Planning for a new fence
Here are some questions to ask yourself when deciding to build a fence.
“Every time I approach a new property I look at these things and discuss them with the client:
- How far the house is set back from the boundary.
- The corners or lines of the house; I try and get the driveway and boundary pillars to be in line with these to frame the house better.
- The features of the building behind the fence: we want to design a fence in sympathy with the building.”
- What should my fence look like?
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Do you know what you want your fence to do and what you want it to look like?
Look around your neighbourhood and see what appeals to you or have a look through our photowall which showcases many different fences. - What should my fence do?
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Are you looking for beauty, simplicity, security or privacy? Prioritizing these functions can help you choose features like height and infill and decide if you need automated gates and intercoms.
- Do I want just pillars or pillars and a plinth wall.
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Our pillars pages show many different pillar styles and infill combinations
- What should I have between the pillars?
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Some of your options are tubular steel, aluminium fencing, cast aluminium, wooden or aluminium slats, brush, a solid plastered wall and lace panels.
Our infill page shows examples of all these types of infill.
- How high should my fence be?
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How high do you want the pillars?
How high do you want the plinth wall or infill?Caststone can tailor make contemporary and traditional pillars in many widths and heights. The height of the fence also needs to complement the home behind: big house and frontage - big pillars, small house - smaller pillars.
- What gates do I need?
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Are you having a garden or pedestrian gate?
Are you looking at putting in a sliding or swing gate on the driveway?
Do you need power for automatic gates and intercoms?
Have you thought about automation? - What privacy and security do I need from the fence?
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The height of the fence will have a direct effect on the security the fence provides.
Intercoms and automation provide extra security. - How will my house site affect the fence?
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How long will your fence be? What is the width of your driveway?
Is there a slope across the property?
If you have a small slope over the property do you envisage the fence being level or the tops of the pillars stepping down across the slope? - Where are the water and gas meters?
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If they are in the way of your new fence they can be shifted.
- Do you need to get power to the front of the property for automation and intercoms.
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It is much better to do this in the planning stage than after the new paving has gone down.
- Where do the services come in to your property?
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It is a Very Bad Thing to hit a Telstra line. Calling Dial-before-you-dig is essential.
In Australia call 1100 for Dial-Before-You-Dig.