How tall do your fence slats need to be?

Obviously, this will be decided by the height of your fence. Most privacy fences are either six or eight feet tall. If you have fence posts that are already installed and want fence slats to replace the old fence slats, you will need to buy fence slats that are the same height as your fence post.

Generally, it will be a good idea to buy fence slats and fence posts at the same time as you don’t want to be cutting your fence slats to size. Hardware stores and fence retailers will usually sell uniform sizes when it comes to fence slats and fence posts, thereby giving you a wide range of options to pick and choose from.

How many slats will you need?

Next, you will have to figure out just how many fence slats you need for your fence line. Most fence slats that are sold for privacy reasons are about 5.5 inches wide. You can easily calculate the length of your fence and then divide it by 5.5 inches, to get the number of slats that you will need. Always buy a few extra as some fence slats will inevitably get damaged or roughed up when you install them onto the fence. Moreover, if you have slats left over, you can always use them to replace old slats that might become damaged or rotten over time.

The example given above is just that, an example. If the fence slat that you have chosen is just 3 inches wide instead of the 5.5 inches that we have mentioned, you must re-work your calculations to get the right number of slats that you will need.

What kind of slats should you choose?

This will depend on your budget and your needs. There are privacy slats that are available for a wide variety of fences. Even a chain link fence can be made a privacy fence with plastic slats that can be inserted through the chain links, in a zigzag manner.

However, the most popular type of privacy slats out there is wood and vinyl slats. If you want cheap wooden fence slats, you can go with pine wood that costs very less. Pine wood however looks rather rough on the eye. More expensive slats made out of cedar and spruce will give you a much more aesthetic looking fence.

Installing fence slats

Chain link fence

These are cheap and very functional. They use metal fence posts and fence panels that are made out of steel chain links, thereby giving the name “chain link” to the fence. Though such fences are not very pretty to look at, they are quite popular as they are the most affordable and durable of all fences. Besides, one can make them look pretty or at least somewhat appealing by using decorative panels or mesh screens that will go on top of the chain link panels.

Wooden fences

Wood is a great choice for a boundary fence. There are many number of wooden fence styles. Some of them are shadow box fencing, picket fencing, post and rail fencing, split rail fencing, full privacy fences and so on. Wooden fences are usually made out of long lasting wood like cedar or spruce. After chain link fencing, wooden fences are the most preferred type out there as they provide a gorgeous complement to the design and look of any property. Since wood is an organic material, it does need some maintenance and care, once in a while. You might have to seal paint wooden fences from time to time and also attend to small repairs and patch up jobs that will require you to sand down splinters, replace rotting wood panels and also check and eliminate termite infestation.

Vinyl fences

Vinyl fences are very popular these days. They are very popular because they don’t require any maintenance. Since they resemble wood, many people prefer vinyl over wood as they can install the fence and just forget about its maintenance. However, there is one small drawback in the sense that vinyl is a lot more expensive than wood fencing. Purists who like wooden building materials will also quite not settle for a vinyl fence, even though it looks and even feels like a wooden fence.

Wrought iron fencing

This is probably the most upscale type of fence that you could install for your property. Wrought iron fences will provide you with a high level of security and also have great appeal when it comes to being an ornamental fence. Wrought iron fences are slowly going out of style although select people still pay good money for a wrought iron fence that will make their property look aristocratic or very traditional. They are the best fit for homes or properties that are built with a Victorian style.

Cheaper forms of fencing

If your main objective is to save money on a boundary fence, you might want to go with a barbed wire fence or smooth wire fencing.

Creative forms of fencing

They currently have 5 locations in California, one in Agoura, one in Ventura, one in Goleta, one in Santa Maria and one in Atascadero. It also has to be noted that this one of the few fencing companies that has been endorsed and identified by the American Fence Association, otherwise known as the AFA.

What type of fencing products can you buy from The Fence Factory?

Vinyl Craft

If you want decorative fencing, you might want to consider Vinyl Craft. They make every kind of ornamental fence that you can think of. They have ordinary fences, patio covers, decking materials, ranch rail type fences, gazebos and arbors for gardens and even rail fencing.

Within the fencing types, you will be able to buy semi-privacy, full privacy or picket fences.

Ornamental vinyl fence

This is a specialty of the Fence Factory. Their ornamental vinyl fences look very much like wrought iron fences, without the super expensive cost. They offer a very impressive lifetime warranty on these vinyl fences, against peeling, cracking, rotting and yellowing. These ornamental fences are available in white, grey and tan colors, with the grey color best matching the color and texture of steel. Fence Factory also says that these fences will not require any type of maintenance at all.

Classic Manor fence

This is a favorite among many customers who choose Fence Factory for their fencing needs. This fence will provide any property with a classic and traditional look. The Manor fence also comes with a lifetime warranty and no-maintenance tag. Fence Factory themselves have said that this is their most elegant looking fence.

Custom picket and vinyl fencing

If you have an idea for a picket fence that you just can’t find anywhere in the market, Fence Factory should be the place to go to. They have a do it yourself factory where you can walk in and basically incorporate your styling elements into a fence that they will build for you.

Wood fences

Factory fence specializes in wood fences that come in the following styles. Split rail, polecraft, wood picket and wood privacy fence.

Chain link

Fence factory has vinyl coated chain link fences, hot dip galvanized chain link fences and a number of miniature mesh screens that you can use to obtain more privacy from your chain link fence.

Other products

What materials are used to make a post and rail fence?

The most popular material that is used to make this fence is wood. In fact, this fencing style evolved in areas that had a bounty of lumber. Nowadays, it is chosen for its style rather than for the availability of lumber. Rail fences are also available in vinyl. Most country folk still use wooden post and rail fences whereas city dwellers like the vinyl post and rail fence, as it requires very little maintenance.

Shapes and styles

The traditional post and rail fence will have two rails. However, it is not uncommon to see fences with three rails or even four rails, especially if the fence is quite tall. When choosing post and rail fences, buyers will usually have to choose between a square and a rounded shape. The square shape is more traditional although the rounded shape is becoming quite popular as well.

The finished look of a post and rail fence will also ultimately depend on the type of joint that is used to attach the post and the rails together. Post and rail fences with lap joints are usually the worst looking, although they are quite affordable. Butt joints result in a smoother looking fence. If you want the most cosmetically appealing fence, you must go with slotted post and rail fences that will look very neat, flowing seamlessly from one post to another.

Installation of a post rail fence

Installing a post rail fence is not all that difficult, provided you have some handy tools, a good amount of energy and some common sense installation knowledge. Here is a quick overview of how you will go about installing a post and rail fence.

• Choose the type of material that you want carefully. Wood is always a good choice although it will require maintenance. If you can’t inspect and maintain your fence, vinyl will be a better choice although vinyl doesn’t fare very well in hot and cold climates
• Once you have decided on the fencing material and have bought the posts and the rails according to your requirements, it is time to start digging post holes
• If you have a long fence line, we would highly recommend that you rent a gas powered hole digger to dig up many holes
• Once the posts have been anchored to the ground, join the rails to the posts. The difficulty of this task will depend on the type of rails that you have bought. If you have bought fitted or slotted rails, fixing the rails will be a very easy job. If you have however bought posts and rails that need to be fixed together with lap joints, you are going to require a fair amount of grunt work, to attach the rails and finish off the fence

Here are some yard fence ideas that will put on the path to selecting a fence for your yard.

Wood fences

This is the most scenic option. Choose tall wooden fences, made with wood panels, to go around your yard. They will offer you complete privacy if you wish while they can also allow you to look beyond your property, if you don’t want them to entirely block out the view. If you have a pool in your yard, you might want to go with a tall cedar or spruce fence that uses slats that are very close to each other, blocking out the view from the outside completely.

Wood fences are preferable because they look very natural, especially if you have a lot of trees, plants or maybe even a garden in your yard. However, they do take a bit of work on the maintenance front. Since wood can rot, splinter and collect mold and mildew, you will need to take time off to attend to them every once in a while.

Vinyl fences

If you just can’t deal with the maintenance of your yard fence, a vinyl fence might be a good idea. It uses a very durable plastic material in PVC, one that requires very little maintenance. They also resemble the look of a wooden fence although one can tell the differences between vinyl and wood if they look really closely. Vinyl is fairly costlier than a wooden fence although the lack of maintenance expenses makes them quite an attractive option as a yard fence.

Chain link fencing

Chain link fencing is a very functional form of fencing that uses steel wires that are molded into a diamond like pattern. They are obviously not very pretty to look at but they are pretty strong. Many homeowners will use wooden or vinyl fencing around the front of their home and then use chain link facing at the back, just to cover their yard.

Like vinyl fences and unlike wooden fences, chain link fences will hardly require any kind of maintenance.

Living fences

One creative yard fence idea that you could possibly explore is one where you can use hedge plants to create a living fence. Such fences will require you to trim and grow plants in such a way that they line up as a fence along the perimeter of your property. Obviously, such fences will require a lot of maintenance and upkeep. Still, people prefer it as it provides them with a great looking yard.

Other options

Chain link fencing

This is actually the most popular type of fencing in the United States. Typically, such fences cost less than $10 per foot, with even installation costs being quite low. Many people who buy this cheap fencing are often able to install the fence themselves.

Such fences can last for several years, requiring very little maintenance. These fences will usually make use of a diamond shaped pattern, with wires that are interwoven with one another, in a mesh like pattern. Generally, the mesh will not offer a lot of privacy although you can buy ones that will, at higher prices, since more steel is used. Many people get themselves a cheap chain link fence and then beautify it by using wood panels or wraps that will make a chain link fence a little less of an eyesore.

Electric fencing

Electric fencing is a cheap type of fencing as there is no physical fence present. Since no raw materials are used up, they often cost a fraction of what a physical fence would cost. You will still need some raw materials to line up the sensors in strategic points along the fence line.

There are also some disadvantages with this type of cheap fencing; for instance, its use is fairly limited, with most homeowners buying it to contain their dogs to their property. The dogs will need to wear a special collar at all times, in order for the electric fence to work. When the dog nears the imaginary electric fence, the sensors that came with the electric fence will set off a small shock of electricity that will cause the dog to retreat away from the fence. After a few shocks, dogs are usually very intelligent to stay away from the imaginary fence, thereby serving you the purpose of a physical fence.

Fencing with scrap materials

If you are strictly looking for a fence that will demarcate your property and not necessarily look great around your property, you can consider the option of using scrap material to build your fence. Wooden boards, old brick and even metal railings can be used to create a fence line. Before you use scrap material to build your fence, just make sure that the local zoning authorities will be OK with it. There are regulations on what kind of materials can be used in some residential areas and you must make sure that you are in compliance.

Using scrap materials to build a fence will save you a tremendous amount of money on raw materials although you will need a fair amount of creativity and skills to make the scrap materials work as an effective fence.

Post and rail fencing

Type of portable fences

Electric fence

An electric fence is very portable because the setting up an electric fence is very simple, no matter how many times it is done. There are no physical fence lines and you will just have to install a few sensors in some strategic points, to create an imaginary fence line.

An electric fence works by zapping intruders with small jolts of electricity that will keep them from walking into a property or walking away from a property. This type of portable fence is usually very popular with dog owners who try to keep their dog from running away.

Portable chain link fence panels

These portable fences will make use of chain link fence panels that are propped up on a couple of supporting arms, on either side. The manufacturers who make these fence panels will also sell you connectors that will allow you to connect two or more of these portable fence panels to create a fence line. Generally, you will have to buy at least 5 of these fence panels if you want a good deal on price. Such fences are great for things like crowd control or to demarcate a playing area. They last for many years and are pretty strong as well.

Pet fences

The market has many portable fences that are meant to hold small animals like dogs or cats. Such fences will make use of panels that are made with steel wires. To create a fence, one will simply have to fasten each panel to the next panel and then allow the weight of the fence to hold itself in place. If you want more stability, you can always buy these pet fences with anchor bases although they might take up a little bit of a bigger footprint than the pet fence that just stands on its own weight.

Fabric fencing

Fabric fences are usually sold in rolls that you can weave around fence posts. They are very affordable and can be used for crowd control or to just demarcate properties, without offering a lot of physical protection. The fabric that is generally used in these types of portable fencing is a vinyl coated polyester material that is very durable. One unique advantage with this fabric fence is that sponsors and advertisers will be able to print their name or logo onto the fence. There are a few companies that do that and you might be able to put your portable fence to good use that way.

Below, we have discussed the many styles of bamboo fencing that you can incorporate into your property.

Types of bamboo fencing

Split cane bamboo fencing

This is the most basic form of bamboo fencing that you can buy. It is quite cheap, at least in comparison to the other types of bamboo fences, and can be used for fence lines that are not very symmetric. These fences are usually sold in rolls, thereby allowing you to use them even if your fence line has a zigzag pattern to it. To use the fence, simply install a fence post at strategic positions and then use some wire to secure the rolls at the junctions where they meet the post.

Such fences are usually a good idea for small gardens that need a fence that looks a little attractive. Though a split cane bamboo fence is not the top of the line bamboo fence, it is much better looking than a chicken wire fence that people would usually use for small gardens or small spaces.

Bamboo stick fence

While the basic split cane fence mentioned above uses raw canes, a bamboo stick fence will use bamboo sticks that have been processed for size. These fence sticks will have more uniformity and will also have been treated with a waterproof sealant. Generally, such fences are made in such a way that the sticks are fairly close to each other, offering a lot of privacy.

It is not uncommon for people to buy a bamboo stick fence panel to use over a chain link fence. Of course, this type of fence can be used as a standalone fence as well, when the panels are connected to fence posts along the fence’s perimeter.

Bamboo panel fences

Bamboo panel fences are the best looking bamboo fences of all. Manufacturers who make these panels will make use of identical bamboo sticks that are squeezed into a panel, with reinforcements at the top and bottom, giving you a fence that is very secure and also one that offers you a lot of privacy. Unlike the split cane bamboo fences and the bamboo stick fences that use wraps to hold the slats in place, a bamboo panel will make use of slats that are individually glued or nailed onto the supporting bars that run at the top and bottom of the panel.

Traditional bamboo fences

Bamboo fences became popular in the western world after people noticed how they were able to beautify gardens in Japan, where bamboo fences are traditionally used. There are some westerners in the U.S. who shop for traditional Japanese patterns when they select a bamboo fence.

A few of these patterns are discussed below.

Kenninji bamboo fence

This type will give you a fence that will use a green shade of bamboo, thereby giving your fence a living look. It is very popular as a fence around yards, especially among people who want their property to look very green and blended in with nature. Even the materials used to tie the green slats together are materials that were extracted from the bamboo plant, thereby giving you a fence that is completely organic in nature.

Ryoanji fence

These fences are the Japanese version of picket fences. They are often quite low in height, being just about 3 or 4 feet tall. They generally use a lattice like pattern and don’t offer a lot of privacy. People usually use them as hand rails or just as decorative fencing to separate various areas of a garden.

Otsu fence

An Otsu bamboo fence is a very lightweight fence that uses bamboo that is weaved onto the fence panel, in a crisscross pattern. One can use such fences to get a lot of privacy, while also allowing just a little bit of light to pass in. The light will pass in through a hundred different small gaps although the gaps will be small enough to prevent a passerby from looking into the fence, unless they are really crouched and looking into your property.

Some of these fences can be painted while most of them come in the natural bamboo color, usually brown or green. You will generally be able to choose the level of privacy that such fences will be able to offer.

How to clean bamboo fences?

Now, you might think that bamboo fences will require some special form of cleaning. It is not exactly true as maintenance of a bamboo fence is fairly simple. You can wash it just like any other wood fence out there.

First, use a garden hose to spray down the entire fence, preferably with some pressure that will be strong enough to knock off all the loose dirt that is on the surface of the fence. Then, use a bucket of water and some detergent along with the sponge to just wipe down the fence slats, from top to bottom. If you want to really give your fence a thorough cleaning, remove the slats and clean them individually. This will however require you to remove the wraps that hold the slats together and then also put them back. It is fairly easy to do once you get the hang of it.

Once you have soaped down the fence, use the garden hose again, to remove the soap from the fence. Once this is done, use a good quality sealant or stainer to coat the entire bamboo fence.  It is quite important that you do this at least once every year or so, if you want your bamboo fence to last.

Below, we will briefly introduce you to the most popular type of concrete fences that you could consider for your property that needs fencing.

Pre-Cast concrete fences

These are often the most expensive type of concrete fences that you can purchase. They are already made in a factory somewhere and contractors will come install it for you after you have picked it off a catalog. Unlike most other concrete fence types, these fences can be bought in a wide range of colors, textures and designs, allowing you to find fences that will complement your property very well.

Gray block concrete fences

These fences, as the name suggests, use rough blocks of concrete to provide you with a fence that will be very strong, but not much to look at in terms of aesthetics.  Steel channels at spaced out intervals, mixed in with concrete as a foundation is used to install gray block fences.

Split face concrete fences

These are slightly more appealing to look at than gray block fences although they are very similar to gray block fences in other aspects. They are also installed in the same way as a gray block concrete fence.

Exposed aggregate concrete fences

This type of concrete fence will use a gray block fence or a split face fence that will then be sandblasted to provide a smooth and visually appealing finish. It is possible for the sandblasting to be done in such a way that the fence will have a nice looking pattern on it. Exposed aggregate concrete fences are a good choice for those who can’t quite afford to go all the way with the purchase of pre-cast concrete fences.

Concrete fences that do not need mortar foundations

While all the above mentioned concrete fence types will require a mortar base to anchor the fence, you will also be able to purchase specific non-mortar concrete fences that can be sort of stacked onto a surface, to form a fence. Installers will use interlocking patterns to make sure that the fence is secure, even though it doesn’t have a solid foundation that uses a cement mix. Another popular type of concrete fence that does not use a mortar mix is simply known as an AB concrete fence. This fence type will make use of concrete blocks that can be easily stacked upon one another, to provide a solid fence.

Concrete fence posts

While wire fences are not very pretty to look at, they do offer one unmatched advantage in the form of affordability. Wire fences can cost just pennies on the dollar, when you compare them against the cost of wooden fences or even chain link fencing that is the cheapest type of secure fencing. Here are some common wire fence types that you might be interested in.

Barbed wire fence

This very simple fence uses steel wire that is twisted at regular intervals, to provide a sharp barb that will prick an animal when it tries to weigh down the fence or when it tries to stick its head out onto the other side. Such fences work very well for livestock like cows and pigs as such animals will keep a safe distance from such fences, once they have been poked by the barbs once.

However, such fences usually don’t work well for horses that may run the risk of injury, as they like to spend a lot of time along the edge of a field that is surrounded by a fence.

Smooth wire fence with high tension

These are slightly more expensive than barbed wire fences although they provide you with the assurance that your horses, cows or other livestock are not harmed in any way. Such wire fences usually use 12 ½ gauge steel that can withstand a fair amount of abuse.

When using such fences, it is important that the wires are tautly connected to each fence post. Some people like to equip such wires with electricity, to further deter animals from going in or out of a property. The electricity will be just enough to scare away an animal and not really hurt it in any way. Some people are not comfortable with such fences as they think that they are being cruel to animals. Some are however fine with it as they see it as a way of protecting the animals. If you are taking the electric route, please make sure that you have it professionally installed with the right kind of insulators that will prevent the fence from shorting out when it rains or when no animals are in contact with the fence.

No climb wire fencing