Home Fence Ideas

Fencing can bring about the much needed privacy and security we want in our homes. Not only that, wood fencing in particular, can also give the house and its surrounding landscape the right touch of rustic charm to complete its look.

Wood fences come in a variety of styles and wood materials. It is best to keep in mind though, that choosing the right design for a wood fence depends largely on two main factors that a homeowner may be aiming for: the form, or the aesthetic appeal; and the functionality, or the main purpose why you are putting up a fence in the first place.

Depending on the homeowner's end goal and the style of the house itself, wood fences can sometimes fill the need for both form and functionality. For instance, if your chief purpose is to have a semblance of privacy or to add visual appeal to your home, there are many wooden fence styles that can address these requirements.

For others, the choice is not so clear-cut. When endeavoring to provide as much security as possible to one's property, a metal or stone fencing would be more appropriate under the circumstances, disregarding the fact that wooden fencing may be a better fit for the style of your house.

Wood Fence Designs: When Form is the Main Consideration

Pick out the type of wood fence that would best complement the style and make of your home as well as the general landscaping design that it has. Here are the basic wood fence designs and the house styles where they would have the most appeal:

o Picket-style fence. This type of fencing provides quaint charm most suitable for cottage-style homes and those with landscape designs leaning towards English garden themes. Picket-style fencing also comes in a variety of types of which the most popular are dog-ear spaced picket, French gothic spaced picket, and the pointed top spaced picket.

o Split-rail wood fence. Perfect for a country feel, ranch-style homes and those with landscaping inspired by the Southwestern US design should find a good fit with the split-rail wood fencing. The best material for the split-rail style is the Western red cedar wood.

o Log wood fence. This style showcases the true beauty of wood and best matches houses designed with a rustic theme. While most are installed as vertical panels, horizontals log panels are also not uncommon.