Cheap Fencing Alternatives

Fences are often stylish and functional additions to any yard or landscape. Use them to clearly mark property lines, to create privacy, to keep pets and children in and to keep animals and intruders out. While most fences are made of wooden posts and pickets, purchasing the lumber for them—and constructing and painting them—is quite costly. Consider several cheap fencing alternatives.

Using bamboo for constructing fences is a simple and sturdy alternative to traditional fencing options. Bamboo is fast growing and invasive, which means in many parts of the country one can obtain large quantities cheaply. Not only is a bamboo fence less expensive to build in comparison to a traditional fence, but bamboo fences are also less expensive to maintain because they require no refinishing, such as paints, oils or other coatings. According to AZ Central, before building a bamboo fence, make sure it blends with the overall decor of the home and the yard. For example, a bamboo fence looks natural surrounding a stone garden but not surrounding a Victorian-style home.

According to Gardening Tips n' Ideas, if bamboo is not available cheaply in an area, try building a fence from local brushwood. Brushwood refers to small branches, twigs and undergrowth or dense patches of woody shrubs. Gather brushwood from the property where the fence is planned or visit a local lumberyard where it is much less expensive than processed planks of lumber.

A trip to the local junkyard or salvage yard often reveals a plethora of suitable and free fence-building materials. According to Gardening Tips n' Ideas, look for discarded iron fencing, which individuals often throw out once it succumbs to rust. Don't think recycling an old, rusty fence makes an ugly, dingy-looking perimeter for your garden or yard because plants can hide the rust. Training climbing plants and creepers to grow on iron fences makes them very natural looking and aesthetically pleasing.

A dry stonewall utilizes no mortar or bonding material and relies instead on the precise placement and chiseling of natural rocks and stones. According to Garden Guides n' Tips, while tedious to construct, builders can pick up inexpensive rocks for stonewalls at nearby quarries and masonry shops; mismatched rocks are the cheapest. Alternatively, if the property contains lots of rocky outcrops, construct the wall for free using materials from the site.