Fencing is one way to get the privacy and security that you want in your home. With wood fencing, you get the added advantage of having a great appearance that you don’t get with metal fences.

Wood fences come in a variety of styles and wood materials. It is best to keep in mind though, that choosing the right design for a wood fence depends largely on two main factors that a homeowner may be aiming for: the form, or the aesthetic appeal; and the functionality, or the main purpose why you are putting up a fence in the first place.

In many cases, you can find a wooden fence that fills both of the needs just mentioned. This means that you have a fence for security and safety and one that also looks good in your garden and property. It is always nice to have pleasant surroundings, even when the fence is designed for security.

If you need maximum security, then a wooden fence is probably not the best choice for you. I would suggest either a metal or a stone fence in these circumstances. This is just for purely functional reasons.

Wood Fence Designs: When Form is the Main Consideration

The first consideration here is to find the fence that compliments your garden and landscaping arrangement. There are a number of basic wooden fence designs that take into account the style of your house. Here they are:

Picket-style fence. These types of fences are best for homes that have a cottage style look. If you have an English styled garden, then this fence will fit in perfectly. You can choose from a number of different designs such the dog-ear spaced picket, French gothic spaced picket, and the pointed top spaced picket.

Split-rail wood fence. Perfect for a country feel, ranch-style homes and those with landscaping inspired by the Southwestern US design should find a good fit with the split-rail wood fencing. The best material for the split-rail style is the Western red cedar wood.

Log wood fence. This style showcases the true beauty of wood and best matches houses designed with a rustic theme. While most are installed as vertical panels, horizontals log panels are also not uncommon.

If the functionality is the top priority of the fence then you need to consider the following wooden fences.

Wood fencing may be a good choice for its aesthetics but on a more practical level, wood fences best serve two principal functions: privacy and durability. For these two important uses, several wood fence designs may be used:

Stockade fence. This type of wood fence uses vertically aligned slats with spaces in between them. The tops are pointed out which gives this fence a good degree of privacy from the outside.

Solid board fence. This style of fencing is also great for privacy as it gives a complete barrier to sight. Not only this but it also gives you a noise barrier as well as some security. If you want to improve on the design features, then you can also add latticework to this fence.

Lattice fencing. These fences are very popular as they give users both privacy and also allow for sunlight to penetrate. Besides this, they also provide space for air to blow through as they have diagonal shaped spaces throughout the fencing. If you want, you can also place the openings vertically or horizontally to create square openings instead.