Stone fences are beautiful and rustic. They lend a natural look to your entire landscape. In this article, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of stone fences. Then, you can decide for yourself if you want to put one up in your yard.
The Advantages
Stone fences are durable and stable!
Stone fences are practically immune to even the most disastrous forces of nature. Rain, wind, sleet, snow and summer heat will have little to no effect on a stone fence. They don’t rot. Insects like termites, ants and other creepy crawlies don’t disturb the sanctity of the structure of a stone fence. If you have a fire, it may discolor the stone fence, but it won’t destroy it.
Stone fences are aesthetically pleasing!
Stone fences are beautiful and their construction is like the creation of a piece of artwork. The professionals, like those found at B.C. Fence, carefully fit the stones together so that they don’t fall. It’s said that the shape and the weight of a stone determines where it’s placed.
Stone fences are made from basic building materials!
Stone fences are made from natural materials. They are often easy to find and inexpensive or even free. For example, if you have a property filled with rock and boulders that blend with your existing landscape, you can use these stones for your stone fence building. You can also purchase stones of varying types at different costs. They’re usually cheaper than other fence materials. The adhesives can be bought at a lumber yard or building center for just a few dollars. If your fence is dry-stacked, then you don’t even need the adhesive.
Stone fences are easy to maintain!
Because they’re so durable, this type of fence requires little to no maintenance. They’ll hold up to any type of weather as we mentioned before. They will maintain their natural look despite what the elements throw at it. Some stone fences will last more than a hundred years. You don’t need to paint or seal them either.
The Disadvantages
Stone fences cannot be easily altered!
A stone fence can’t be changed on a whim. It’s pretty much guaranteed to remain in the same form for the life of the fence. You can’t paint them because the paint won’t adhere to the rocks. Adding more stone to the fence will create a mismatched look because it won’t be weather-beaten like the existing stone. It just won’t blend. Besides adding to a stone fence can make it look uneven and even ruin the aesthetic of the existing structure.
Stone fences are difficult to repair or relocate!
Stone fences are difficult but not impossible to damage. When damage occurs either due to a natural disaster or a collision of some sort, it’s costly to repair or replace the missing stones. Stone masons are expensive to hire because they do such specialized work. These types of fences can’t be moved without a major undertaking of labor. They’re also difficult to reassemble. In fact, it would be wiser to start over than attempt to realign the stones to their former positions. Trying to move a stone fence is a logistical nightmare. It’s virtually impossible to recreate the structure in a new location.
Stone fences take a lot of time to build!
If you want to build a stone fence, it will be a time-consuming and pain-staking process. Not many people can construct these fences like we can at B.C. Fence which is one of the best fence companies in Austin. Builders must take the time to find the right stones, haul them to the location and determine how they fit together. This can be an arduous process and not one meant for the do-it-yourselfer.
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages to constructing and having a stone fence, you can decide whether you want to go through with building one. If you should decide to, we, at B.C. Fence, can do the stone work you need. Give us a call at 512-284-8716 for a free estimate today.
