NWMR: Give my your input on fences

oandmplus1 · July 2014

We moved into a new to us (but older) house in the fall, and the house itself was totally re-done inside. Our biggest project is the backyard. The old wooden fence is falling apart. We need to have our back yard fenced in for our dogs, so we have been debating our options. We had a wooden fence at the last house that we installed ourselves, but our 68 pound dog managed to break some of the boards and escape on a pretty regular basis. Therefore, my DH wants to go with chain link. Here are my thoughts, and I would love input or suggestions.

DH wants chain link because of 1) cost, 2) low maintenence, and he feels we could save money installing it ourselves 3) he thinks the larger gate would be easier with chainlink (to fit our riding mower through) - all things I agree with, but i can't seem to get onboard.

I prefer wooden fence for 1) Privacy for us 2) the dogs will bark if they can see people walk by due to being able to see through the fence 3) Looks

Budget is definitely a factor, but I would like our house and yard to look nice. We can't afford any of the vinyl fencing unfortunately. I hate the privacy slats for chain link, so please don't recommend those. What are your thoughts, am I being silly in wanting another wooden fence? Is DH justified in wanting the cheaper, more durable option?

SunAndRain · July 2014

There is manufactured material that looks like wood but is extremely durable. It isn't cheap but it'll require no maintenance and will last forever. The name of it slipped my mind but you can search home depot or let me know and I'll get back to you if you are interested.

SunAndRain · July 2014

composite decking is the material I was talking about in PP

oandmplus1 · July 2014

I will have to look into composite, that might be cheaper than the vinyl.

Good point with digging - our dog is definitely a digger, she might be able to dig under. Not much of a jumper luckily, and we only have 1 level.

Katelobster · July 2014

That's a tough call- we also have a wood fence that is falling apart and I cringe at both the thought of a chain link and the cost of a wood fence.

Two things to consider- how high can your dog jump? I have a wood fence but a chain link gate that is 4.5 ft tall. I never would have believed it if I didn't see it, but my small german Shepard mix can jump over the gate from a sitting position when she's motivated enough. Second- do you have people regularly walking next to your fence? Could a kid be close enough to try to stick a hand through a chain link fence and pet your dog, and would your dog bite? Either of those possibilities would push me toward a wood privacy fence.

emberlee3 · July 2014

I would go with the nicest looking fence I could afford. I hate the way chain link fences look.

oandmplus1 · July 2014

Thank you!!! I am so glad it wasn't just me that felt this way. I now have a few more arguments towards getting the wood fence rather than chain link.

I was so worried I was over-reacting in telling DH I didn't like the way they looked, but looks like I am not the only one out there!

SunAndRain · July 2014

here is google images of composite wood fences. I think they look great!

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=composite+wood+fence&FORM=HDRSC2

Good luck!

Leap08 · July 2014

I really dislike the way chain link looks. I'd do vinyl or wood or look into composite. We have 6ft wood fences and have never had a problem with our 60lb dog breaking boards. She will, however, find ways to get over them. Yes, my dog is an insane climber of 6ft fences.

mlee116 · July 2014

SandAndsSea said:

I would do a wood fence. You can do double sided or staggered to make it more dog-proof. I HATE chain link fences. They are ugly, provide no privacy and really scream cheap/poor to me.

Well, I guess I'm poor, lol. Juuust kidding. Kind of.

We do have a chain link that was already there when we bought our house and I would love to replace it with a wooden fence for cosmetic purposes and for more privacy. Plus my kid can climb the chain link pretty easily.

oandmplus1 · July 2014

SunAndRain said:

here is google images of composite wood fences. I think they look great!
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=composite+wood+fence&FORM=HDRSC2

Good luck!

I do like the look of composite. Now it's just a matter of what we can afford I think. At least home depot lets you finance over 6 months with no interest, so it gives us time to pay it off.

dashofreality · July 2014

No way around it, unless there is better looking chain link that I am unaware of, it is ugly and will not help your resale. What about a three post wood fence with wire like this: https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8qHqfcVTREAAixmJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIybnM2MGc3BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANhOGRlZmZhZTNiOTc5MmRjNTFlM2I1YzJiMTk5MGI3MQRncG9zAzcEaXQDYmluZw--?back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dthree%2Bpost%2Bfence%26fr%3Dyfp-t-901%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D7&w=526&h=480&imgurl=www.cleancutfence.com%2Fimages%2Fphocagallery%2Fthumbs%2Fphoca_thumb_l_3-rail-ranch-fence-welded-wire-with-backing.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cleancutfence.com%2Fgallery%2Fpost-and-rail-fence.html&size=73.4KB&name=Rail+Ranch+%3Cb%3EFence%3C%2Fb%3E+with+welded+wire+backing&p=three+post+fence&oid=a8deffae3b9792dc51e3b5c2b1990b71&fr2=piv-web&fr=yfp-t-901&tt=Rail+Ranch+%3Cb%3EFence%3C%2Fb%3E+with+welded+wire+backing&b=0&ni=21&no=7&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11tpt2fec&sigb=13a1dat75&sigi=13e6gprsl&sigt=11gkv00i4&sign=11gkv00i4&.crumb=UJs4sI.Nyak&fr=yfp-t-901&fr2=piv-web

jlaOK · July 2014

I would do wood for privacy and looks. I also think it is much easier for a dog to escape through a chain link fence (also more motivation since they can see what's out). I'm not sure how hard it is to repair a chain link fence but replacing slats/panels of a wooden fence is no big deal. We have to do this a lot since we live in Oklahoma and have frequent bad weather.

itsmevkb · July 2014

No to the chain link and honestly, I think vinyl ones aren't too great looking either. But, perhaps my neighbor just happened to pick the ugliest, cheapest looking vinyl one there is.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

We are allowed exactly one fence style in my neighborhood so I have done zero research.

However, my parents have a chain link and their dog could manipulate it where it met the ground it would escape.

I don't know the condition of your fence but would something like this extend it's life? https://www.behr.com/consumer/products/wood-stains-finishes-cleaners-and-strippers/behr-solid-color-deckover-stain

itsmevkb · July 2014

beaubecca said:

Wow I think some of your reactions to chain link are extreme. I would hate to see the reactions to my UO last week that I like corian countertops better than granite. The horror!

I think chain link is fine if you're out in the boonies somewhere with no real neighbors. For my little city lot where the fence would be shared by the neighbors on both sides of me I think that's when it would be an issue. Whatever I put in my yard also is then, in essence, in their yards and yea, chain link makes it look prisonesque. It also affects their property values as well as mine. My neighbor recently put in a very ugly white, vinyl fence and I hate it. Every.single.day I hate it.

Counter tops? I don't get the obsession with granite either but what you put in your kitchen isn't something your neighbors have to look at everyday.

welly01 · July 2014

Another vote for a wooden fence. I value my privacy and think it would be more difficult for a dog to escape.

emberlee3 · July 2014

beaubecca said:
Wow I think some of your reactions to chain link are extreme. I would hate to see the reactions to my UO last week that I like corian countertops better than granite. The horror!

I have laminate countertops! But I still dislike chain link fences.

newenglander71 · July 2014

We have black vinyl chain link. Our neighbors across the street also have it and knowing what it would look like installed definitely helped make the decision, along with the fact that fencing 1/2 an acre with anything other than this required more money than we were willing to spend. It looks fine, not prison like at all, although initially we were worried because we were getting it 5' high. It keeps the dogs in, keeps out the large creatures who live in the woods behind our house, and it didn't break the bank.

mlee116 · July 2014

beaubecca said:

itsmevkb said:

beaubecca said:

Wow I think some of your reactions to chain link are extreme. I would hate to see the reactions to my UO last week that I like corian countertops better than granite. The horror!

I think chain link is fine if you're out in the boonies somewhere with no real neighbors. For my little city lot where the fence would be shared by the neighbors on both sides of me I think that's when it would be an issue. Whatever I put in my yard also is then, in essence, in their yards and yea, chain link makes it look prisonesque. It also affects their property values as well as mine. My neighbor recently put in a very ugly white, vinyl fence and I hate it. Every.single.day I hate it.

Counter tops? I don't get the obsession with granite either but what you put in your kitchen isn't something your neighbors have to look at everyday.

My neighborhood is older and when the houses were built chain link was the common thing. The whole community is fenced, with chain link, and you need to go through this whole process to get it removed/replaced. So people end up keeping the chain link in the back yard and just putting up wood entries, which I think looks odd. I live in the DC Metro and wouldn't call my neighborhood cheap or "poor people" or prisonesque by any stretch. It's just older and not filled with mcmansions we snobby privileged americans demand these days.

Yeah, I live in a similar neighborhood of houses that were built in the 1950's-1980's and a lot of them have chain link in the backyards. I mean, if I could choose, I would go with wood, but I've never thought it made us look "poor."

itsmevkb · July 2014

I don't believe I said it made it look "poor." My neighborhood is in the city, not a suburb, and all the homes were built in the 1930s. Not McMansions by any stretch of the imagination and we bought there for that very reason. Very few people have fences, and those that do have seem to have wood or vinyl. Chain link would look a little odd given the style of homes but I'm sure there are some in the neighborhood, just not on my block. Certainly, if my neighbors had one then hey, I'd probably get one too as it's most likely the cheapest option and wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb, but I'd unlikely be the first to put one up.

KayteeGee · July 2014

The thing is, this is totally neighborhood dependent. Chain link can look "normal" and fine if it's what others have and it fits in with the neighborhood aesthetic. Personally, I think it most often times looks tacky and cheap, but that's just my opinion. Some PPs have said they use it in the backyard to separate their yards from woods - and I think that sounds fabulous. So I get it, but for me... in my neighborhood ... well, A) we would not be allowed to do that and

it would just totally look awful with our home.. I'm not sure we can be a lot of help to you on this one.... ??

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