cheap privacy fence

[lucille]

We have not yet fenced in our back yard and need to fairly soon. The cost of fencing even our small yard is rather expensive using wood privacy fence. We live in an area with extremely high winds many days of the year and the land seems to be fairly loose. Unless you really put a good foundation down you get movement.

We had thought about doing a stucco wall around the yard using cinder block or a reuse option like aluminum cans or wine bottles, but were unsure if the wall would begin to tip or sink. Other than chain link or wood privacy fence are we overlooking an option that might be frugal and durable?

[72Tiger]

privet hedges maybe?

[jayfromfree411]

I agree with 72Tiger. If it's privacy you want, the most aesthetically pleasing (and prop-value increasing) is with landscaping. Hedges and trees that block the view but look nicer than a fence.

[Mary Webber]

Yes, I too would favor a living fence over any other kind for both aesthetics and eco-friendliness. I love some of the fast-growing, soft evergreens that, while providing great privacy, also have a lot of open-ness and "give" in windy conditions.

Where your soil is thin or porous, be sure you work with that soil, first going down quite a ways deeper than seems necessary and amending the soil as needed. A good sturdy root system is essential here.

Most of all, observe what possible fencing plants are growing well in your area, and be sure you check with your local University or nearby nursery for their advice. Be sure the nursery does a lot of local landscaping work and doesn't just sell plants as they might well make recommendations that wouldn't really suit your budget and purpose.

[uilq]

Originally Posted by 72Tiger

privet hedges maybe?

this is a good idea.

[Myscha Theriault]

There's a link in this article to a living willow branch fence and also some info on twig fencing ideas you might find helpful. http://webesharin.com/2007/06/20/fun...rugal-fencing/ Both could be supplemented with climbing plants in some way, I'm sure.

I also compiled some research on using old pallets that has a link to a neat fence someone made out of them. We noticed a local one a few houses down recently. They had sanded them and restained the wood. Classier than I expected. Almost Dwell Magazine quality, at least the one we saw in person was. Anyway, here's the link to the research I did. Maybe it'll help. http://webesharin.com/2007/06/02/bud...r-old-pallets/

Good luck.

[Mary Webber]

That pallet fence is a great use of something I just hate to see thrown away, and here in our town, you have to PAY to leave them at the dump! The website gave good directions and wonderful visuals for putting the fence together. I'm thinking this'll work well for my next set of compost bins.

[Myscha Theriault]

There really are so many things you can do with those things. I'm still holding out for my loft style custom made dining room table. I know what it looks like in my head. It remains to be seen if I can make my imagined design a reality . . . I've seen similar stuff though, so I'm confident. At least for now . . .

[Bernadette]

Not as pretty as a privet hedge, but less expensive and quicker to grow: a berry bramble. A bramble gives you the extra benefit of being able to harvest fresh fruit from it, too.

A bramble might not be suitable for a small city lot, but it's something to consider in a rural area or on a big suburban lot.

[lucille]

Does anyone know what type of hedge bush that is in the picture? I am starting to lean more towards the hedge idea the more I think about it. We could also do a bit each year, we couldn't do that with fence panels.

I don't think we could get away with the pallet fence without complaining neighbors. But some of those other pallet ideas with sanding and staining are great.