Which Way Should The Finished Side Of The Fence Face?

Many of the improvements you can make to your home only affect you and your family. However, fence installation in Kelowna is a special situation. Though the fence belongs to you, it also affects your neighbours because it is adjacent to their property. For this reason, it is important to observe a certain “fence etiquette” when putting up a new barrier.

Part of this etiquette is which side should face your neighbours’ yard. If you are installing a solid panel fence, one side is often “unfinished,” meaning that the structural elements that hold the fence up are showing. The other side has a smoother and more finished appearance that is generally considered more attractive. Typically, the fence is installed with the unfinished side facing in toward your property and the finished side facing out toward your neighbours. There are several good reasons why this is done.

Curb Appeal

It may seem to make sense to have the prettier side of your fence facing inward so that you can enjoy the way it looks when you are sitting in your yard. However, that means that the unfinished side, generally considered to be uglier, is facing out toward your neighbours and passersby. This can affect the appearance of your entire property. Curb appeal, that subjective measure of how your property looks to other people, may decline as a result. Because it is customary to have the finished side facing out, it may look “wrong” if it is not.

Installing your fence with the unfinished side facing out may also reflect badly on you. It may appear to outsiders that you just don’t know how to install a fence correctly.

Courtesy

Your new fence will affect the aesthetics of your neighbours’ yard as well. It may be considered rude to purposely point the side that is considered “uglier” out toward your neighbours’ yard. Even if this was not your intention, it may appear to your neighbour that you are purposely trying to make your property look better at the expense of theirs.

Local Regulations

In some communities, installing your fence with the finished side facing out is not only customary and courteous but is required by law. In some communities, the building codes specifically require that you install the fence so that the finished side faces out toward the neighbours. Even if the municipal codes don’t require it, the rules of some homeowners associations may specify it. In either case, you may face significant penalties if your fence does not comply.

Security

Installing your fence with the unfinished side facing in also helps you to keep your own property secure. If the unfinished side were facing out, the rails and posts would be exposed to outsiders. It would be a relatively easy matter for a trespasser to climb over your fence into the yard using the structural elements as foot- and handholds. The smoother, finished side presents a much more difficult obstacle to surmount and helps to keep your property more secure against invasion.

Other Options

If you really don’t like the idea of having the unfinished side of the fence facing your property, there are other alternatives available. For example, “sandwich construction” makes your fence double-sided and, as an additional benefit, stronger than it would be otherwise. You can also choose a different type or style of fence that looks identical from either side. These styles are known as “good neighbour fences”.

Kelowna Fence Services From Handyman Connection

In addition to installation, Handyman Connection can also provide fence repair services for an existing structure on your property. One of our experienced technicians will explain what is required at every step of the process. Learn more about our specialties and what you need to consider when planning a fence project.