Wooden fence - a modern tribute to tradition

Using wood to create fences is one of the oldest ways to protect your territory. The availability of material and the relative ease of manufacture have made wooden fences in our country the most common type of fence. New building materials appear, lightweight constructions with excellent technological qualities, but loyalty to natural raw materials, the possibility, at least in some elements of landscape design of a site or yard, to be closer to nature, outweighs all the innovations. That is why, even today, the erection of a wooden fence is a frequent occurrence to create a fence for a personal garden or a summer cottage, a large country courtyard or a small back yard in a city private dwelling.

One of the advantages of wooden fences is that they can be erected on their own, choosing the level of involvement - from the initial preparation of raw wood material to the quick installation of finished products. A self-made fence is a special pride for any owner of a private home with a plot. But before you go to construction stores or look for a supplier of wood, you need to familiarize yourself with the full range of possibilities that this natural material offers for the manufacture of fencing. So, the types of wooden fences in terms of appearance.

The fence is an interweaving of twigs and branches attached to knees driven into the ground. If from ancient times this method of fencing was used by peasants to outline their plot almost throughout the whole territory of our country, but now such a fence is becoming more of a decorative element, the motive of such a stylistic trend as rustic country. It is not difficult to make such a fence with your own hands, but the service life corresponds to the spent materials, forces and time - it is very small.

No less ancient way to create fences - stakes arranged in a row with pointed peaks. The construction is reliable and durable, perfectly protecting from “uninvited guests”. The service life is significantly longer than that of wattle and its varieties, but not large enough for the modern owner of the site (the fence has no foundation and gradually settles, loosens). And a lot of material is required for its construction.

In its original form, this type of fencing is practically not used, but it was replaced by an exotic type of bamboo fencing for our compatriots.

The first associations with this name and in most of us are associated with American cowboys and their lands. But on the territory of our camp, such fences have long been used to delineate areas of pastures, gardens and vegetable gardens. Even in some private courtyards this method is still used. Several boards or poles nailed to a timber beam from wood with fairly wide gaps are easy to build. The fence will clearly outline the territory, but will not protect from prying eyes.

The fence of the so-called picket fence is the most popular type of wooden fence. One of the easiest ways to make such a fence is the vertical fastening of boards to veins, which, in turn, are attached to wooden posts driven into the ground. This type of fencing became popular due to the availability of material and very fast installation. The fencing as a result turns out to be quite strong and reliable, with proper care it can last quite a long time.

Another advantage of this type of fencing is that it clearly outlines the boundaries of the site, without giving any reason for prying eyes (if the picket fence is located close enough to each other, then simply failing to notice what is happening behind the fence).

But a solid vertical fence as a fence is not suitable for all owners of land and private yards in terms of aesthetics. The appearance of such a fence can be decorated with decorative elements. Even the simplest lattice of planks at the top of the fence or as inserts in the spans, transforms the appearance of a wooden fence.

At present, the horizontal location of the fence between the pillars or columns is more common. This design allows you to get the most continuous fencing (without holes) with minimal wood costs.

A solid wooden fence with a horizontal fence can be used as the basis for fastening beds, shelves and even benches.

A lattice made up of narrow planks is also capable of carrying a decorative role in creating the image of a country or personal plot. The fence is not the most durable, but beautiful, as if openwork. Reiki or narrow boards can be crossed directly or diagonally, use products of different colors or varnishes and “stains” treated with different dark colors.

Often a fence in the form of a wooden lattice is used as a support for climbing plants. The result is a half-live, green hedge, the wooden base of which most organically fits into the overall image.

In order to enhance the effect of decoration, the gate or gate of a wooden fence (made of the same material) can be equipped with a pergola or a small trellised canopy with columns.

If we talk about the classification of wooden fences according to the type of installation technology, then there are only two main groups:

Wooden fence without foundation. It is built quickly, but does not last long;

Fence made of wood on the foundation (base). It will require large expenditures of time and materials, but it will also last much longer, and the structure itself will be stronger and more reliable.

In order to make the fence more durable, cheap or beautiful, use a combination of wood with other building materials:

• brick;
• stone of various modifications;
• concrete and reinforced concrete;
• metal fence and metal profile;
• metal forging;
• junk material.

Most often, the material for combination in a wooden fence is used to make a base (so the structure becomes stronger, more reliable and more durable) or columns (pillars) to which the wood is attached (for the same reasons).

But it happens that the secondary material for combination is introduced solely for decorative purposes. Like forged items at the top of this fence.

Of course, wood without additional surface treatment will not serve as a material for fencing for long - climatic influences can be too harmful. In order to protect the wood from decay from the constant effects of precipitation and burnout from direct sunlight, it is necessary to impregnate with special antiseptics and coat with varnishes or paints. Whether it is necessary to give your fence a new color or to preserve the natural pattern of wood - you decide. Much depends on how the wooden elements on the facade of the building and other participants in the landscape design of the site (if any) are made and your desire to harmoniously fit the fencing into the overall picture or make it an accent element.

If the image of the main building has painted wooden elements, it will be logical to use this color scheme for the execution of the fence.For example, snow-white inserts on the facade of the house (gable of the roof, skates, columns, balcony or terrace and other elements) and additional buildings will overlap with the same design of the fence, and create a festive image of the entire ensemble.

A tree can not deprive its natural pattern, but at the same time change the original shade. With the help of translucent varnishes, stains and other impregnating agents and coatings, you can achieve a color that, for example, will be ideally suited to the coloring of the facade of the building (brick, stone or decorative material of non-natural origin).

But in most cases, the tree is left in its natural appearance. Moreover, no other material is able to bring so much natural warmth into modern buildings, the basis of which is concrete, glass, metal and foam blocks in gray tones.