Australia's Top 10 Most Popular Fencing Materials

If you’re building a new home or are just looking to touch up your backyard, your property fencing is one of main things you’ll need to consider. Luckily, there’s a massive range of popular fencing materials in Australia, so you won’t be lacking for options.

But what are the best fencing materials for your property? Well, the answer to this question depends on a variety of factors, including your local climate, the slope of your land, and the purpose behind your fencing (i.e. is it to keep pests out, to keep pets and children in, or pool fencing for safety?).

The Top 10 Most Popular Fencing Materials in Australia

To help you decide, our team at Outback Fencing have compiled a list of ten of the most popular fencing materials in Australia. These materials vary significantly with regards to both cost and aesthetics, which makes it important to understand your needs and budget before making a decision.

Here are the 10 most popular fencing materials in Australia:

1. Glass Fencing
2. PVC Fencing
3. Colourbond Fencing
4. Cedarwood Fencing
5. Treated Wood Fencing
6. Aluminium Fencing
7. Brick Fencing
8. Wrought Iron Fencing
9. Redwood Fencing
10. Stone Fencing

1. Glass Fencing

Glass fencing, when used in the right situations, makes your yard look incredibly elegant. It's one of the most popular fencing materials when it comes to swimming pools as it gives you visibility to and from the pool, as well as keeps water from getting out. A glass pool fence is also superb at keeping debris and unwanted guests (i.e. wild animals like possums, frogs, or baby birds) out of your pool, which saves you on cleaning time.

If you live in Australia, you may be legally required to install a fence around your swimming pool. If you’re planning to use glass, you’re probably going to want reinforced glass, as your fence will be exposed to the elements. Thankfully, the glass fencing supplies we have on offer here at Outback Fencing are produced using the highest-grade trade quality glass, so you can expect a consistent standard of durability across our entire range of glass pool fencing.

2. PVC Fencing

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a fantastic choice if you want to give your house a Hamptons look. It has plenty of advantages over other materials. For one thing, it’s UV resistant, which makes it less prone to damage from the Australian sun. Looks-wise, it’s also incredibly versatile, with our PVC fencing available in a wide range of different fencing styles. For instance, you may opt to invest in full privacy PVC fencing for your home, which boasts solid fence panels with no separation or spacing between slats for total privacy. Or you could opt for semi-privacy PVC picket fencing if you’re looking to enjoy a little division between yourself and your neighbours whilst still ensuring that you can have a chinwag over your dividing line during your Sunday morning gardening.

If you like the look of timber or metal but don’t want to worry about maintenance down the line, then we highly recommend PVC fencing. It’s long lasting, looks great and is more affordable than many other fencing materials out there. And best of all – PVC won’t rust, fade or warp in the Australian climate.

If you’re looking for great fencing for coastal properties that have been manufactured using materials that are perfectly suited to Australia’s unique climate, then we highly recommend you look into securing PVC fencing for your home and property.

3. Colorbond Fencing

It’s no secret that this next fencing material is an Australian favourite, because for starters, the material itself is made in Australia and tested to withstand extreme hot weather conditions (aka, Australian weather conditions!). We are, of course, talking about Colorbond steel and the Colorbond fencing panels that are made possible by this exemplary fencing material.

Colorbond fencing is a versatile choice if you’re looking for something that blends in with the rest of your home. Colorbond fences come in a wide range of styles and colours and are pre-painted, so there’s no need to worry about doing it yourself. Discolouration also won’t be a problem, as the paint is baked into the material itself during the steel treatment process.

Like PVC, Colorbond is extremely resistant to both the heat and to rain, and is perfect for Australian weather conditions, both in summer as well as during extreme winter storms and even hail. While Colorbond is a type of steel, it’s got serious advantages over traditional steel. It’s specially designed not to corrode over time. It’s made of three layers of steel, which increases its durability and helps Colorbond fences retain their shape. Colorbond is also a lot cheaper than other types of steel, making Colorbond fencing a win-win-win for Aussie homeowners looking to beautify their backyard on a budget whilst also boosting its sustainability and robustness as well.

Colorbond fencing is also available in a wide range of colours, so whether you’re looking for fencing for contemporary homes or even classical post-war Australian homes, you’ll be sure to find a Colorbond fencing panel or two that complement your home design perfectly.

4. Cedarwood Fencing

For a classic, suburban look, cedar has been one of the most popular fencing materials for a long time. It’s great because of its versatility, and because of how natural it looks, as a timber fencing material. As cedarwood is native to cooler climates, cedarwood fencing is also well-suited to alpine regions, making it one of the best fence styles for windy areas.

If you do choose to use cedarwood, however, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind. First, it’s important to minimise contact with soil by adding a layer of concrete underneath to avoid rotting. Also, if you’re using cedar in the Australian sun, it’ll need regular maintenance so that your cedarwood doesn’t warp, split, or discolour.

If you live in Australia, you’ll want to explore other more durable fencing options before deciding to go with timber. As mentioned, wood experiences discolouration when exposed to harsh sunlight, and may not react well to the shifting Australian weather.

5. Treated Wood Fencing

Even though timber has been proven not to be a great fencing material for Australian properties, it’s still highly sought after, which is why some types of timber have still made this list of Australia’s most popular fencing materials. But there is a reason why all of the timber materials that are on this list have made it here: because they’re more durable than untreated or raw timber.

If you like the look of timber without the drawbacks, then you may consider securing fencing supplies made with treated wood materials. Getting your wood treated protects it from natural dangers like pests, moisture and UV or solar exposure. If you have an existing wooden fence, you can do the treatment yourself by looking for a suitable wood oil or chemical wood treatment solution. Simply put, treated timber won’t need as much maintenance as untreated wood and is more likely to be a cheaper option in the long run.

6. Aluminium Fencing

If you’ve already invested in a swimming pool, you’ll want to spend some time designing it. A massive component of your design considerations when it comes to your backyard swimming pool is deciding what kind of pool fencing you’d like to invest in.

As we’ve mentioned, glass fencing is a really popular option here – but it isn’t the only one. In recent years, Australian homeowners have also been investing in aluminium pool fencing. Aluminium is one of the most popular fencing materials around because it combines aesthetics with functionality. Powder-coated aluminium doesn’t stain, and it’s also incredibly resistant to heat and moisture, which is precisely what makes it a great material for pool fencing. You also won’t need to do much maintenance to keep your aluminium fencing in good condition, which is great both for convenience and cost.

But aluminium is used for more than just backyard pool fencing too. Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more common to see aluminium slat fencing in modern home designs across Australia. Once again, the durability of this fencing material coupled with its lower cost production, makes aluminium a fencing material that’s rapidly growing in popularity across the nation.

7. Brick Fencing

If you’re looking for a solid, no-nonsense option that matches your brick veneer home to a tee, then you can’t go wrong with brick fencing. It’s low-maintenance, and looks fantastic with a number of different aesthetics. It also doesn’t attract too much attention, so it draws the eye to the rest of your house.

One thing to keep in mind if you want to use brick for your fencing, however, is that it’s a little more expensive than some of the other choices on this list. It’s all about what you’re looking for: if cost is your primary concern, PVC or Colorbond fencing might be better for you. If you want a long-term option that also won’t need much maintenance, though, brick can be a value option over the lifetime of your home.

If you don’t like how brick looks in its natural state, you can also paint over your brick fences to achieve any look you want. Or you may even be able to integrate aluminium batten fencing or other fencing styles into your brick fencing to boost its durability whilst also lowering the cost of materials required for the construction of your brick fence.

8. Wrought Iron Fencing

Driving through any Australian neighbourhood, you’re likely to see ornate fences made using wrought iron or even untreated iron. These wrought iron fences typically boast intricate patterns that likely looked superb in their prime. Cut to today, and a lot of the wrought iron fences in your area are likely to boast chipped paint, discolouration, and perhaps even plenty of rust or oxidisation through years of exposure to the elements.

Even so, that ‘wrought iron’ fence style is still highly sought after in Australia. If you're looking to maintain a classic wrought iron fencing style for your property but want to invest in something a little more modern and durable, consider checking out our security fencing panels here at Outback Fencing.

One of the main reasons you’ll want a fence is to keep you and your home safe. When it comes to protection, there are few better fencing options in Australia than spear-top security fencing. As its name suggests, spear-top fences are tipped with sharp points in order to deter trespassers.

Black is an incredibly common colour choice for spear-top fences. For one thing, it adds an air of timeless elegance to your home. Spear-top fencing looks especially great if you live in a detached, suburban home, although there are ways to make it work in a townhouse, too.

9. Redwood Fencing

If you want to go all-out, redwood is one of the most popular fencing materials out there. Redwood trees are native to California, and their wood is one of the most sought after in the world. Thankfully, there are timber manufacturers across Australia that specialise in producing redwood and redwood timber products, including redwood fencing. Sadly, as redwood must be grown in heavier, moist soils and within cooler climates, redwood fencing materials can also be on the pricier side.

While redwood is pricey, it can also be an investment, provided you maintain it regularly to keep it in tip top shape. If you don’t have the time, energy, or even the financial resources to maintain your redwood fencing, however, then this may not be the best fencing material for your Australian home. As redwood performs best in cooler climates, this fencing material is also not recommended for any coastal Australian homes or homes in arid climates.

10. Stone Fencing

Stone fencing has been one of the most popular fencing materials for a long time, and it’s easy to see why. It lends your home a timeless, luxurious air that recalls the English countryside. If you’re going for a cottagecore or rustic look, definitely consider investing in stone fencing. Stone is also versatile, and there are lots of options to choose from, including quartz, limestone, granite and marble. These vary wildly in terms of both look and cost, so do plenty of research before making a decision.

While stone fencing can get pretty pricey, especially if you have a big house, it’s the ultimate low-maintenance option. It’s incredibly resistant to both sun and rain, so you won’t need to spend much time and money on upkeep. The only downside to stone fencing aside from its more exorbitant price, is just the fact that it can be discoloured by rainfall. Stone fencing may also greatly compact the soil surrounding your fence, so be sure to only invest in stone fencing if you’re confident you won’t be moving your property’s dividing line or fence perimeter anytime soon.

If you don’t mind this solely superficial downside, however, and have a higher budget for your fencing project, then why not invest in stone fencing for your Australian property?

Final Thoughts On The Most Popular Fencing Materials

As you can see, you’re faced with countless choices when it comes to picking a fencing material that’s suitable for your home. While the sheer number of options can get overwhelming, knowing what you need and what aesthetic you’re going for goes a long way to narrowing down your choices.

In this article, we’ve gone through ten of the most popular fencing materials in Australia. Which one you choose will depend on lots of factors, including your taste, so you won’t want to make this decision lightly. Do lots of research, and browse our full catalogue of fencing products to find the perfect fencing materials for your home and property.

If you have any questions about our top 10 most popular fencing materials, then simply get in touch with a member of our team via our website or by calling (02) 4062 0386. We’re always happy to help you find the perfect fencing solution for your home and property.