Up until about 20 years ago Australians played it safe when choosing their style of garden wall and gates. But now, and particularly in the last ten years, Australian manufacturers and home owners have ventured out and there are some amazing new products on the market, as well as the traditional fencing products made new.
It does require a bit of garden planning to ensure your garden wall meets your expectations. Here are six steps to help you choose the best wall for your yard.
Step 1: Create a performance specification for your garden wall
A performance specification sounds scary, but it's very simple - make a list of all the criteria your fence needs to fore-fill, you will be surprised how many wall types your needs will eliminate.
EXAMPLE:
The wall needs to:
1. contain children unsupervised and be non climbable
3. offer privacy from the neighbours to the north
4. be a large and flat so the kids can use it as a chalk board
5. be solid so that heat will radiate from the wall in the cooler parts of the day, offering a longer growing season to summer herbs
6. protect yard from the wind
7. offer security to the yard and home
9. be inexpensive
Yes, some of these things are very particular, but a fence should meet all your individual needs not just your aesthetic requirements.
Step 2: Choose appropriate materials
Most people probably feel this is the most important thing to consider when choosing a fence. The wall materials chosen should not only complement your garden theme but should also suite your the house style. Do a little Googling to see what materials looks good together, not what looks good on it's own.
The safe and traditional styles in wall fencing can often still be the best solution for your job, and are worth considering against the newer options. But remember, no matter what type of heavy weight wall you choose, anything over 600mm high will most likely require concrete strip footing supports, so check with your engineer. Here are a few materials to consider.
Double face brick construction
This type of fence lasts, and it doesn't need to look boring. Detail, although a little more costly can look classic, but construction of this style really warrants the engagement of a professional brick layer, with detailing experience.
Cement render
Cement rendering old brick garden walls can bring life into a neglected garden. To get a perfectly finished wall, hiring a professional renderer is required, but if you are happy to go for the bagged look, give it a go yourself.
Concrete block walls render the best in comparison to clay bricks, due to the render also being concrete based. Brick walls require more preparation for rendering than concrete walls as clay bricks are constantly expanding and contracting against the render which is constantly shrinking.
Light-weight cement render
'Modular Walls' (MWS) supply a render look alike fibre cement wall system that has the same aesthetics as a tradition brick rendered wall, at about half the cost. The Modular Wall system can be installed in a fraction of the time and is a perfect option if you are building around easements and are not permitted to use strip footing construction.'Modular Walls' use a steel pier and beam type system with a fibre cement composite sandwich panel. This type of fence / wall can have all the same heavy looking proportions as a regular double brick fence. See the 'Modular Walls' system brochure here.
Dry stone
Stone walling is classic, virtually maintenance free and dates really well, but it is on the expensive side. The stone is actually quite inexpensive, it's the stone mason that adds to the bill. If your wall is over 600mm in height most likely an engineer will need to design the footings, and you really should leave the construction to a professional. But if the wall is under 600mm and you are up for a little DIY you can save a load.
Gabion
What a lovely garden addition Gabion walling and retaining can be. This style of wall is versatile, strong, pretty and perfect for DIY. Gabion is a wire basket or wire form, filled with stones and shaped into a fence or retaining type structure.
Its name comes from its civil history and it is still commonly used in civil works today for soil retention, drainage and erosion control. Gabion fencing is now the latest fad in residential fencing and soil retention solutions and is specified by many building designers and architects for new houses and renovations. For the DIY person it's quite easy to construct and can look fabulous.
Custom
The DIY person can really let go with fencing, to creating a real signature piece. See these links for some inspiration. Worlds craziest fences and other weird fences.
Living
Living walls / fences are just that. They are made up of plants that can be left to grow wild, or trimmed if you are going for the ordered look. Be aware though if one plant dies in your perfectly ordered fence at a mature height it will be difficult melding in another to take it's place. These fences are often better for people with lots of time and interest in their garden. People dedicated to their gardens can see the early signs of plant distress and will have the time to fix the problem quickly.
There are now companies that specialise in the supply and install of artificial garden walls. These vertical gardens are perfect for small yards and easy for the DIY 'er to install.
Step 3: Ensure your fence will meet your privacy needs
Visual privacy
Before you install your fence you need to know that you will receive your privacy once your wall is installed. Put up a simple timber frame structure, or a sheet, to the height you want your fence and see if it gives you the privacy you are looking for. Remember, if you have neighbours up-slope from your property it will be almost impossible to gain privacy with a fence, you will need to use a combination of privacy devices.
Acoustic privacy
In general most masonry and brick walls will provide great acoustic privacy but depending on many acoustic factors if a wall is smooth you may cause noise reverberation around your yard. 'Modular Walls' panel system is not only light weight but acoustically brilliant as well.
Tip 4: Choose a fence that meets your security needs
Solid and smooth, rendered and heavy walls are great for security, but walls that can provide a foothold are not. When choosing your fence for security, ensure that your wall have no footholds more than 10mm in protrusion. This 10mm rule is used is pool safety fencing, anything over this is considered climbable. So that means Gabion walls are out for security.
Tip 5: Think about the wall detail and design type early
The type of design you choose will actually play a great role in making a wall last. If it's been designed nicely the owners will ensure it continues to look so, taking pride in their fence.
Tip 6: Select a wall that will meet your safety requirements
If you need to secure a pool area or a yard from a busy road read the Australian Standard for pool fencing, it's actually not that difficult to read. It's a wise move to treat your busy road like a water source to keep your children safe.
Tip 7: Keep within your budget
Garden walls vary greatly in price, but assume the walls with the greater labour content will be more expensive than another. Many of the walls discussed above have a large labour component, perfect for DIY person.
Armed with the right information there is no reason why garden walls should look drab or cost the earth. Just stick to the seven tips above and you will be basking in the sunshine of your greatness, every time you interact with your garden wall.
'Modular Walls'is a national company offering a supply and install, or a DIY service. They specialize in light-weight render look alike fencing that is economical, acoustic and visually robust. For more information you can make contact with Modular Walls at info@modularwalls.com.au or 1300 556 957. See a list of nationwide distributors here.