5 things to know before you build a fence
It’s important to plan your fence with care because you will have to live with it for a long time, says Wally Montpetit, the owner of Fence-All. With 42 years of fence-building experience behind him, Montpetit offers these five things to remember before putting up your fence.
KNOW WHY YOU’RE BUILDING A FENCE
Your reasons for erecting a fence will go a long way to determining the type you put up and the materials you use. If all you need is to keep people from cutting across your lawn, maybe you only need a few short posts and some chain. If you want privacy, then you’ll want a taller fence made from wood or PVC.
CHOOSE YOUR MATERIALS CAREFULLY
The most common types of fence materials are wood, PVC, chain link and iron. Wood requires the most maintenance while PVC and metal fences require the least.
“People like wood because they think it’s cheaper — which it’s not — or they think that PVC looks too modern. Maybe it’s because we all grew up knowing what a wood fence looked like,” said Montpetit. “PVC equals ‘no maintenance’ and wood equals ‘lots of maintenance.’ ”
PLAN YOUR ACCESS POINTS
If you’re building a fence around your yard, consider how many gates you’ll need, how big they should be and where they should be placed.
“People often overdo in their mind what they need,” said Montpetit. “Gates are usually three feet wide, which might sound small, but it is the same as the front door of your house.”
CONSIDER HOW TALL YOUR FENCE SHOULD BE
If people can’t see into your yard, then you can’t see out. If you want to preserve the view, think about a shorter fence or one that you can see through.
“Some people are on a river or a golf course, and they want to see what’s out there, whereas most people want privacy,” said Montpetit.
CHOOSE A STYLE THAT COMPLEMENTS YOUR HOUSE
No matter what kind of fence you build, it marks your property to passersby, so pick a style that matches the colour and decorative elements of your house in order to present a uniform look.
For more information, call 613736-1122 or visit www.fenceall.com.