You safeguard your home with a fence, but now you want it to serve a decorative purpose too. Add to the appeal and safety of your home or business by making your fence yours! Whether you have a classic white picket fence or one built with recycled composite, you have a number of attractive and cost-efficient options for a custom look. Here at 10 different ways you can dress up your fence and to make your backyard a cohesive part of your home:
Stain or Paint
The same wood fence your neighbor has probably won’t match your brick façade or stonework. You can still use the same wooden fence your neighbor has and no one ever has to know. Disguise it with stain or paint to make it look like a completely different fence species. Or if you need to bring life to an older fence, stain or paint is one of the best ways to revive it. Here are some tips to turn your fence into a backyard statement:
- The materials you will most likely need include: a wide nylon or polyester brush, roller or paint sprayer, fence paint or stain, wire brush, face mask, sand paper, disposable gloves, plastic drop cloth, masking tape and newspapers.
- Use high-quality paint or stain, meaning it should have a long-lasting finish and won’t change much in appearance as the fence wears with time.
- It is best to stain your fence when temperatures are between 40 and 90 degrees o
- Keep moisture away from the surface during painting/staining.
- Always protect yourself from chemicals with face masks and gloves.
Add a Top Cap or Trim
Aside from being a beautiful decorative accent, top caps can help your fence last longer. Top caps or trims add extra detail to your fence and protect your fence’s endgrains to increase its longevity and feel sturdier.
Decorative Post Caps
These additions also help you continue your home’s décor into your backyard while providing a level of protection from the elements with lasting style. Choose from a variety of decorative post caps including high point post caps, plateau post caps, ball post caps, post points, metal post caps or wooden post caps, as shown in the picture, in addition to a number of additional styles. Whichever style you choose, decorative post caps add a unique finishing touch and a timeless look to more than just backyards. Add them to your deck, porch, mailbox, dock posts, signs and more.
Box the Posts
If you have metal posts on your fence or just posts you’d rather cover up for a more continuous look, just box ‘em up! You can use extra fence panels to match your existing fence or create a new look.
For a more distinctive look, you can cover these wooden boxes with vines to break up the pattern, add variety to the fence and bring a lush appeal to the backyard.
Lighted Post Caps
Lighted post caps are a great way to add ambiance and a touch of your personality. From dramatic to functional and everything in between, lighted post caps come with bases in metal or wood with post caps made of glass or metal. This means you have an array of choices especially when it comes to colors, lighting features and type of power (low voltage, solar, LED etc.)
Decorative Accents
You also have a large selection when it comes to decorative accents, because accent pieces can be made of glass, pewter, iron, ceramic and wood. Decorative accents like the ones shown in the pictures are like pieces of art meant for the outdoors. Wrought iron pieces and sturdier pieces will last better against everyday wear and tear of rain and shine. Choose a decorative element that withstands outdoor elements so it doesn’t rot or otherwise get ruined. Choose lightweight pieces that won’t damage the fence’s structure and secure them correctly.
Decorative Plant Hangers
Plants can add a much needed distraction to the eye that can break up the monotony of a fence. They can change the look of a fence line without any change to the fence’s structure. Use plant hangars to hide a natural imperfection in the wood, or to accent the structure without covering it completely. You can also use vines to cover a fence and turn it into an outdoor living piece of art.
Lattice Work Overlay
Lattice work overlays add another dimension of design to your existing fence. They also serve as a great foundation for vines; vines can grow up the lattice framework adding more greenery and even more dimension to your fence.
Lattice Work Top
Incorporating lattice work on top is a great way to add both beautiful form and practical function. You can install a lattice work top to let in light and air without obstructing views while still enjoying the security provided by a fence.
Post Trim Bases
Post trim bases can coordinate with your decorative post caps or be different all together for a slightly eccentric look. These skirts or bases add a finished look to the base of each post and can be uniquely sized to create a perfect fit.
There are countless ways to decorate and make each backyard, deck, porch or any fenced area unique and welcoming. Create a special look in your home with one or a multiple of these ten ways to dress up your fence. Liven up your fence today by refinishing the fence or adding decorative elements and your personality to your new Buzz Custom Fence.
