Stock & Noble
Fencing Design for Signature Properties in the Hills
- BY Tripti Kakkar
Who doesn’t love the idea of beautiful property nestled among the gentle slopes and serene beauty of the hills? If you too live in the lush green landscape of Australia and are exploring the ideal fencing designs to create your signature property, then this blog is for you.
Fencing plays a crucial role in the overall aesthetics, safety and ROI of your property. While hills are naturally stunning, and it’s a pleasure designing properties with such a wonderful backdrop, they come with their own set of challenges. At Stock & Noble, we specialise in providing top-tier fencing solutions for properties across Australia and New Zealand. Over the years, we’ve helped numerous clients create beautiful properties across the mountainous regions.
In this blog, we’ll explore the nuances of selecting the perfect fence for your green landscape. We’ll guide you through the process, providing insights, tips, and a visual gallery of fencing designs to inspire your vision for a personal haven amidst the hills.
Match Your Design Language to the Landscape
One of the key considerations in designing fencing for hillside properties is to harmonise with the natural landscape.
The hills mostly offer a visual backdrop of bright green or snowy white, depending on the season. You can express your design aesthetic by choosing a fence colour that seamlessly blends or boldly stands out.
In our experience of building lifestyle properties, black fencing works beautifully in the hills. It makes a statement against the green but ensures it’s not loud. Even if there’s a lot of fencing required, black maintains its charm without being overwhelming.
Below are images of property built with our Black Premium Steel Post and Rail Fencing in Mount Macedon, Victoria. If you’re considering black, it will help you visualise the fencing design.
Black fencing creates a pretty stark contrast against snow. Look at the image below, which speaks far more than our words.
White fencing is comparatively chosen by fewer property owners; however, it also looks stunning when used in a well-thought-out fashion. It might blend with the snow but creates a high contrast against the green mountain cover.
Choose the Fencing Material Correctly
As we mentioned earlier, the gorgeous mountains come with their own challenges. One of them includes the moss and mould that develop in cold, mountainous regions like Mount Macedon. The dampness makes materials like timber unsuitable.
High-quality PVC fences are strong and can work in such conditions. However, in really cold weather, like frosty mornings, the PVC can become brittle. If you have an equine property and a horse bump into the fence, it might break. The sharp edges from the broken parts could hurt the horse, and there’s a chance it might find a way to get out.
Flexible fencing like Horserail could be considered, except that it’s not ideal for undulated grounds.
Steel post and rail fencing can be considered as strong, prone to mould, termites and weather-resistant. However, rust is an issue in welded Cattle rail, so it’s advisable to choose engineered steel post and rail systems that offer enhanced protection against rust. Selecting the right material is crucial for both durability and aesthetics.
Fence Height Consideration
Think about how tall you want your fence to be. It’s important to find the right height that works for keeping your property safe and enjoying the view of your green or snowy landscape. The height of the fence also depends on the animals you have.
For instance, if you’re creating an equine property, determine the right fence height based on the size and breed of your horses. Typical fence height ranges from 1350mm high to 1500 high for the top rail. For stallion yards, it might be beneficial to go higher.
Here are some images from a recent project in Queensland. You can further find out about the creation of this beautiful equine property here.
Consider Gradient and Slope
Another challenge that the Hillsides present is during fence installation due to varying grades and slopes. Choose a fence design that follows the natural contours of the land. This not only provides stability but also adds a touch of sophistication to your property.
If your property is on a steep hillside, we recommend connecting with your fencing supplier or installer and requesting a site visit.
Below is an image of our engineer checking for the suitability of installing Premium Steel Post and Rail Fencing on a recent project in New Zealand.
If you too have undulations on your ground, a detailed process of how to calculate the gradient of a slope while installing a fence on your property could be useful for you.
Installing Gate on sloping terrain can be challenging
Installing gates on sloping fence lines presents a unique challenge. This mostly occurs when using prefabricated gates. When placed on a sloping fence line, they may not align seamlessly with the gradient of the fencing, resulting in an awkward look.
In simple words, a gate has to swing level and if the ground is too sloppy the gate can look quite out of place with the rest of the fence line. As shown in the image below, the ground has been shaped to not accentuate the gap between the bottom rail and the ground.
To ensure an aesthetically pleasing look, it is recommended to install steel gates on even ground rather than sloping terrain. With careful fence planning, it is possible to overcome this challenge. Our team of fencing consultants is available to provide valuable guidance and solutions to address this particular issue.
Ready to Design Fencing for Your Hillside Property?
Selecting the right fence for your dream property amidst the hills is crucial for both aesthetics and practicality. This blog has explored the intricacies of hillside fencing design, offering insights and images to scroll through and feel inspired.
Overall, harmonise your fence colour with the hills’ natural backdrop. Black fencing flows beautifully on green while making a high contrast against the white mountains. On the other hand, white stands out against greenery, but blends with the snow. It’s your property, so let it showcase your choice and style.
Consider challenges like moss and mould in mountainous regions. Choose a material that can withstand the test of hills and elevate the looks of your lifestyle property. For steep grounds, it’s best to collaborate with your supplier for a site visit.
Creating a good fence whether in the hills or desert is essential. It should not only be functional but also look stunning and be safe for your animals. Most importantly it should be true to your vision. While you’re exploring different solutions, it’ll be worth finding out why our Premium Steel Post and Rail is one of the most expensive fencings in Australia.
As you decide on the right fence and design for your hilly property, use the images and ideas in this blog to bring some clarity to your thoughts. If you have more questions or need help designing your dream property, talk to our fencing experts. They’ll guide you to build a secure and beautiful space just the way you want it.