Wood Privacy Fence Styles and More – What Are Your Options

There are nearly endless options when it comes to wood privacy fence styles! With a little research, you can find a privacy fence that suits your needs, personal preferences, and budget. Though wood privacy fences are common in many residential areas, privacy fences can be metal, masonry, and even vinyl. This article provides an overview of the most popular privacy fencing styles along with their pros and cons to help you decide what fence is best for you! Need more information? Let the experts at Jay Fencing help you build your new fence! Ready for your very own privacy fence? Wood Privacy Fence Styles and Other Designs This section will take a more in-depth look at each privacy fence style. Wood is the most common privacy fencing material, but vinyl fencing has been growing in popularity. Concrete/masonry and metal fences are often found on commercial lots, but many homeowners enjoy them as an alternative to wood fencing or as a heavy-duty sound barrier fence. Looking for more inspiration? Check out 40+ best privacy fence designs now! Solid Board (Wood) Privacy Fence Biggest Pro: Sturdy and aesthetically pleasing option Biggest Con: Typically requires a lot of maintenance Where To Use It: Great for commercial or residential lots, excellent privacy fence A wooden solid board privacy fence is a strong and beautiful option for any home and yard. It provides almost complete privacy as it does not have any gaps between each wooden board. Wood is an easy material to work with, and you won’t have any trouble finding solid board fence panels. However, like all wooden fences, solid board privacy fences require a good deal of maintenance in order to keep them in great shape. Higher quality woods will help reduce the amount of maintenance required but will cost you more upfront.   Shadowbox (Wood) Privacy Fence Biggest Pro: Affordable, practical, and very common (easy to find) Biggest Con: Does not provide as much privacy as other options Where To Use It: Great for residential backyards, great privacy fence Shadowbox fences are commonly seen throughout residential areas. They are easy to find and a popular, cost-effective choice for homeowners. Shadowbox fences allow airflow through the slats, as the boards are not placed directly together. Many enjoy this look as it provides a great deal of privacy without completely eliminating visibility through the fence. However, if you are looking for total privacy, a shadowbox fence may not be your best choice. Like all wooden fences, shadowbox fences do require maintenance. The amount of maintenance depends on the quality and type of wood used.   Board-On-Board (Wood) Privacy Fence Biggest Pro: Aesthetically pleasing and allows total privacy Biggest Con: Can require more maintenance/may be more difficult to maintain due to style Where To Use It: Great for backyards, excellent privacy fence Board-on-board fences are another common privacy fence style you will likely see around subdivisions and residential areas. However, they are also commonly used on commercial lots for added privacy. They are aesthetically pleasing from both sides of the fence, and are a cost-effective wooden fencing solution. Board-on-board fences do require maintenance, like all wooden fences. They may be more difficult to maintain than other styles, however, as debris or insects may find their way in between the boards.   Basketweave (Wood) Privacy Fence Biggest Pro: Very aesthetically pleasing without significant added costs Biggest Con: Due to bending of wood and materials used, this style of fence may have a shorter lifespan Where To Use It: Great for residential properties, good choice to add aesthetics to your property A basketweave fence can be a beautiful addition to any yard! This style of fence is loved for more than just its looks though – it also provides a great deal of privacy. If you’re looking something a little different than your neighbour’s fence, a basketweave privacy fence is the way to go! A basketweave fence may have a shorter lifespan than other privacy fences due to the fact that pliable woods used to make a basketweave are not as strong or sturdy. They also require a lot of maintenance.   Vinyl Fencing Biggest Pro: Can be found in almost every style that wooden fences come in Biggest Con: Can be more expensive upfront and difficult to repair down the road Where To Use It: Great for backyards, excellent privacy fence As vinyl fencing grows in popularity, it is becoming one of the top choices for privacy fencing! Many vinyl fencing manufacturers have made vinyl fence panels to look almost identical to wooden fencing. That means you can usually find vinyl fencing in most of the styles listed above for wooden fences. Vinyl fencing is more expensive upfront than wooden fencing, but requires significantly less maintenance – it’s almost maintenance free! If something happens to your vinyl fence, however, repairs can become very costly.   Corrugated Metal Biggest Pro: Environmentally friendly and easy to install Biggest Con: Can be difficult to find and difficult to maintain/repair Where To Use It: Good choice for commercial lots, can be used on residential properties Though you may not come across too many metal fences (aside from wrought iron or chain link), some do choose corrugated metal for their privacy fence! Corrugated metal is lightweight and relatively easy to work with. It’s cost-effective and environmentally friendly, as it is made from recycled materials. It’s a good choice for a privacy fence, and some styles are even designed to bounce away noise! However, some corrugated metal fencing can have sharp edges, making it less than ideal for families with children or pets. It can also be difficult to repair or even find – metal fence panels may not be found at your local hardware store.   Brick/Masonry Biggest Pro: Aesthetically pleasing while also extremely strong and durable Biggest Con: Can be very pricey, especially for larger properties Where To Use It: Great to use as a sound wall, good for commercial lots too Brick walls are often used as privacy fences and sound walls. They help prevent excess noise