If you've got nosy neighbors who are often found walking over into your backyard or perhaps peeping at you and your friends when you're out back sunbathing, then a nice privacy fence is just the ticket. These fences can be a non-confrontational way to establish privacy. However, you need to pick the right type of fence setup. For example, you don't want a picket fence because, while they look nice, they are not high enough. Your neighbor will be able to mosey over to their side of the fence and pretend to be busy raking leaves or some other task, and get their spying in. What you need is something high and also dense enough to obstruct the view. Here are some choices to consider.

Wooden Stockade Fence

If you want complete privacy, a tall wooden stockade fence is ideal. These are tall and there are no spaces where your neighbor can look through. The top of the fence can be flat, dog ears, or spiked. One thing to note is that you need to check up on local ordinances concerning the "ugly" side of the fence. Some HOA's or local laws might require you to have the fence posts (the ugly side) facing your house and not your neighbor. If you don't want to see the fence posts, then you can have both sides covered with pickets. This is a bit more of an expense, but it will solve the problem of where to put the "ugly side."

Chain Link Fence With Privacy Slats

A chain link fence is another good idea. It can be installed high enough so that it is taller than your neighbor, and because it's made of metal, you won't have to worry about staining and repainting every season. A normal chain link fence is no good because people can see though that, so what you will need to do is get privacy slats installed. These are plastic inserts that are placed between the links and create a visual block that prevents people from seeing from one side of the fence to the other.

Vinyl Privacy Fence

A fantastic alternative to wood fencing is vinyl. This type of fencing has the advantage of not warping or requiring painting or staining. Also, it can be installed in panels. You can choose a stockade design, or a shadow fencing design (which has pickets on both sides, so it is a good way to avoid problems with the neighbor). The other nice thing about vinyl fencing is that there are lots of different design features. You can find vinyl stockade panels that have lattice screen boxes that run across the top, or even decorative features such as fleur de lis fence toppers.

For more information, contact local professionals like Allied Fence of Tampa Bay.