Tips and Tricks for Personalizing Your Vinyl Fence

November 20, 2014

One of the best things about being a homeowner is that you can make your home truly yours. You can paint, accessorize, and customize it until you achieve the exact look you want. Why should your fence be any different? At Future Outdoors, our vinyl fences are extremely customizable, so you can achieve the perfect look for your home.

Colors

When we say our fences are made of vinyl, many people think plain white vinyl siding on cookie-cutter houses. But that image couldn’t be farther from the truth. Vinyl fences from Future Outdoors come in a rainbow of colors to match the style of any house.


For vinyl traditionalists, we have classic vinyl colors such as white, tan, and khaki. These vinyl fence colors look great with any style of home. They’re easy to care for and require virtually no maintenance. Plus, the colors won’t fade over time with sun exposure or weathering. Vinyl fences retain their good looks years longer than wood.


However, some people want the classic look of a wooden fence. For these buyers, Future Outdoors also stocks a line of wood-grain vinyl fences that simulate the look and feel of wood without any of the disadvantages. These fences have a similar texture to wood and come in colors such as Redwood, Chestnut Brown, and Weathered Cedar. With these fences, you truly get the best of vinyl – durability, strength, and ease of maintenance – combined with the classic good looks of a wooden fence.

Jumping

Some dogs loathe to let all four feet leave the ground at once, but others can soar gracefully through the air at surprising heights. The world record for a dog jump is 68 inches from the ground – almost six feet! If your dog is one of these champion jumpers, you’ll need to keep their abilities in mind when getting a fence installed.


For smaller dogs and those that aren’t so jump-happy, a fence that’s more than three or four feet high should be enough to contain them. Fences at this height come in a variety of styles, such as pickets, full panels, and semi-private fences with and without accents. However, dogs that can jump higher will obviously need higher fences. A six-foot privacy fence is generally enough to contain even the springiest of dogs.


One other thing to consider when you have a jumping dog is that it may start a jump and get stuck. Fences with accents at the top, or picket fences with open slats, should be designed in such a way that your dog’s paws or head can’t get stuck. Another good idea is to outfit your dog with a quick-release collar when they’re in the yard by themselves. These collars break open under pressure, keeping your dog from getting trapped or strangled by them should they get stuck.

Digging

Dogs don’t only escape over the tops of fences. If you want to make sure your dog is truly secure, or you already know that your dog is prone to digging, you’ll have to put some below-ground defenses in place when installing your new vinyl fence.


There’s no one way to keep a dog from digging under a fence. Digging is an instinctive behavior and it can be tough to curb. For the most part, the only way to keep your dog from escaping under the fence is to install a barrier underneath the fence itself.


One common solution is to bury a line of chicken wire under the ground at the bottom of the fence, with the sharp edges turned inwards. In most cases this should be enough to keep a dog from escaping – the wire is uncomfortable for them to dig against and difficult to breakthrough. However, determined or especially strong diggers may need a tougher solution. In these cases, burying rocks or bricks under the fence, or even laying down a shallow concrete trench, can keep your pooch in his place.


Another solution that we offer at Future Outdoors is a “dog board,” a vinyl board buried below the bottom edge of the fence that the dog can’t dig through. We bury this board when we build the fence, and it’s completely invisible once the fence is complete. Plus, since the dog board is vinyl, it won’t deteriorate from sitting in the ground (unlike a wooden board).

Patrolling and Pacing

Some dogs don’t try to escape, and instead choose to spend their outdoor time restlessly pacing up and down the fence line, looking for intruders or simply entertaining themselves. In these cases, it can be best to choose a fence that offers a more limited view of the outside. This can help your dog calm down and also prevents other dogs, animals, or people from tormenting your pet through the fence.


Another solution that can be helpful is landscaping on the inside of your fence line. Dense shrubs like holly or boxwood can force dogs away from the edge of the fence, reducing their urge to patrol. Additionally, shrubbery can help prevent jumpers and diggers from escaping by limiting their activity next to the fence itself.


Vinyl fences are great for dogs, but they’re even better when you choose one that fits your dog’s personality and habits. Talk to the experts at Future Outdoors located in Dallas T, the number one provider of vinyl fences in North Texas, to see which fencing products are right for you and your pets. You can also follow us on Facebook for more updates and information.

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