10 Tips to Improve your Fence Security

Your garden fence is the first layer of security for your back garden, and insufficient fencing can make your property more exposed and vulnerable to break-ins.

But it’s important to note that the law in the UK states homeowners have a duty of care to anyone who visits their property, even if the visitor is up to no good! Adding barbed wire to your fence isn’t technically illegal (although it is very unsightly!), but if someone tries to climb your fence and ends up injured, you could be liable.

Thankfully, there’s a number of safe ways to improve your fence security, giving you peace of mind that your garden will be difficult to get into.

Check out these 10 tips to improve your fence security. 

1. Choose Low Fencing for your Front Garden

Now this may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s actually important to have low fencing in your front garden. Low fencing will ensure intruders don’t have anywhere to hide making it more likely that they’ll be spotted by either a household member or neighbour.

So, while high fences are excellent for back gardens, keeping the front of your house more exposed with a low fence is an effective way to deter thieves.

2. Ensure There’s No Damage or Holes 

You should ensure that your garden fence is in good nick. If your fence has been there for a long time or has been exposed to strong winds, your fence may have weak points or even some damage. Weak spots will help a criminal to enter and leave quickly without detection. 

Opportunistic thieves will pick on a garden that has a weak or easily climbable fence over a fence that looks robust and tough to climb. Fence maintenance is a vital part of garden security.  

Go around the perimeter of your garden, both inside and outside the fence. Check there’s no obvious damage, loose slats or easily climbable areas. A wood fence can rot over time, so may need treating. 

3. Paint your Fence with Anti-Climb Paint

If your fence is easy to climb, your property will be more vulnerable to break-ins. Anti-climbing paint, or anti-intruder paint is characterised by its thick and oily coating. It can be applied to your fence to make it more difficult to climb. 

This paint tends to stay slippery for up to 3 years before it needs topping up. It’s affordable, effective and a fairly long lasting deterrent. 

Remember that homeowners do have a duty of care to those who visit their property, so you should provide a warning sign to let intruders know that the fence will be difficult to climb. 

4. Install Security Spikes

An excellent way to make your fence more secure is to install security toppings. 

Anti-climb fence spikes can be placed on top of your fence to make it harder for both intruders and unwanted wildlife to get over the top. While these sound aggressive, they are usually made from plastic and are actually quite blunt. They simply make climbing the fence more uncomfortable. 

Anti-climb spikes are easy to fit to the tops of even very narrow walls and fencing. As they’re usually made from plastic, they’re also long lasting, maintenance-free and waterproof. 

5. Remove Climbing Aids

While you may not realise you’ve got them, climbing aids can make it a lot easier for potential burglars to get into your garden. Climbing aids to look out for include anything that will assist an intruder in getting over the fence. For instance, wheelie bins pushed up against your fence, a garden bench or even a tree. 

Ideally, your fence should be totally exposed to prevent easy access to your garden. Remove household items that could be used as a prop to help someone enter the garden. 

Large items like wheelie bins and garden furniture can also create hiding spots for intruders. Have a look around your garden in the dark and consider installing security lighting if there’s lots of dark spots. 

6. Security Warning Signs 

A full on security system in your garden can be very costly, but even just making an intruder think there’s a security system can be very effective. 

Security signage is a fraction of the cost of a security system, but is still thought of as an effective deterrent. Of course, a sign on your fence isn’t going to be as effective as an actual security system, but it can still deter the more opportunistic thieves!

Security signs can be purchased online and placed near the entry points of your home, such as the garden gate, front door or back door. 

7. Train Thorny Plants to Climb your Fence

Thorny plants can make it that much harder for an intruder to break in undetected. Spiky hedges such as hawthorn, holly or gorse can be installed in front of your fence. Bear in mind that a hedge coupled with a fence will reduce the size of your garden. 

Instead, many people train spiky plants to climb the fence. Allowing spiky plants to climb over the fences works the same as security spikes.

Keep in mind that if you’ve got children or pets, spiky plants may not be the best option. 

8. Top your Fence with a Trellis

It’s important that your garden fence has enough height to deter intruders. The optimum fence height is thought to be around 1.8m. Smaller fences are easy to climb and offer potential intruders a better view of your garden.

Having said that, it’s important you don’t have a fence so tall that your garden feels like a fortress! A tall, solid fence can block light and make your outdoor space feel a lot smaller.

A good alternative is to install a trellis on top of the fence or wall. These will add height to your garden fence without blocking light nor making your garden feel enclosed. While trellises can be easier to climb than standard garden fences, the extra height is likely to put an intruder off. Train thorny plants to climb the trellis and you’ve added a double layer of security to your home. 

9. Add a Spinning Fence Topper

While originally used to prevent cats from being able to enter gardens, spinning fence toppers also do a good job deterring intruders. These make it much harder for someone to climb into your garden, as they’ll find it more difficult to get a good hold of the top of the fence. 

Spinning fence toppers are simple to install, low maintenance and aren’t too much of an eyesore!

10. Opt for Vertical Panels

Making your fence tricky to climb can come down to the structure of the fence itself. If you’re installing a new fence and looking for the most secure option, a wooden fence with vertical panels is a good choice.

Slatted fence panels offer a modern look and allow light through. They tend to be longer lasting than other types of fence, as the gaps in the fence mean wind can travel through. The downside is that they do offer people a view into your garden, so you should ensure you put away any tools, machinery or expensive items to make your outdoor space look less inviting! 

For maximum security, you could opt for chain link fencing. This style of fence is versatile, strong and very durable. It’s difficult for intruders to cut through and will stand up well in extreme weather conditions. The downside is that it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing type of fence!