Do you need something to keep out those pesky rabbits and rodents that constantly bug your flower beds? Is your yard just too open? Do you have no opportunity for shade or landscaping? How about you DIY an aesthetically pleasing fence to not only keep your plants safe, but provide shade, protection, privacy, and a sense of accomplishment? Fencing can be utilized for both your general yard and your specified garden plots in Flagstaff. Not only can you craft it according to your specific lifestyle needs, but you can do it yourself for a low cost. This post will go over some key notes for doing your own fencing, and the materials that you can utilize. Some can even be found here at HomCo Lumber and Hardware.

Installing a Fence: What to Know Before You Start

There are some things you need to consider before you start planning and plotting out your fences. The most important is the city codes and the homeowner’s codes for your location. Make sure you are aware of what is and is not allowed for materials, size, and layout. If you plan before you check with the codes, you may have to throw out your blueprints and start over. Sometimes materials aren’t allowed, sometimes a certain height isn’t allowed. It is imperative that you familiarize yourself with these codes before you start planning out your fence. You may have to purchase a permit for a certain style as well, and forgoing this step could be costly.

Another important thing to consider is the yard or garden itself. If you have not solidified the style of your yard or garden, make sure to plan those areas before you begin planning the fencing. DIYers recommend planning the garden out before you begin working on it in general, so having solid blueprints of the yard or garden will help you plan out the fencing when the time comes and avoid wasting space, materials, and money.

Another thing to consider is the area that you live in. In places with higher deer populations, taller fences are more useful, while people living in other areas won’t need something like that. Consider your living arrangements, what you will be using the fence for, and what the fence needs to protect against before you plan anything in too great of detail. After you’ve considered these three things, you can begin planning out your fence!

Installing Garden Fences

Garden fences benefit most from what sort of protection they can offer to the plants within. Popular options for protection are chain link fences, wood and chicken wire fences, and anything without large gaps in the fencing.

Chain Link Fences:

Of course, the basic chain link or chicken wire fence may not be the most appealing for you, but luckily there are ways to work around this. You can combine wood framing and wire centers to surround your garden, depending on your dimensions, to create something that compliments your house. You can also create wooden ‘tubes’ that can slide onto the poles of a chain-link fence to create a fence that has a wooden frame, but metal links to protect the garden within. You can also build wooden boards around the poles to achieve the same result for a sleek, simple look. If you will be using wooden posts, it is better to go with cedar or pressure-treated wood, since they are resistant to rot and will still be stable once placed in the ground with some concrete.

Wood Fences:

You can also create a pure wooden fence made out of sturdy lower boards and a lattice top to promote growth from climbing plants. So long as the wood isn’t treated with harsh chemicals, you can use almost anything for a garden fence. Take a look around your yard and see what you \ can come up with! Implementing leftover boards is a great way of both saving money and creating a unique layout to fit your lifestyle. There are many photos you can take inspiration from online, but two examples have been demonstrated by Christy in the video below:

Garden Netting:

If you’re concerned about specific plants being harassed by bugs, you can also set up some garden netting above them. This is not as durable as fencing, so it should be used in conjunction with them unless your plants are hanging far away from prying animal paws.

Installing a Yard Fence

Since yard fencing likely isn’t supporting plant growth, the materials and designs you can choose to create are much less restricted. You can go crazy with your imagination, so long as it fits into city code. Some options you can consider are a 4-rail horse fence, for those of you with larger properties. A picket fence is also always a classic choice, and the newer pallet fences are becoming popular among DIY communities for the extremely low cost and aesthetic utility.

Since you won’t be using these in conjunction with plants, you can stain the wood with more flexibility, if you choose to do so. Some people like painting their fences black or white, others still like using the wide variety of the rainbow. Whichever you go with, you can always come to HomCo Lumber and Hardware for the necessary materials both in the Building Materials Center and in the Paint department.

Another viable option is stone. A classic brick-and-mortar wall is a good option if you want something that will last a long time and stay sturdy and stable. Other options include rock stacking and a wire net for rocks to sit in. If you wish to stay with a metal fence, galvanized fences are a recent trend. And, while expensive, cast iron or similar material fences are also sturdy, attractive, and will stand the test of time. Just make sure for whichever material you use to secure them into the ground, usually with concrete. Wait a few days for it to solidify and with that, those posts won’t be going anywhere any time soon. After that, go wild.

HomCo Lumber and Hardware can help with your building material needs. We carry a variety of wood types and other similar building materials. If you have any questions about the intricacies of building fences, head on over to the Building Materials Center and speak with one of our knowledgeable employees. The world of fences may seem overwhelming at first, but there is potential inspiration all around you. As long as you have the means and the motivation to craft it, you can make your yard look however you wish it. Hopefully, this overview helped narrow down your material choices to help get you started on the path to a better and safer-looking yard.