Wooden fences and chain link barriers are the most common types of fences in Canada, although in more historic areas you may find more brick. If you need help deciding which one suits your yard, here is what you need to know.
Quick take:
- Brick, aluminum, and concrete provide the best protection for your space.
- Electric fences keep animals in or out of your space.
- Chain link can be the most affordable option.
- Wood has a great balance between esthetic and durability.
Summary: Types of fences for yards
For many, a home is a sanctuary, or rather a place where you shut out the world and decide who gets in and who does not. Trespassers could be animals, people with bad intentions, or just someone using your space as a shortcut. Installing a fence around your yard is vital in that it improves security around your home by limiting the entryways.
If you have kids or pets, a fence creates a safe sandbox away from the streets, giving you peace of mind. However, in terms of strength, durability, privacy, aesthetics, and the resale value of your home. Fences are not the same, meaning, if you decide to install one, you must think about now and the future. That brings us to the question.
What are the reasons why you should install a fence around your property?
Do you have a dog? What if it gets out and bites somebody? You could be liable to pay damages.
There is also the issue of kids, how comfortably can you rest knowing that your eight-year-old can easily wander into the streets?
The point I am trying to make is. Fences protect you and your family from the outside world by creating clear boundaries. Also, a clear boundary limits your liability if anything should happen on your property to anyone who was trespassing at the time of the incident, it prevents wild animals from damaging your property or putting your family at risk, and vitally, a fence enhances privacy and increases your living area.
Therefore, the reasons you should install a fence include:
- Improve security: In many Canadian cities, property vandalism, burglary, and trespass are the main types of crime. A fence, coupled with a security system will not only improve security -but also property value.
- Resale value: if you are planning to sell your home, you should install a fence with curb appeal as your focus.
- Reduce conflicts with neighbors: boundary encroachment is one of the most common causes of conflicts between neighbors, installing a fence creates a permanent marker that may help lessen conflicts.
- Privacy: a fence separates your yard from the street and prying eyes. You may use different materials to create private outdoor spaces where you can be you.
Overall, security, safety, and resale value are the main reasons to install a fence. The question is, what are the different types of fences for yards?
Before we get to that, it is worth mentioning that if you are in Edmonton, you will need a permit to install a fence. Download a permit here to begin the process.
That said, here is everything you need to know about the different types of fences in Edmonton.
What type of fence is most durable?
Answer: Brick, concrete, or stone wall
A brick wall can be aesthetically pleasing, intimidating, or both. With brick, you can make the fence as high as you want it to be or as low as you need it to be. Secure and not easy to break through, a brick fence will provide your family with all the security and privacy you need.
Installing a brick wall is expensive. However, it may last decades without needing repairs or replacement, justifying the installation price. With no gaps between the bricks, it means that you have all the security you need. If security is your primary cause for installing a fence, we suggest installing an electrified fence on top of the brick wall.
A brick wall will also reduce noise from the street. So, if you live near a busy road or high traffic area, you should install a brick wall around your property.
What to remember:
- For aesthetic reasons, choose a brick pattern or design that matches your home.
- The higher the fence, the more privacy you will enjoy.
- Use concrete bricks in cold areas (cold weather can easily damage clay).
Precast concrete fence
If you are looking for the same level of protection a brick wall offers, you may choose a precast concrete fence. As the name suggests, this type of fence comes ready to install and is made of concrete. Alberta experiences cold temperatures for most of the year, and as mentioned cold weather easily damages brick walls. Concrete walls can survive both cold and warm weather, making them perfect for urban areas or private spaces.
Just like brick, a concrete wall will cost you a lot of money to install, but it will last for decades without repairs or replacement.
What is the cheapest type of yard fence?
Answer: Barbed wire or chain-link. You may also choose, wood, PVC white picket fence, or a living fence
If you have a large property or farm. Installing a brick fence is not an option. Chain link and barbed wire, on the other hand, are cheap solutions. Of the two, barbed wire is the cheapest, whereas chain-link is comparatively expensive.
Barbed wire is effective against large animals such as sheep, cows, and goats, but it will not do much against kids.
What are you trying to keep out?
If your goal is to keep out deer, moose, coyotes, bears, or cougars, chain link is one of the best options.
- Chain link fences are galvanized, meaning they do not rust over time.
- Chain link fences require little maintenance.
- Unlike barbed wire, chain-link is safe for animals and kids.
- You can install chain-link at various heights.
But we suggest installing an electric fence for reasons described below.
What is the most aesthetically appealing type of fence?
Answer: Wood, aluminum, living wall, or PVC?
The price of lumber seems to go up every day in Canada, consequently, wood is expensive in the province. To cut costs you may use recycled or salvaged wood, but a wooden fence will not provide the same level of security as a brick or concrete fence.
The reason to install a wooden fence is curb appeal. Why?
Do you dream about the classic white picket fence? Traditionally, manufacturers use wood to make this type of fence. But as lumber prices go up, more homeowners are substituting wood with PVC. Vinyl or PVC fences are pest resistant and will last longer, however, these types of fences require regular maintenance.
The reason to install them is to improve curb appeal. A long-term solution would be to install an aluminum fence.
Why install an aluminum fence?
Aluminum is weather-resistant, highly durable, and comes in a wide selection of styles and options.
How do you increase privacy?
You cover it with a living fence. A living fence, as the name suggests is made of climbing plants. These plants fill the gaps in aluminum fences enhancing privacy.
What can I use for a living fence?
There are two ways to build a living wall, one, you may use plants alone or, two, combine a traditional fence with plants. Therefore, the first step is choosing your plants. If you are in Edmonton and prefer to use plants alone, we suggest planting currant, lilac, dogwood, dwarf mountain pine, or any other locally available hedge plants.
This is a long-term effort that will require you to regularly trim, and shape the hedges.
Cover your fence with plants.
Virginia creeper, virgin’s bower, and American bittersweet are some examples of climbing vines that you may use to enhance privacy in your yard or give life to a blank brick wall.
Whichever option you settle on, there are some curb appeal rules to follow that will make your life easier.
Rule 1: Think maintenance first
Hedges and vines, without proper care, will ruin your home’s curb appeal. So, you must be willing to clean your yard regularly and choose resistant materials. We suggest avoiding wood. Instead, grow a living wall on concrete, aluminum, barbed wire, or chain-link.
Rule 2: Make sure the fence matches your home’s aesthetics
Your fence may contrast or complement your home. It all depends on the texture, colors, and materials you pick. So, find an underlying theme and use it to unify your fence and your home. If unsure of what type of fence best suits your home, there is no harm in consulting with a professional.
What type of fence is best for agricultural settings?
Answer: Electric fence
If you own a home near a wildlife reserve, or if you own a farm. You should install an electric fence.
Why?
One, Electric fences are cheaper than barbed wire. Two, it will prevent animals from getting in or out. Large animals, including cows, learn to avoid electric fences, and unlike barbed wire, electric fences pose little risk to livestock.
What about bears and cougars?
Bears can climb or dig under most fences. Electricity deters digging and climbing animals, including bears.
With so many options, what do I need to know before buying a fence?
What to remember:
Better privacy: choose a fence with little or no spaces
- Choose brick, stone, or concrete fences, for maximum privacy.
- Aluminum fences with little or no spaces.
- If you choose an aluminum wood fence, you should cover it with plants for added privacy.
Better aesthetics
- Choose traditional wood fences to improve curb appeal.
- You may substitute wood with aluminum, PVC, or vinyl.
To keep animals in or out
- Choose barbed wire, chain-link, or electric fence.
- Electric fence is cheaper and safer for wild and domestic animals.
What size fence should I get?
That depends on your reason for installing the fence, if it is privacy, the higher, the better. If it is for aesthetics, a lower wall will work just fine.
How do I choose the fence color?
Color is a matter of preference, so experiment and pick one that matches or contrasts the underlying theme of your home.
Overall, the factors to consider before installing a new fence are security, aesthetics, and maintenance. Living walls require more maintenance, whereas a brick, barbed wire, or stone wall requires very little.
