Fence Tips from MyFixitUpLife

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• I agree that a good fence can impact the homeowner and the neighborhood as well. I can see how having a well-built fence could not only help your house look good but also help you increase the value of your house if you ever sell it. I will make sure to find out more about the rules of fencing in my neighborhood and get a fence that adds beauty to my house. Thank you for sharing.

• The way you wrote this article was almost poetry. It's true that fences can "ignite featureless landscapes". I really want to get a fence for my yard soon so that we can have an outdoor dog.

• Hi Mark, we are a fence contractor and your right about hiring professional to do the job for 1 reason your fence can look good with the advice by the customer of course. In business good looking fence attract more customers. Great post!

• On reading through Mark's article, I noticed he mentioned putting two coats of oil based stain on the cedar wood. I agree with him, but he used a paint brush. I think this is fine if you do the staining before putting up the fence, but it is hard to paint all the way to the bottom of the fence without getting dirt on your brush after it is installed. I bring this up because the fence will have to be retained at some point. Does anyone know if using a spray tool will work for applying stain to the fence?

• I agree that the presence of the fence has a big impact on homeowners as well as their neighbors. My neighbor has a basic chain-link fence around his property. It isn't bad, but I would prefer to install one with more privacy. Would it be a good idea to build a nice wooden one, like the kind in your picture, along side his fence?

  • Hey Kairi - Absolutely it'd be a great idea to build a wood fence along side your neighbor's. That's what property lines (and taste) are for. The fence we built has two 'good' sides, so if the fence adjacent to it is ever removed the neighbor will still have an attractive fence facing their yard. I think that is hugely important in being a good neighbor and contractor. One carpentry thing to consider is to off-set your posts from his. Assuming there's concrete footings in his fence, you want to miss them when you dig your post holes. Let us know how it works out. We'd love to see photos. Post them on Facebook if you like too. Thanks -- Mark

• I definitely agree that a fence is pivotal to a yard. One fence in a neighborhood can change the whole look of it for worse or for better. That is why we are a little worried to get one because we want it to be good. I've heard that vinyl fencing is really great. What do you think about vinyl fencing?

  • No joke, I'm working in a neighborhood that's got (no kidding) a mile of vinyl fencing in it. Some fences are fine, if you like the modular look. Others have mold, grass, and mildew literally fused to their surfaces. I've seen other (and hugely expensive) composite fences fail wholesale. The posts warp, the planks gather un-pressure-washable mold. And then there's the string trimmer-shattered picket bases on vinyl fences I've seen by the bucket load. Adding to my experience: Gates creak and sag. Several fences in this single neighborhood have missing picket tops (they're just plug-in parts, not real pickets). I've seen the staining on plastic fences that are in contact with grass and that don't have a blade of grass within 75-feet.

• I guess i never thought of how my fence can affect both me and my neighbors. Choosing the right fence is important because you after factor in style and privacy. Personally, i prefer to have one that is sensible and allows my family to feel safe and secure.

• My buddy and I are looking to put up a fence around his parents property. We are new to this whole process, so we are trying to figure out the basics of fencing. This helped, and I hope that we can figure out how to do this.

  • Jason--We're here to help. Let us know. And share pictures. We love good work!

• That fence looks incredible, especially with the nice finished top. I've seen a lot of fences that did not have good consideration put into them. The difference between those and nice fences like these are really drastic, especially when an inconsiderate neighbor puts their awful fence up next to a well-planned one.

• It's true that there's not much better than a nice, straight fence. When a fence is smooth and flat, the beauty is just amazing. I should probably repair my fence so that I can enjoy that again! Thanks for sharing this.