Fencing for Privacy, Dogs, and Kids

When we purchased our house, my wife and I were excited about having a place to truly call our own. We liked the floor plan, with spacious bedrooms and room to settle down and start a family, and the interior needed little work. The outside of our home needed some TLC and at first the yard seemed small and cramped. We realized though, with some careful planning our yard actually extended much further than the previous owners had taken advantage of. Residing beside a large parking area utilized by the town’s public works office, we decided a fence would enhance our yard by maximizing our property lines, as well as provide privacy and security for us, our toddler, and our vivacious pup.

We decided on a simple, vertically planked 6’ cedar fence in the front along side the main road and parking area to shield us from the hustle and bustle of the commercial zone. 1/2” spacing between planks (which grew to about 3/4” after the planks fully dried out) allowed privacy while not feeling completely blocked off by a completely obscured wall. At the corner we built a double gate to allow our camper to park alongside the house and have easy egress.

A collection of homes lay around the corner and side of our lot and we wanted to feel apart of that community, and so chose a 4’ high hog-wire fence to enclose the yard for the dog and children while still feeling open and welcoming to the neighborhood. A taller section of planked fence shields our parking area from our side yard where we plan to build a comfortable deck for lounging.

Properly designed fencing can really enhance the comfort of being in your yard, allow the kids and pets to roam freely and safely, and provide a backdrop for future landscaping ideas. We’re very pleased with this addition to our outdoor space.