You know that mental image of the sweet little American house with the perfect white picket fence? Most people picture the terrain around this iconic home as very flat, rectangular and even. However, the reality is that many perfectly lovely American homes are built on hills, slopes and other uneven terrain. At Buzz, we think a white picket (or a vinyl, cedar, wrought iron, etcetera) fence can be just as charming on properties that aren’t totally flat.
Today we’ll look at the main strategies for fencing on a slope.
Raked fencing
Sometimes called raked, sometimes racked, this type of fencing comes as individual board or pickets to be installed separately. The rails run parallel to the ground while the boards or pickets point straight up. A raked fence takes longer to assemble, but gives a uniform look.
Since the boards come all the way to the ground, it’s better for keeping animals in – or out. Raked fencing is best for gentle slopes, rather than giant hills. If your slope is greater than 12 inches over a six-foot section, or if you have many dramatic fluctuations in slope, you’ll be better off with a stepped fence, which we’ll discuss next. Either technique will work on subtler slopes.
Stepped fencing
Stepped fencing is faster to install, as we use premade panels. These are the same kind of panels that are used on flat terrain. However, we position the posts at different heights along the slope. This attractive, stair step look is good for steeper hills. However, the design leaves gaps at the bottom, encouraging your tunneling dog to escape and other neighborhood animals to check out your yard. If you’re partial to a very uniform look, stepped fencing might not be for you.
Design Help
At Buzz Custom Fence, we have friendly, knowledgeable fence designers who love to help customers. If you’re not sure which type of fencing will look best in your sloped yard, give us a call and we’ll help you figure it out.
