As most contractors know, market trends easily change from year to year. Even for property fences! So, keeping up is important. With that in mind, here is an overview that includes some of the most popular property fence trends of the last couple of years. We've included a blend of classic fencing options and new spins on enclosing property. And to help you get the job done, two great options to consider are BECK’s Fence Stapling System and BECK’s LignoLoc® Wooden Nails. But first, let’s review your fencing options.
Fences can be made out of nearly any material with moderate strength. They rarely need to sustain much weight and since they’re mostly for decorative and/or privacy, you can be flexible on materials—unless serious security or animal enclosure is needed. Here are some essential materials in use today.
Cedar is a softwood that can be expensive due to its fine finish and other qualities. Interestingly, despite its lack of hardness, the natural antiparasitic properties of cedar make it very resilient to decay. Because of this, cedar fences, aside from looking attractive and being easy to cut, can last for 3 decades or longer if cared for reasonably well.
The classic, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle softwood is pine—and it makes for an excellent choice for many styles of residential fencing. Pine can be easily treated for a longer lifespan and painting it can create attractive finished results.
Despite being a hardwood, oak is an excellent choice for extremely strong, long-lasting fences that offer fine grain. Oak fences can also be made to look quite elegant with the right kind of finish. It’s important to note to your clients, however, that oak fencing can run on the expensive side.
If you'd like to save on the environmental costs and messiness of cutting wood fences into place, a reasonable alternative for inexpensive fencing is vinyl. The color options and finished look of vinyl can be a bit drab to some homeowners, but this plastic PVC fence-coating material is extremely resilient, tough, and fairly long-lasting.
Metal fences made from a material such as aluminum are both light-weight, tough and can literally last a lifetime. This choice in fencing material is highly versatile in terms of ornamental finishes and though expensive, can save your clients money on long-term maintenance costs.
Boards and posts made of sawdust and plastic mixed together and firmly compressed result in composite wood fencing. This material is reasonably long-lasting. It can be delivered in many colors without the need to paint it afterwards and looks very much like real wood. Composite fencing is however surprisingly expensive depending on the type you choose.
Fences can be made in many styles, most of which can be crafted from any of the above materials. The following all look especially good if made with natural wood.
Fence designs and materials have undergone some particularly notable new trends in recent years. In 2022, these include some of the following:
Building residential fences is largely about balancing between a mix of client budget constraints, space-appropriate style and basic needs such as privacy or enclosure. What you also need to ensure a smooth workflow and strong results are the right tools. BECK’s Fence Stapling System is a superb choice for many kinds of fencing, while the patented uniqueness of BECK’s LignoLoc® wooden nails lets you create beautiful, sturdy wood fences of all kinds without the visible marks of metal nails. To help you properly plan for your project, we have a guide that discusses all the tools and materials you’ll need for your upcoming fence build.