Installing a fence for privacy or purely aesthetic reasons improves the peaceful enjoyment of a property. Privacy-seeking property owners often erect six-foot stockade-style fences in their backyards.
The classic white picket fence positioned in front yards sets the table for perennial gardens, flowering shrubs and provides eye-catching curb appeal. However, there are a few items many homeowners accidentally overlook. These rank among the sometimes overlooked items homeowners may want to consider.
Consider the severe weather implications of building a standard, six-foot stockade fence in your backyard. This design generally maximizes privacy because it offers a façade that's difficult to see through. However, those wide panels also act as "sail." One of the primary reasons fences topple is due to severe weather such as tropical storm systems and high winds.
If you're concerned about high winds, try fence designs with high wind speeds in mind. These may include chain links, tall pickets with spacing or jockeyed board designs. Fences that position alternating boards on both sides allow increased airflow and reduced sail. Accounting for strong winds could save property owners from replacing a fence prematurely.
The type of fence a property owner selects will likely determine how much time they can spend on upkeep and repair. Pressure- and chemically-treated fences can last more than a decade without homeowners lifting a finger.
The downside is that these materials tend to turn gray and appear bland over time. By contrast, products such as cedar offer improved aesthetic value but usually require weather treatments once or twice each year.
The question may not be whether someone wants a fence they find lovely. It may come down to how much time someone can invest in maintenance. Consider consulting with a construction professional about upkeep before building.
It may sound almost counterintuitive, but most municipalities require property owners to put the finished side of a fence facing an abutter. Other specifications property owners sometimes forget to follow include minimum distances from boundaries and heights.
It's not uncommon for communities to only allow six-foot privacy fences in backyards. Knowing the rules regarding fences before digging posts can help avoid a building code violation or having to tear it down once you start.
Building the right fence can improve the quality of life experiences of house members who want to relax at home. But to enjoy the long-term benefits of fences, it's essential to consider these and other items before moving forward with the project.
Susan Shuxian Hu has been a dedicated realtor serving in Silicon Valley since 2010. With great passion, outstanding negotiation skills and due diligence, she has helped many buyers and sellers in their real estate needs. Living in West San Jose for more than 14 years, she has broad knowledge in Cupertino, West San Jose, Los Altos and Saratoga. She has enormous patience working with buyers and never tired of showing all possible properties that may fit client’s needs. Clients appreciate her best service to their satisfaction. She specialized in luxurious real estate purchase in Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga and Palo Alto. She also helped friend and past client’s referral working in San Francisco, Foster City and far reached Bay Area.
Susan Shuxian Hu was graduated in East China Normal University in Shanghai with bachelor and master degrees in Bio science. She came to US in 1989 and earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics in Texas A&M University in 1996. After one year of postdoc in Southern Florida University in Tampa, she moved back to Orlando with her family and started working in Lucent Technologies. In 2002, Susan moved to California, Silicon Valley joined a start-up company. Since then she worked in high tech Corporation till 2009. Driven by her dream job pursuing, she found her passion working in sales by helping people in real estate after one year of education in De Anza business and real estate law study. Since then, she has been serving many people in Bay Area for their real estate needs.
With bilingual advantage, she has been actively working with Chinese immigrants as well as local engineers and residents. With rich high tech background and connection with Chinese community, Susan has served in luxurious real estate in last a couple of years.