By nature, privacy fence designs must be closed, with no gaps between upright slats or posts,to prevent people from looking into a yard or enclosure. This tight design is what grants privacy to a yard or enclosure, but this is not to say that privacy fence designs need to be large, imposing, and ugly structures that are intimidating and unwelcoming. Privacy fence designs will vary significantly according to the materials used for construction of the fence, and each material will grant a different aesthetic to a yard. The most popular choices for privacy fencing are wood, vinyl, and brick.
Perhaps one of the most common fence designs is a tall wooden fence with a trellis at its top. The slats of the fence are placed flush with each other, and the fence is usually just taller than an average adult male. The trellis extends higher than that, but also allows sunlight to pass through and adds a visually appealing accent to any privacy fence designs that includes it. The wood used for such a fence should be either pressure treated or naturally resistant to water damage such as rot, splitting, molding, and so on. Pressure treated lumber will resist such damage, but it often takes on a green hue, so the fence may need to be painted. Cedar is a good choice for fencing material because it is both naturally beautiful and naturally resistant to water damage.
Brick fences are one of the most attractive privacy fence designs, but they are also the most expensive. Brick must be lain by someone with practical knowledge and experience in brick laying, and doing this process incorrectly can lead to a weak, unappealing fence. Brick is a good choice for soundproofing as well, so privacy fencing in this case may also work best bordering busy streets or loud industrial businesses. Concrete panels can also be purchased to construct privacy fencing that is effective as a sound barrier as well. These panels tend to be less expensive but also difficult to install.
Some privacy fence designs are not true fences at all, but instead are shrubs or trees planted strategically around the perimeter of a yard or open space. The plants provide a natural and aesthetically pleasing barrier between a yard and potential onlookers, and trees and shrubs will almost certainly outlive the lifespan of a human-built fence. Evergreen trees are a good choice for such a fence, since they will provide shade and privacy all year round, unlike deciduous trees that will lose their leaves in the winter.