On average, Americans work eight hours every day, five days per week – that’s 40 hours per week. If you do the math, that’s 2,080 hours per year or more than 85 full days. If you work that much, you don’t want to spend any of your precious free time doing something as annoying as maintaining your fence. 

That’s where Northland Fence can come in. If you aren’t ready to entrust us with building your fence just yet, we can apply our 15 years of experience in the field to share information about the easiest fence to maintain. That way, you’re equipped with all the knowledge you need to install a fence that will serve its purpose with minimal upkeep. 

The Easiest Fences to Maintain…and the Hardest

Now it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of it: exactly what materials are the easiest to maintain? Let’s walk through some of the most popular options and talk about the benefits and downsides of each.

Vinyl Fencing: Long-Lasting and Low-Maintenance

Vinyl fencing is one of the best options out there when we’re talking low-maintenance fences. For one, your options are almost limitless with vinyl fencing. You can get it in a multitude of light colors, designs, and faux textures. You can even mimic a wooden white picket fence with vinyl, and your neighbors won’t even realize it isn’t wood without close inspection. Vinyl fencing is made of plastic, which can withstand the elements and won’t chip or fade. 

The biggest task you’ll have with vinyl is watching out for any mold and mildew that can build up. Regularly hosing down or pressure washing your fence can take care of that possibility.

One of the best things about vinyl is that it will last a long time – 20 to 30 years on average. Northland Fence is so confident in our vinyl that we give our customers a lifetime warranty.

Vinyl Fence

If you are looking for a fence that can withstand the elements, provide privacy, require little maintenance, protect your family, and look great in your backyard, look no further than vinyl fences. These fences can be customized to your desired aesthetic and are also great for privacy. Over the years, these fences require minimal maintenance and can endure Minnesota's weather. They tend to be fireproof, weatherproof, and termite-proof. When you have a wooden fence, you will most likely experience mold and rotting. However, a vinyl fence will not experience this. 

Steel Fencing: Strong and Reliable

Steel fencing comes with the benefits of aluminum fencing but is more durable in all meanings of the word. In its natural state, steel can rust, but Northland Fence’s steel fencing is powder-coated, which prevents rusting and chipping. It can also stand strong against the elements.

The best way to maintain a steel fence’s powder coating is to wipe any salt and dirt off of it with a sponge at least once a year, just to make sure it stays in tip-top shape.

Composite Fencing: Green, but at What Cost?

Composite fencing is made of recycled materials, including wood and plastic. This makes it resemble wood fencing without any of the upkeep and problems that come with traditional wood. Composite fences come in many different styles and don’t require painting or staining like traditional wood. The plastic surface also prevents most stains from water and oil.

It does come with a bit more maintenance, though. It’s best to brush off dirt and grime with a broom and scrub with a brush, soap, and water. You’ll want to work with the grain, too, or else you risk damaging the fence. It’s also important to fully clean the fence at least twice a year to avoid mold spores, which can cause damage to a composite fence due to its partial wood makeup. Composite fencing also fades when exposed to rain long-term, which…every fence inevitably is.

Wood Fencing: A High-Maintenance Has-Been

If you stumble upon some other blogs online while doing your research on this topic, you’ll probably see a lot of sites talking about cedar being a low-maintenance option if you want a wood fence. While it’s the lowest-maintenance wood fence, even cedar fencing isn’t reliable in Minnesota. We’ve seen a lot of examples of it failing firsthand. Cedar is still susceptible to rotting due to moisture, and with the continued staining you’d need to do to keep the fence looking nice, we don’t recommend it.

Fence Installation With Northland Fence

Ultimately, you have a lot of options, but let’s be honest  – some of you reading this are looking for fences to install and never touch again. While we don’t recommend that if you want to keep your fence looking high-quality and staying strong for a long time, our three favorite types of fencing are the ones you’re most likely to sort of get away with. At Northland Fence, we love chain link, vinyl, and ornamental wrought iron (made of steel). We think these are the best fence options, period. They just so happen to have the lowest maintenance, too, which is great.

We also install all three of these fence types and offer long-term warranties on materials and labor. We’re that confident in our work and that you’ll love the fence we install for you. Deciding on your perfect fence can be a tough task. Just know we’re here to help with any of your fence installation needs.

Northland Fence is Minneapolis’s fencing company. We’re family-owned and operated and have been serving our community since 2004. Our quality of work has made us the highest-rated fencing company in Minneapolis, and we strive to be worthy of that rating every day. We’re confident we can build a fence you’ll love for years to come. Give us a call at 763-316-4881 today. 

FAQs

What is the easiest privacy fence to maintain?

The easiest privacy fence to maintain is vinyl fencing.