S/O Poll: which way do fences face in your neighborhood?

[bitsandpieces]

We have cinder block or stucco walls, so the look the same on both sides. All yards are fenced here because there are so many backyard pools.

[So_Fetch]

May 23, 2016 13:10:41 GMT -5 Michelle said:

SS: fences on the outer perimeter are nice-side out and the responsibility of the HOA. Shared fences between neighbors are those "good neighbor" fences where each section faces a different direction. It's kind of annoying.

ETA pic:

This.  Every house I've lived in and 80% of those I've been to in CA have this type of fence.

[pescalita]

This is my neighbor's fence; it's a corner house so I could get a street view of our fences. The rails are on top and bottom so there's no inside or outside. Sometimes there's privacy lattice on top.

ETA: I've never seen that abomination MB posted.

[shortcake2675]

Our fences were all here when we moved in, but we have one that switches back and force nice in, nice out like Michelle posted. The part that I know is ours separating our back from our front yard is nice out. And the whole back of our back yard fence is nice out. The one foot we share with the BEC neighbors is OSB toward us, nice boards toward them because their asshole dog broke the nicer boards that faced their house.

[TBM]

In CA we had a shared fence that was the alternating panel "good neighbor" fence, but when we replaced it, we put in one that looked the same on either side. If we hadn't, we would have had to put the nice side to the neighbors.

Here in FL we trusted our fence guy to navigate the code for us. Everything that faces the street or the neighbors faces good side out (even though the back side of our next door neighbor's fence faces our backyard) and our courtyard fence is good side in, which is allowed since it is like a fenced yard inside of a fenced yard.

[berrysweet]

May 23, 2016 13:10:41 GMT -5 Michelle said:

SS: fences on the outer perimeter are nice-side out and the responsibility of the HOA. Shared fences between neighbors are those "good neighbor" fences where each section faces a different direction. It's kind of annoying.

ETA pic:

Every fence I've seen around here looks like this, including ours (it was that way when we purchased).

[rachers]

Nice side in but I think maybe it's because you can't see them from the road?

[cmeon]

I've seen the every-other panel flip rarely- it's so horrible, when there are so many nice choices for fences that are pretty on both sides. I would so much rather just have the "ugly" rail side in my yard.

[nomad100]

In our area, while the fence itself in on the property line, the posts need to be on the side of the party installing the fence. And the nice side needs to face the street. Splitting the cost of a fence isn't the norm here.

So we have 4 runs of fence that have the nice side faces the neighbors or the street and 1 run where we have the nice side.

[TBM]

May 23, 2016 15:40:55 GMT -5 cmeon said:

I've seen the every-other panel flip rarely- it's so horrible, when there are so many nice choices for fences that are pretty on both sides. I would so much rather just have the "ugly" rail side in my yard.

We stained ours really dark, so from our side you couldn't really tell that it was a stupid design.  At least the part facing the street was nice side out so it wasn't horrible to look at from the front.

[cmeon]

May 23, 2016 15:50:25 GMT -5 TBM said:

May 23, 2016 15:40:55 GMT -5 cmeon said:

I've seen the every-other panel flip rarely- it's so horrible, when there are so many nice choices for fences that are pretty on both sides. I would so much rather just have the "ugly" rail side in my yard.

We stained ours really dark, so from our side you couldn't really tell that it was a stupid design.  At least the part facing the street was nice side out so it wasn't horrible to look at from the front.

I do think a nice stain would go a long way to improve it- especially pale gray aging pressure treated pine like 99% of wood fencing here. Did you have problems with your pups getting through the "holes" between panels? I am positive they wouldn't have held in our mini dachsies when they were young and adventurous!

ETA: To be fair, our original normally paneled wooden fence didn't hold in the young dachsies well, either- but, they'd have had a blast with puppy sized holes to the neighbors' yard- and I have a feeling we'd see a lot more of our neighbors' chihuahua with that kind of access! Ha!

[Michelle]

May 23, 2016 14:14:40 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Ours is the same on both sides.

If there is a good and bad side, the good side faces the street. If you share a fence with a neighbour then you alternate. But we always share fences with neighbors (and generally) split the cost here. I only learned on this site that it's a regional thing.

eta- this is what our fence looks like. same on both sides... 

What part of the country do you live in? I like this style so much better, but I'm not sure it would withstand Hurricane force winds. The style with the board through the middle is more durable for at least a Cat 1 hurricane. Our old fence that didn't have the alternating sides survived Hurricane Ike and I lived in an evacuation zone. It was still Cat 2 when it went through my area.


ETA - do your fence posts have to go down 2 feet and be secured into cement?

[Gato]

SS - I didn't even know that fences have a nice side and a not-nice side. In our old neighborhood nobody had fences; we shared a large common green. In our new neighborhood there doesn't seem to be any particular rhyme or reason to fencing. It is high-density and people just seem to do whatever. Our own building has three different fences built by the neighbors we face, but our side of all three seems pretty nice, I guess?

[nursecramer]

May 23, 2016 13:27:04 GMT -5 Michelle said:

May 23, 2016 13:12:49 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

that looks like pure shit

I agree. We need to replace ours in about a year. The neighbor that shares our longest stretch of fence is a renter. If we have to pay for the whole fence, I'm putting the nice side facing us. I have heard of neighbors "finishing" the look of these good neighbor fences by putting a double side on their "ugly" side of the fence.

That good neighbor fence is AWFUL. Our last neighborhood, people did a shadowbox fence to comply with the "good side out" ordinance.

Another ordinance specified that if you put up another fence to finish off the inside of your fence, you must be able to maintain the landscaping between the two faces. So there has to be enough room (or will power) to do weed control-- no letting grass and weeds grow up between the faces. 

[curbsideprophet]

I did not recall which way our fence faced so I had to check when I got home. The good side faces in. It is entirely on our property. We did not install it but we did add to it a bit to close it in. I primarily wanted it closed in to help contain the kids so I am okay with the good side facing in.

That flipping nonsense would drive me crazy.

[irishbride2]

May 23, 2016 13:10:41 GMT -5 Michelle said:

SS: fences on the outer perimeter are nice-side out and the responsibility of the HOA. Shared fences between neighbors are those "good neighbor" fences where each section faces a different direction. It's kind of annoying.

ETA pic:

This is causing my anxiety to rev up

[irishbride2]

Neither? Most don't have a good side, at least in my neighborhood (that I've noticed). These are common. 

[definitelyO]

SS: for some reason we ended up with nice side IN for 3 sides; therefore, our 3 neighbors who share our fence have nice side out (facing us).
the side facing the street has nice side to the street. (so nice side out)

[taratru]

Ours doesn't have a "bad" side. They look the same on both sides.

[jln]

My township requires good neighbor fences between homes and nice side out on the front side of homes. I'd prefer a shadowbox fence, but I don't really care that much.

[lolalolalola]

May 23, 2016 16:25:19 GMT -5 Michelle said:

May 23, 2016 14:14:40 GMT -5 lolalolalola said:

Ours is the same on both sides.

If there is a good and bad side, the good side faces the street. If you share a fence with a neighbour then you alternate. But we always share fences with neighbors (and generally) split the cost here. I only learned on this site that it's a regional thing.

eta- this is what our fence looks like. same on both sides... 

What part of the country do you live in? I like this style so much better, but I'm not sure it would withstand Hurricane force winds. The style with the board through the middle is more durable for at least a Cat 1 hurricane. Our old fence that didn't have the alternating sides survived Hurricane Ike and I lived in an evacuation zone. It was still Cat 2 when it went through my area.


ETA - do your fence posts have to go down 2 feet and be secured into cement?

I live in Canada. I don't see how it would be less strong than any other type of wooden fence - it's secured on top and bottom, on both sides. I don't know how deep they have to go (our bylaws don't specify), but I believe cement pilings  are standard for fence posts. I really like the style. 

[sfy]

That alternating fence is missing at least 40% of the point of having a fence. Part of fencing is aesthetic. That is not at all pleasing to the eye.

I don't know that I've ever seen nice side in. I'm not very observant, so I really don't quite trust myself on this, but I don't remember seeing and taking note of it, anyway. I don't like it. It seems like wearing your nice clothes at home but leaving the house looking crazy.

[auntie]

HOA dictates post and rail or something like what ttt, posted.

[AAM2012]

We only have cinder block fences..so both sides look like shit.

[LanaLang]

May 23, 2016 13:21:41 GMT -5 cmeon said:

We have a PVC right now that's "nice" on both sides. Wooden fences require a lot of upkeep in FL, so PVC is pretty popular.

When we do see wooden fences, they do tend to be nice side out. The rails on the "ugly" side are incredibly easy to climb, so if you are concerned with security at all, you'd want them inside. If you have dogs who can climb, you'll want them outside.

HOAs definitely make up their own rules, too, of course- but, in general, nice side out goes.

Which is why most house here are nice side out... Except the neighbors with escape artist dogs. Their fences are nice side in so the dogs can't get out.

[curmudgeon]

Shared fences, but somehow we ended up with the nice side in on all sides (besides the very small front-facing section). This summer we get to replace posts since the fence is leaning in, hoping the new neighbors are as good to work with as the one on the other side was.

The alternating mess is awful, I'd prefer all ugly side to that.

[Cicero]

May 23, 2016 15:05:09 GMT -5 Catlawdy said:

Nice side out. I like the curb appeal of it being nice side out, plus, it's easier to jump from the side with the rail on it and I'd prefer it to be harder to climb in than to climb out.

This. I thought this was the norm because that's how it is all over the area. It's actually city code in one of the places we had a fence put in that the nice side has to be out.

[irishbride2]

May 23, 2016 21:28:38 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Fences aren't really a thing here

Most people don't seem to have them, but those with dogs do. That's why we have one.

[TBM]

May 23, 2016 16:05:04 GMT -5 cmeon said:

May 23, 2016 15:50:25 GMT -5 TBM said:

We stained ours really dark, so from our side you couldn't really tell that it was a stupid design.  At least the part facing the street was nice side out so it wasn't horrible to look at from the front.

I do think a nice stain would go a long way to improve it- especially pale gray aging pressure treated pine like 99% of wood fencing here. Did you have problems with your pups getting through the "holes" between panels? I am positive they wouldn't have held in our mini dachsies when they were young and adventurous!

ETA: To be fair, our original normally paneled wooden fence didn't hold in the young dachsies well, either- but, they'd have had a blast with puppy sized holes to the neighbors' yard- and I have a feeling we'd see a lot more of our neighbors' chihuahua with that kind of access! Ha!

The fence had been dog proofed for diggers long before the littles arrived, but there really weren't any openings between the two sides (the posts blocked access) except on the top above the top rail.

They could walk right through the gate to the backyard from the dog run, so we did have to fix that one. Can Zari fit through that? is our meter for fences. lol She is like a mouse and has squeezed through tinier openings than one would think possible.

[Michelle]

May 23, 2016 18:02:42 GMT -5 nursecramer said:

May 23, 2016 13:27:04 GMT -5 Michelle said:

I agree. We need to replace ours in about a year. The neighbor that shares our longest stretch of fence is a renter. If we have to pay for the whole fence, I'm putting the nice side facing us. I have heard of neighbors "finishing" the look of these good neighbor fences by putting a double side on their "ugly" side of the fence.

That good neighbor fence is AWFUL. Our last neighborhood, people did a shadowbox fence to comply with the "good side out" ordinance.

Another ordinance specified that if you put up another fence to finish off the inside of your fence, you must be able to maintain the landscaping between the two faces. So there has to be enough room (or will power) to do weed control-- no letting grass and weeds grow up between the faces. 

thank you for posting this. It is a cheaper option if we are required by the HOA to keep the good neighbor fence. This style would allow me to grow some climbing vines on every other panel which I think could be very pretty.