Check out our tips for choosing a kid-friendly fence for an outdoor play area.
There are several factors to consider when looking for fencing for your yard. Among these, you might prioritize easy maintenance, safety, aesthetics, or security depending on your needs. If you have children, you know that they impact how your outdoor space is used. Beyond aesthetics, your fencing will need to be appropriate for a kids’ outdoor play area. Following are some tips for choosing a fence for your kid-friendly yard.
Safety
The goal of fencing your outdoor play area is to keep children safe in the yard, so the fence itself should not pose a hazard to them either. Kids are famously curious, so there are several aspects of a fence to consider to make sure they won’t hurt themselves. First, the surface should be kid-friendly. Wooden fences can be splintery and jagged, and chain link tends to rust and break down, producing sharp points and surfaces for kids to hurt themselves on. Vinyl, aluminum, composite, and steel fencing are all safer options when it comes to kid-friendly surfaces.
Second, the fence should be difficult to climb. Something smooth and tall with few horizontal surfaces to use as footholds will help keep kids from hurting themselves climbing your fence.
Third, the fence should remain smooth and safe. A durable fence is necessary when it comes to your kid-friendly yard. The more durable the fence is, the less maintenance it will require, and the less chance there is for injury.
Security
It’s also important to make sure your yard is secure—and keeping hazards out is as essential as keeping kids in. Climbing difficulty is important here as well. Something high with smooth pickets is still recommended, and if security is a big concern, pointed tops to your pickets can help deter climbers. Your fence should also be at least five feet tall to prevent dangerous adults from entering your yard. Your line of sight is also important when it comes to fence security. It is better to be able to see well through your fence than have privacy fencing.
Style
There is perhaps the most variation in this aspect of fencing. You can find a broad range of beautiful fences in a variety of materials, and this can depend on your own personal style. Keeping in mind the safety and security of fencing your yard, there are many types of tall, smooth pickets with clear sight lines to fit the style of any yard. In fact, there are picket-and-rail styles of fences that allow you to customize your picket fence with various types of panels to get just the look you want.
Residential Fences for Your Home from Hercules Fence DC
Hercules Fence DC has been providing homeowners with quality fences for over 50 years. We are well equipped to meet your needs, whether they are residential or commercial. We have extensive experience working with families and pet owners to keep the most important members of their home safe, so call us today about installing a new pet fence for your family. Contact us by giving us a call at 301-441-1600 or visiting us online. To see examples of our work, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Flickr.
