Although we live in a very high-tech world, natural wood remains an immensely popular choice when it comes to garden fence material. However, technology has allowed the choices of wood fence styles to expand enormously.
Cedar continues to be one of the most popular choices since it attractive, insect and rot-resistant, and is available in a variety of shades. Western Red Cedar is exactly what it sounds like, a reddish wood. Northern White Cedar is in fact a pale yellow, much lighter than its reddish cousin is.
Although cedar can stand on its own for years with little care, it does pay to treat it in order to make it last many years longer, while also optimizing its appearance. Oils take to cedar very well and they help keep out potentially harmful moisture and give the wood a rich look. Stains are another viable option, and have the added feature of offering some UV protection.
Another popular choice is Redwood. As well as being a beautiful wood, it is also naturally insect resistant, since it contains compounds that repel or kill many species. Similar molecules that occur in the wood naturally reduce mildew and other fungi from degrading the timber.
Staining is less common with redwood, since it is already a shade that many folks prefer. Nevertheless, some treatment is still advisable to keep that redwood lasting for years without needing replacement. Shellac or even subtle oil will add significantly to its typical lifetime.
Composites have long been used as decking material and they are increasingly making their way into fencing. Made, as the name suggests, of a composite of wood shavings and resin, they strongly resemble natural wood fence styles. At the same time, they offer many more years of life while keeping their new appearance much longer than most natural wood. They also require much less maintenance and rarely need treatment.
Composites can be painted and some can even take stain. Having said that, neither is usually required because composites can be purchased with the desired look already included. That helps offset their higher price. Overall, they are usually less expensive because of their long life.
Apart from the choice of materials, there are numerous wood fence design options as well.
Design choices are influenced by the cost of materials, the desired look and the skill of the builder. However, even with these criterion, the potential is limited mainly by the imagination of the designer. Based on what is available, that limit is amazingly high. Modern fencing has grown to encompass styles as diverse as the types of computer or clothing on the market.
The traditional picket fence remains consistently popular nowadays. The equally traditional slat-butt style in which boards are simply lined up shoulder to shoulder is still highly useful and attractive. Many variations cap the fence with a lattice-type fencing that lets through sunlight and gives the fence a stylish look.
Other outstanding options include offset wood fence styles. Slats are still placed side-by-side, but offset by a few inches forward or backward from one another. While small animals can get through, this style does provide privacy and an attractive alternative appearance.