A Fence Runs Around It
The Age
Wednesday October 19, 2005
What options do I have when fencing a period property?
THE classic choice for period houses is a picket fence, which can make even the plainest house pretty and has connotations of perfect, homey life within.The key to matching a picket fence to the house is to be guided by the style and period of the house. If the house is largish and ornate, with features aplenty and a large garden, then there is no limit to how creative the fence can be, but if it is a modest single-fronted cottage, then an overly fancy fence may raise unrealistic expectations. Mark Lloyd, owner of Old World Picket Fences (9399 1900), says they are enduringly popular. His company uses merbou and cypress pine and has 15 types of pickets and almost unlimited variations in gates and fence styles.Mr Lloyd says "Windsor", with cast-iron details, is the classic choice for Victorian houses and "Edwardian" is popular for houses of that period.Longevity depends on how well the fence is maintained. "Keep it clean," Mr Lloyd says. "And make sure you keep it well painted." A well-maintained merbou fence will last 20-25 years and cypress pine 15-20 years, he says. Wire fences, which came into use with Californian bungalows, have an important role in recreating the past. Mr Lloyd builds them out of galvanised and powder-coated Emu wire on a wooden frame and says they need little maintenance. There are several authentic gate styles to choose from."People sometimes also use them with Victorian and Edwardian properties if they want to show off the garden," he says.Anthony Anagnostou of Everlasting Iron Works (0419 110 263) restores traditional steel fences as well as installing new ones. "We still tend to call them cast-iron fences, but there's no such thing now. They are made of steel and can be as intricate as the budget allows," he says.The spears are cast in the traditional way and inserted into a bluestone, concrete or brick base. "These fences will last 100 years," he says, adding that people like to see a bit of rust on the spears rather than have the fence look brand new. -- BEVERLEY JOHANSON
© 2005 The Age
