fences?

[Icey101]

i've notices in the States from movies that alot of homes dont seem to have fences around them. In Australia the first thing we put up is a 6 foot lapped and capped pine fence, no cracks for neighbours to peer through type thing. Is there a reason why places dont have fences?

[bongomania]

It's often considered un-neighborly, even hostile, to have a fence that people can't see through. At my house we put up a style of fence that's actually called the "good neighbor" because there's a gap between each of the slats that you can see through. This isn't mine, it's just the example that came up first under Google image search:

[Icey101]

interesting...no privacy in the back yard

[clutchcarter]

I've had homes with privacy fences and ones without. I have to say that I got to know my neighbors much better without the fences and this has always been a good thing.

[Tsal]

So how do you nude sunbathe with that kind of fences?

[Sixpack324]

Good fences make good neighbors

[fdeck]

Regional thing. Most older neighborhoods that I've lived in, have had minimal fences, typically about 4 feet high. People chatted over the fence, kids climbed over to retrieve balls and toys, etc.

When I moved to Texas, every house had a 6-foot stockade, and a sign on the lawn for an alarm system. The only evidence that the neighborhood was inhabited was that you'd see a car emerge from a garage once in a while.

Back to Madison, the house we live in now is in a neighborhood that was built with no fences, and with a deed covenant discouraging them. People want to look out and see nice grass and trees, not a wall. Fences gradually went up, primarily to contain dogs and kids, but they are minimal. Neighbors are pretty sociable with one another, but we also respect one anothers privacy.

When people want privacy during the summer, they plant shrubs strategically.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Tsal

So how do you nude sunbathe with that kind of fences?

Very few people here nude sunbathe, even though we'd probably be healthier and happier if we got more vitamin D that way. As hyper-sexualized as our media makes us seem, the reality is that US culture is very repressed and neurotic about nudity.

[Jonyak]

I have no neibhors as I live in the country, but we have a large fenced in back "yard". Its really just an old farm fence and only is really still there for the dog. And more too keep the coyote, foxes, bears, fishers and other wild animals out, and away from the dog and my garden.

[colcifer]

In front yards/whatever the house has in front, no fence is common depending on the homeowner's needs. If they have pets or small children, they might put up a picket fence to make the space more usable. A taller, non-see through fence would go in the back, if there is one. As stated, there are regional differences.

Originally Posted by bongomania

As hyper-sexualized as our media makes us seem, the reality is that US culture is very repressed and neurotic about nudity.

We are. But honestly, who wouldn't pay good money to avoid seeing Bongo's junk?

[LarryO]

I have a 6' tall privacy fence around my backyard. It provides privacy, cuts down on noise (slightly) from cars passing by, keeps wind blown debris from traveling into my yard, provides a little bit of security......many many pros and very few cons. The only negative thing I can think of is it cost me $4,000 to build it......but that was actually a good price

[MJ5150]

Yes, there is a good reason. In the USA we don't have dingos and kangaroos running around everywhere.

-Mike

[mkandolf]

I have a 6 foot privacy fence around my back yard. I'd have one around the front if local ordinances would allow it to keep the neighbor's brats and animals from destroying my landscaping. The fences would be hingher on one side just so I wouldn't be able to see anything on that particluar side as well, maybe 12 foot.

[MJ5150]

I pictured you as having dasherboards all around your yard with plexiglass on top of it.

-Mike

[Actium]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Yes, there is a good reason. In the USA we don't have dingos and kangaroos running around everywhere.

-Mike

We have deer instead.



Most fences in suburbia are to keep dogs in.

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by Icey101

i've notices in the States from movies that alot of homes dont seem to have fences around them. In Australia the first thing we put up is a 6 foot lapped and capped pine fence, no cracks for neighbours to peer through type thing. Is there a reason why places dont have fences?

In Ca, just about every home on an average sized lot has a fenced back yard. When I flew to Georgia in Oct. I saw large properties with hardly any fences at all.
My parents backyard has a brick wall around it, and part of their front yard is cordoned off with a chain link fence. Inserted in the links are the green aluminum strips that reduce visibility, but not entirely.

Originally Posted by Tsal

So how do you nude sunbathe with that kind of fences?

Exactly the reason Id have a privacy fence for my own backyard.
It was always fun skinny dipping in the pool when the 'rents were out of town.

[Actium]

This might be a bit of a stretch but I wonder if the non-privacy fencing we're used to seeing here is just residual from cold war paranoia propaganda. You know the whole "your neighbors could be commies!" kinda stuff.

[jmattbassplaya]

Even in the same city you'll see some neighborhoods with privacy fences, some with chain link fences, some with gated fences, and some with those good neighbor fences. Personally, I like the privacy ones because I like to wake up in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee outside wearing nothing but my boxers and my Taz slippers. I think my neighbors unknowingly appreciate our privacy fences for that reason

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Even in the same city you'll see some neighborhoods with privacy fences, some with chain link fences, some with gated fences, and some with those good neighbor fences. Personally, I like the privacy ones because I like to wake up in the morning and enjoy a cup of coffee outside wearing nothing but my boxers and my Taz slippers. I think my neighbors unknowingly appreciate our privacy fences for that reason

You got slippers made to commemorate the "This is why Im ragequitting TB" thread? Awesome!

On my honeymoon in Maui, I spent every morning on the balconey of my hotel with the paper and some coffee, wearing nothing but a robe. True freedom!
If I had a house of my own I would certainly need a privacy fence, for all kinds of weird things would take place back there.

[shadowtippy]

The only reason I have my back yard fenced is to keep my dogs in my yard.