Downsides

Benefits

When to consider bamboo

Solid wood fence panels rot over time, needing paint and replacement as time goes on. Wood fences are also susceptible to high wind loads as they age, with hurricanes causing them to fail when maintenance is ignored.

Solid wood fences require additional maintenance as they age:

• Painting
• Staining
• Post replacement
• Panel Replacement
• Replacing rusted, missing, or broken gate hardware and fasteners.

Solid wood fence panels create an immediate solid wall, essential for those with pools or animals.

When new, they require little maintenance and do a great job of providing a sturdy wall right from the start.

Bamboo in place of or in front of solid wood fence panels - The downside of nearly all fences is their inability to create privacy screens above the six-foot common height. Since new fences generally look nice, it is less important to consider bamboo unless you need privacy over six feet or to add additional layers of protection or privacy near busy roads and two-story structures.

Older fences may benefit from bamboo's screen as this living wall will help hide dilapidated fences that need painting, staining, and maintenance. This is especially relevant for anyone situated next to a neighbor's fence where maintenance and upkeep are not being done.

Bamboo planted alongside solid wood panel fences can be placed on four-foot to ten-foot centers, depending on the desired result.

Aluminum Fences do not rot like wood fences, but need repair as roots can malform the alignment of what used to be true, straight fence panels and gates. These malformed gates may jam or not work at all. 

Fences adjacent to sports fields, schools, or heavy foot traffic may require repairs as aluminum fence pickets can bend easily with use and misuse.

Aluminum Fences require little to no upkeep as long as they are not climbed on or near areas with rowdy children. Squirrels will chew the pickets, creating scratches in the paint, but the long-term aesthetics of aluminum fences are unparalleled when compared to wood or vinyl. 

The surface area of aluminum is low, and when compared to wood or vinyl, it is not as susceptible to high wind loads. This means aluminum is far less likely to develop a bend or lean due to sustained wind loads.

Bamboo in conjunction with aluminum Fences -The downside to aluminum is lack of privacy. If you have an aluminum fence you may need shrubs or bamboo to create a privacy screen no matter how tall the fence is.

Bamboo can also create a living barrier in areas where high traffic and teens may damage the fence causing expensive repairs.

Bamboo breaks up the line of sight and areas where privacy is desired. Dining rooms, bedrooms, and common areas are all great places to use bamboo to screen prying eyes while bringing the outside and green landscapes in.

Bamboo planted alongside aluminum fences can be placed on four-foot to ten-foot centers, depending on the desired result.

When new, vinyl fences provide the best overall blend of durability and aesthetics; however, they are not immune to issues as time goes on.

High winds and hurricanes can damage both new and old fence panels. Vinyl fences get brittle with time and can break more easily than other alternatives. They also accumulate mold and dirt, which need occasional pressure washing.

These fences are more susceptible to cracking or breaking from golf balls, baseballs, or branch strikes.
 

Solid vinyl fences create an immediate solid wall, which is very important for those with pools or animals.

Vinyl fences require little maintenance other than occasional pressure washing and do a great job of providing a privacy wall right from the start.

Bamboo in conjunction with vinyl fences - Bamboo is a great solution to hide worn, broken, brittle vinyl fence panels. Bamboo does a great job of creating a natural screen above the common six-foot height. Bamboo is a great solution, especially for anyone near a neighbor's fence where maintenance and upkeep are not managed. It can also be cheaper to add bamboo to the screen or protect the fence, as replacing vinyl fence panels will cost more than $40 per lineal foot to have replaced. 

Bamboo planted alongside vinyl fences can be placed on four-foot to ten-foot centers, depending on the desired result.

Chainlink fences were an affordable alternative to wood fences and last a very long time with little to no required maintenance. Chainlink fences are seldom if ever, used in residential construction today. However, many older homes and homes near commercial areas do have chainlink fences in one or more sides of the yard. 

Chainlink fences while functional are one of the least desired solutions for residential construction due to their aesthetic and common use in commercial, industrial, and institurtional construction. Few homeowners want their yard to resemble a county detention center, as such chainlink fences for residential applications have been replaced by other more aesthethic alternatives.

Bamboo to hide chainlink fences - Bamboo is a great solution for hiding chainlink fences. It adds beauty and privacy at the same time. Once the bamboo hedge is established, many homeowners (especially those on the other side of the chainlink fence) will remove the posts and chainlink fencing to beautify their yard, allowing the beauty of the bamboo to shine through. 

Bamboo planted alongside chainlink fences should be placed on four-foot to six-foot centers, depending on the desired result.

Timber fences are more of a statement piece, saying, “This is someone's property, do not enter!” They do a great job of keeping passenger and recreational vehicles off a homeowner's property. 

Timber fences are less common in suburban areas and more common in rural settings. Timber fences can be more affordable due to ease of installation and the fact they use less material.  The cost of dimensional lumber can be higher than that of split timber fencing, making them a logical alternative to solid wood panel fencing.

Timber fences get away with following the natural terrain and ramble of the land and need less leveling during installation than vinyl, solid wood panel, and aluminum fences. This, in turn, brings the cost of installation down.

Timber fences generally have a natural finish and are made from hardwood, so little to no maintenance is needed, other than replacing rotten posts or waterproofing with stain.

Timber fences are an affordable solution, but they do little to prevent committed intruders and trespassers from entering a property. Like aluminium fences or other open picket alternatives, timber fences do a great job of establishing a property line, but are one of the worst ways to properly secure a yard, especially in areas with high foot and vehicle traffic

Timber fences provide little to no privacy and are a good candidate for adding bamboo as a privacy and security hedge. 

For this reason, bamboo planted along timber fencelines should be on 4-6’ centers to maximize security and privacy.

Picket fences come in wood and vinyl. Just like timber fences, picket fences do a good job of establishing property lines and can be less costly than solid wood or solid vinyl panel fencing.

Picket fences are somewhat less susceptible to high wind loads than solid wood and vinyl fences due to their lower height and open design, which allows wind to flow more easily through the panels.

Picket fences are a good compromise between timber and solid panel fencing, offering some screen ability while simultaneously allowing for scenery and views.

Wood picket fences require additional maintenance as they age:

Painting

Staining

Post replacement

Picket Replacement

Replacing rusted, missing, or broken gate hardware and fasteners.

Picket fences typically cost more than timber fences and are less effective than solid panel fences in creating private, secure spaces.

Standard picket fence heights are around four feet, which makes them easier to scale for those committed to trespassing.

Picket fences lack total privacy when compared to solid panel fences. For this reason, they are a good candidate for adding bamboo as a privacy and security hedge. 

Bamboo is a great solution, especially for anyone near a neighbor's fence where maintenance and upkeep are not managed.

Bamboo planted along picket fencelines should be on 4-6’ centers to maximize security and privacy.

Guardrails and concrete parapet walls are functional wall solutions that are not designed to be aesthetically pleasing. When new, the appearance is acceptable however over time, they become ugly with scuffs, tire marks, car strikes, rust, dirt, debris, and more. They do little for added privacy, security, or reducing road noise.

Guardrails and concrete parapet walls do one thing really well, they control traffic keeping vehicles on the road and out of adjacent yards and property.

Bamboo is a great solution to reduce some of the noise and ugliness associated with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic where guardrails and concrete parapet walls exist.

Unlike steel guard rails, bamboo is a self-healing wall. If someone crashes into it, in most cases the only thing needed to repair it is time. Bamboo grows back quickly especially during the rainy season and will generally fill in within a few months of most traffic-related damage.

When planting bamboo along highways or busy roads, consider adding a couple staggered layers of large timber bamboo, along with an adjacent row of smaller diameter, graceful, emerald, or seabreeze bamboo. The reason this is important is that large timber bamboo can have gaps whereas smaller diameter bamboo will do a good job of filling in areas not initially covered by the tall bamboo.

This can block out wind-blown debris and trash commonly discarded by trashy people. Bamboo planted along busy roads should be on 4-6’ centers to maximize security and privacy. However, over time, bamboo planted on ten-foot centers can fill in, which can be important over long runs when additional cost and higher budgets need additional consideration.

Concrete highway noise walls are industrial monstrosities, and even when painted or finished with rustication or ornamental designs, they overpower any adjacent yard.

These walls are also susceptible to mold and stains, which make them aesthetically unpleasing to look at.

Concrete highway noise walls are generally welcome for those living along busy highways and tollways.

Concrete highway noise attenuation walls do two things really well:

1. They control traffic and debris keeping vehicles on the road and out of adjacent yards and property.

2. They reduce highway noise and visually block unsightly road traffic.

Concrete highway noise walls do a lot of good; however, bamboo is a great solution to both soften and reduce some of the noise and ugliness associated with them.

When planting bamboo along highways or busy roads, consider adding a tall bamboo to fully hide the entire wall.

Bamboo planted along busy roads should be on 4-6’ centers to maximize security and privacy. However, over time, bamboo planted on ten-foot centers can fill in, which can be important over long runs when additional cost and higher budgets need additional consideration.