t have a fence but that doesn’t stop us from having fun. I talk with my neighbors all the time while still keeping our dog safe and sound. I do however thinks it’s weird where there is a lot of land and no one has a fence but that one neighbor that wants to be different. In those neighborhoods I would consider invisible fencing.
We fence! Fences make for good neighbors! Boundaries are healthy.
I grew up in the country…we had tons of acreage, so a fence was a foreign concept as a child. I loved playing out in the woods by the creek, etc. We had at least 3-4 large dogs and to this day I have never walked a dog on a leash!
That being said, my husband and I just bought our first home in town in an older established neighborhood and I love our nice private backyard with the fence. Plus, we hope to get a dog soon and the fence/dogwalking issue will be a necessity. I love the thought of our dog running around playing unrestrained outside all day. I don’t think fences are un-neighborly. It’s all up to you/your neighbors how much you want to interact.
This may be a late response to your entry, but we just closed a month ago and have been see-sawing on the fence issue since then. We have to awesome yellow labs that finally have a yard vs. living in apartment/always being on a leash. Since our 10-month old has been visiting the neighbors, we are leaning toward a privacy fence for the backyard and leaving the front yard open. Maybe when we put up the fence, we’ll let the neighbors know in advance that they are still welcome to visit or chat, but we’re trying to save them from our four-legged children. =)
I personally like fences, but mainly because I have a maniac of a dog!
To fence or not will really depend on your location and what are the customs, rules and laws in one’s area. Personally, I would like to have 4 foot fence. I also liked to put up a security gate, but it would be pretty useless with only a four-foot fence.
4 feet blocks just enough of view stating that we want some privacy but not enough to totally block off our neighbors.
Even if we setup tall fences, our neighbors can still peek at us anyway from their 2 to 3 storey houses.
hmmmmm… bya really depends on your needs and your area…. a 6′ privacy fence was our first major addition to our house be we planned from the beginning to have a dog or two and wanted them to be able to go outside and do their thing or hang out, if they wanted…. and we didn’t want to tie them to a teather….
I don’t necessarily believe that fences make good neighbors. Our new neighbors just decided to have a stockade-style wooden fence put up and I am devastated about it ruining the value of our home. I can understand certain situations where privacy is a real concern, but it can be accomplished by more attractive-styled fences. I wouldn’t want to put something up that would offend my neighbor, but this is exactly what they are doing to us. I am now being forced to spend money where they failed to to try and hide it as best as possible or paint it, but then that’s double-punishment because it will need to be painted every couple years or so to stay looking nice. And that is not something I need right now. If it comes down to spending less money, then let those who wish to have a fence, put ones up that are attractive on both sides, not just on theirs. It is most inconsiderate!!
I find this so interesting to read all the comments made here. I live in South Africa, and I’ve never seen a house without a high wall/fence around a property, with barbed wire or at least electric fencing. This unfortunately is a necessity in our country (as beautiful as it is), we have to have good secure fencing, with automatic gates and burglar bars on all our windows. However, I have a good relationship with my neighbours, always have in the past too.