While we’ve touched on the look and function of fences before, this month we start a two part blog on the security of your garden. In this piece, we’ll talk about fences, how they can help you keep your home or premises secure and what kind of fences we offer at Harrow Fencing to assist you.
How Do Fences Help Security?
Every home has its weak spot which thieves and opportunists will try to exploit. A survey carried out in 1996 – The British Crime Survey – stated that around 60% of all domestic burglaries were carried out via the back or the side of the house. This obviously depends on how much room you have and the length of your perimeter, but it proves that our back gardens and our flanks are the most at-risk areas.
With this in mind, it’s easy to see how quality fencing can help you to protect your property. Sturdy, tall and relatively simple, a fence is something we don’t give too much thought to, but as a potential burglar, it would obviously be easier to get up close to a property if there are no fences restricting you.
Not only do fences restrict access, portioning off your garden from the street, the pavement or someone else’s garden, but they also present a barrier to the view of any would-be intruder. If they can’t see into your garden or your home then they have no idea what lies ahead of them, and this in itself can put them off carrying out criminal activities.
What Kind Of Fence Do I Need?
The simple answer is that any fence is better than no fence, but there are other factors you can consider when selecting your fence.
Strength – Clearly the sturdier your fence is, the better it will stand up to weathering; you don’t want to have to replace panels in the first breeze. Our Harrowlap fencing panels are one of the strongest larch lap panels due to three supporting batons on each side for a high quality finish.
Height – It’s recommended that a fence height of 2m is the best for preventing anyone viewing your garden or your house and its contents. At Harrow Fencing we can supply panels with a height of 6ft (1.83m high). Panels coupled with a timber or concrete gravel board are raised off the ground to achieve a height of 2 meters.
Trellis – While most people think of a trellis as a decorative addition, it actually adds more height and strength to your fence. We supply many different styles of trellis, while some fence panels, like our Omega Lattice, come with integrated trellis.
What About The Front Of My Property?
There is a simple reason for why you shouldn’t have standard, 6 foot fencing around the front of your home: so that criminals can’t hide behind it. You want to be able to see anyone approaching your home and not give them somewhere they can stake out your home or gain the element of surprise. For a fencing solution to suit the front of your home, we provide palisade style fencing that gives you the aesthetic element, and keeps people from roaming onto your garden, but keeps the height at around a metre.
To learn more about our various fences and trellis fences, or to get an idea of costing, simply check out our price list or contact us today. Our team will be happy to help you find the right solution to protect and enhance your property. Remember to look out for part two of our blog next month on garden security.
