"Strong fences make good neighbors", poet Robert Frost opined. However, property line fencing where you end up with raw untreated wood face, sharp protruding nails and 4" X 4" pressure treated support timbers and fencing post rails as your "view" takes the sheen off neighborliness.

Rules and regs dominate city ordinances and homeowner associations, as emasculated property owners are discovering. House colors, even the plant species you pick or when you mow your grass are coming under the watchful governance of everyone but you! Towns and cities, from Florida to California to New York, contend with a steady stream of complaints from home owners, bellyaching over half-finished fences, where one neighbor gets the "good finished side" and the other guy gets the "raw side".

Solutions? Local governments waffle on imposing "absolutes" on fence design and construction. However, the marketplace has lost no time in delivering a wholly new and innovative class of fencing system based on 2-sided fully finished fences, in a range of materials and looks.

Solution Makers - Composite Wood Plastic Decking Systems Going Vertical.

Remember the look of your friend's composite deck? Cool colors, next-to-zero maintenance, robust strength and a lifetime of expected wear and tear. These same decking system manufacturers have turned towards the "ugly fence" problem and now deliver great fencing solutions that will keep you in good graces with our neighbor after all.

* Design Concept.

Think lego-like design ease and simplicity. Composite fencing systems incorporate finished panels which insert into support rails, top and bottom. Even your fencing post is constructed out of color-matching composite wood plastics. Fencing has never looked this sharp.

* Longer Life Higher Costs.

You get what you pay for. The better looks and longer life of composite fencing is also going to cost you 30% to 50% more than vinyl fencing and about the same as cedar fencing.

Vinyl And PVC Fencing.

Despite its practical advantages, constant coloring, no chipping and relatively long life, PVC fencing can just be "too plastic" for some neighborhoods. Homeowners continue to turn to the many grades of vinyl fencing, however costs continue to rise in lock-step with oil and natural gas price increases. Some towns have gone as far as banning vinyl fencing on "community aesthetic" grounds. Yet, a well installed PVC fencing system can deliver a "finished" consistent look to both neighbors, and remove any tension on the "raw side of the fence" issue.

Wood Fencing - Cost Competitive Solution.

Wood fencing systems give homeowners the most design flexibility and affordability. Unless you're planning an "up market" splurge with, say, cedar fencing, you can comfortably incorporate structural pressure treated fencing posts with 2-sides stained or paint finished wood uprights or even wood panels. With 2-sided wood fencing, you'll pay about 20% more for that good-neighbor seal of approval. Also, you'll be cleaning, staining and maintaining your wood fencing system each year for as long as you're located in your current home.