Have you ever gone to a museum that showcases modern art? While some paintings are undeniable feats of finesse and dedication, you may look at other paintings and think, “Pshaw, I could do that . . .”
In the case of these paintings, the beautifully sculpted and ornate picture frame is often more impressive and alluring than the picture itself. Other times, both the painting and the picture frame are awe-inspiring. In these cases, the painting is elevated from a piece of art to a masterpiece.
The front-yard fence is the picture frame that can elevate what was once just a house into a residential masterpiece. Much as a picture frame both protects and complements the picture within, the perfect front-yard fence can provide both beauty and security.
There are many things to consider when choosing the perfect front-yard fence. Looks, strength, durability, and fence material are all things to consider when plotting out your perfect fence.
At Northland Fence, we’re proud to be one of Minnesota’s top fencing companies. We have been ever since we opened our doors in 2004. We believe that everything, from our company history and values to our products and installations, is crucial to providing an exceptional experience for each of our customers.
This attention to detail is what has propelled us to the top as a Minnesota fence provider. It’s also the reason why newlywed couple Mike and Rachel chose Northland Fence to build the fence in the front yard of their dream home.
In Defense of the Front-Yard Fence
Mike and Rachel just tied the knot and are 95% on the way to achieving the much-sought-after American dream. They met in college and quickly fell for each other. You see, they were both in science fields and very detail-oriented.
On their first date, Mike charmed Rachel by recounting a story from his childhood where he carefully planned out his after-school snacks for the following two weeks, written in green crayon on a yellow legal pad. Despite her noting that green on yellow would be hard on the eyes, this type of attention to detail from an early age was music to Rachel’s ears, as she had a similar process as a child for scheduling tea parties with her imaginary friends.
“I think I can crayon you in for tea on September 13th. Does that work for you, Madame Periwinkle?”
As they plotted and planned the details of their future life together, everything had to be perfect. That’s just the kind of detail-focused people they are.
Rachel knew she wanted to have children. Two children to be exact, and exactly three years apart. That way, the younger one would have an older sibling to look after them, but the age difference wasn’t so great that they wouldn’t get along (except for a few rocky teenage years, of course).
For people like Mike and Rachel, the natural family progression doesn’t start by having children right away — that’s not their style. Like many modern couples, their first step would be to opt for a trial run of parenthood in the form of adopting a furry, four-legged child. After all, dogs are basically furry children that are always happy to see you.
They never work backward, always forward, and planning and preparation are virtues to them. Before they can start their life filled with two children and one furry child, they must figure out their dream home.
Mike’s childhood use of crayons eventually evolved into a hyper-realistic painting using all sorts of colorful media. So naturally, any new dream home would have a room that could be used for an art studio.
Rachel’s love for hosting tea parties for her imaginary childhood friends evolved into a hobbyist’s obsession with cooking and the culinary arts. So naturally, any dream home would also have a dream kitchen, complete with an island and dishwasher.
With two kids and a dog, ample space outside is very important. The backyard would be home to the dog’s house, preferably a miniature version of the main house. Because, you know, that would be cute.
The whole backyard was to be wrapped with a vinyl privacy fence, allowing for it to be an isolated oasis of imagination and creativity.
Everything must be just right; that’s just their style.
With the backyard covered, and the house well planned out, the couple must now make the most important decision of all: what to do with the front yard. After all, the front part of a house is more than just that, it’s a shining beacon upon returning home that tells them rest and peace of mind are close.
There’s a reason why the white picket fence is such a symbol of distilled Americana. The front-yard fence is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle for the perfect home.
Choosing the Right Building Material for Your Front-Yard Fence
Here at Northland Fence, we’re proud to offer three fence materials that are sure to meet your needs for looks, durability, and security. Whether you choose chain link, vinyl, or ornamental steel, our expert installation team will make sure everything is just right and up to the high standards our customers have come to expect over the last 17 years.
Front-Yard Chain Link Fence
Ah yes, old reliable. The chain-link fence has been a residential and commercial standard across North America for decades, and for good reason. Chain link is an ideal option for homeowners who are seeking strength and security at an incredibly affordable price.
If you’re installing a fence to keep children and pets safe and secure, as well as to keep unwanted animals or criminals out of your yard, chain link can provide that security at a fraction of the cost of other materials.
Durability is also a major plus for chain link fencing. At Northland Fence, all of our chain link is created using galvanized or black vinyl coated steel wire. Galvanizing the steel helps keep it safe from the Minnesota weather and rust, making sure you receive the best value for your money.
A common misconception is that chain link fences are relatively weak because they’re made using a mesh rather than solid rods. However, the mesh technique enhances its strength, making it very difficult to break without the use of heavy construction tools. Chain link fences are tightly woven in such a way that keeps out pesky woodland creatures, even small ones that can slip between solid rod-style fences.
If you’d like some visual inspiration as you decide whether chain link is the correct material to frame your home, please take a look at Northland Fence’s chain link fence gallery.
Front-Yard Vinyl Fence
Out of all the different styles we offer, vinyl fences are perhaps the most beautiful and practical. Not only do vinyl fences offer superior privacy, but they’re also relatively affordable and offer a stunning look that surpasses outdated wooden materials. Unlike wooden fences, vinyl will never rot and is tested to withstand harsh Minnesota weather conditions.
Vinyl is a type of plastic fence that is made using polyvinyl chloride or PVC. PVC resin is mixed with a few other ingredients to create a strong, durable, and weather-resistant material that is perfect for metal fencing projects and other outdoor projects.
(Take note, Mike and Rachel, vinyl is the perfect material for building mini dog-sized houses.)
The durability of vinyl for residential purposes is second to none. Plastic often gets a bad reputation for being weak, but many industrial machines use hardened plastics because they are durable, light, and affordable. Vinyl fencing is tremendously durable and resistant to direct impact, making it a perfect safety feature for your home.
As a manmade material, it’s also resistant to the weather, not suffering from the same weakness to rain and snow that other materials do. For Minnesota, vinyl is ideal because the winter snow can often ruin wooden fences, which don’t deal well with sitting in piles of wet snow for weeks on end.
Vinyl’s resistance to the elements also means it requires little to no maintenance. Unlike metal or wood fences, vinyl requires no painting or repainting. If privacy is important to you, the opaque quality of vinyl may be perfect for your front-yard fence.
Vinyl is also one of our most beautiful and versatile options. It can provide all of the beauty of a painted wooden fence with none of the headache of upkeep. We offer both solid panel and picketed varieties of vinyl fencing.
Ornamental Front-Yard Fence
Ornamental, also known as decorative, fences are far from just pretty to look at. They serve the important purpose of keeping unwanted forces out while protecting the people within. For many years, ornamental fences were made of wrought iron. The trouble with wrought iron is that it requires yearly maintenance to keep it from deteriorating or rusting.
Much like our chain link variety of fencing, our ornamental fences are made using galvanized steel to withstand the harsh Minnesota weather. We use a special powder coating on our galvanized steel ornamental fences to keep moisture from coming into contact with the metal, in an effort to prevent rusting, rot, and chipping.
Ornamental fences are perfect for front yards because of their decorative beauty. Those of artistic tastes, like our friend Mike, will appreciate the ways in which an ornamental fence can frame an already beautiful home, turning it into a masterpiece.
Just because they’re beautiful doesn’t mean they come at the cost of security. Galvanized steel rods can be made in incredible lengths, allowing us to install fences that are far above head height if needed. Plus, if your goal is to keep pets and children safe in your yard, we can arrange the gaps between the metal so that it’s impossible for them to sneak through.
Leaving Wood Fences in the Past
Do you remember a time before we had the whole world’s worth of information in the palm of our hands at all times? To research topics such as, oh, let’s say, the best building materials for front-yard fences, we’d have to hop in the car and drive somewhere for answers. If we drive to the library, we run the risk of being treated poorly by the bitter old librarian, and being given the runaround by Dewey and his overly complicated Decimal System.
While libraries certainly serve their purpose for the preservation of physical media and knowledge, many of the services they provided have been made obsolete by the rise in smartphone technology and the internet.
In this respect, libraries and wooden fences are brothers in outdatedness. For generations, wooden fences were incredibly important to the safety and security of our ancestors but required yearly maintenance and constant rebuilding. The wonders of modern technology have given us vinyl as a fence-building material. Vinyl fills all of the needs once filled by traditional wooden fencing with a much greater convenience factor.
At Northland Fence, we believe providing better products means stepping away from traditional cedar wood to provide higher-quality, longer-lasting fences. Vinyl fencing will yield the same traditional look of painted wooden fencing and will last longer and retain its look even 5-10 years later. If we install your fence and never have to come out for repairs or replacements, we know we’ve done our job right.
Planning for Your Perfect Front Fence
It’s not easy to visualize how a fence will look in your front yard without context.
At Northland Fence, we realize that sometimes it takes a frame of reference to determine the best way to frame your masterpiece of a home.
Because of this, we’ve developed our free-to-use fence builder tool. By using this online fence builder, you can see exactly how a fence will look in the space that you have.
Can I Build a 20-Foot-Tall Privacy Fence?
In most situations in modern society, there are certain rules and ordinances that must be followed to keep everyone happy and safe. Building fences is no different, and Minnesota communities have rules that must be followed as you plan to build your new fence.
If you’re looking to build a fence in Minneapolis, you can explore the city’s rules and regulations here.
Other cities and counties in Minnesota may differ in their rules and regulations, so be sure to check with your local government and/or homeowners association to see what the rules are where you live.
So Which Is the Best Material for Front-Yard Fencing?
We hope this article has given you (as well as Mike and Rachel) a good starting point as you decide which is the correct option for you and your front-yard fence. There is no real correct answer for which material is best; it’s a matter of what’s important to you and your family.
While all of our fences at Northland Fence provide your family with security and peace of mind, there are variables such as cost to consider when planning for your front-yard fence.
By taking a cue from Mike and Rachel and being properly educated and prepared, we know you’ll find the perfect front-yard frame in a fence from Northland Fence.
Contact us today at (763) 316-4881 for a no-cost estimate from one of our fencing experts.
FAQs:
Should I fence in my front yard?
Front-yard fences can provide an increased level of security and peace of mind. This is especially important for people with children or pets. Front-yard fences can also be a perfect frame for your home, increasing the beauty of your front yard.
What kind of fence do I need in my front yard?
There are many different building materials that front-yard fences can be made from. Chain link, ornamental steel, and vinyl are three of the most popular types of fences. While they all provide a certain level of security, their differences come down to looks, maintenance, and cost.
How tall can a front-yard fence be?
According to Minneapolis municipal fence codes, fences located in the front yard shall not exceed three (3) feet in height. The maximum fence height may be increased by one (1) foot if constructed of open, decorative, ornamental fencing materials that are less than sixty (60) percent opaque. Check with your own local government to get the rules for where you live.
