Fencing the Kids In

Go to the local builders supply business and do comparison. We found that cyclone fence is horribly more expensive than the other options like chicken wire, pig wire, etc...you buy the posts, put them in the ground, then hang the rolled up fencing from pole to pole. It is pretty easy to do and the cost can be something that you can spend more each month. Start with a small area suitable for a play yard then you can increase it as time goes by just by moving the poles out a bit and adding more fence.

Since you're not well off, I'd suggest chain link fencing. It's much cheaper and lasts pretty much forever. If the dog is small breed, 4 feet tall should be enough. If large breed, opt for the 6 foot tall fencing.

As far as the offender is concerned, while it is annoying that his home is so close to yours, it does not sound like his a child molester or pedophile. Like so many boys, he probably got involved with a high school girl when he was 18 or 19. Truth be told, your best bet is to go over and just talk to him. You can get most of the information online, but really...lets be grown ups, shall we? Not everyone on that list is a child molester. Did you know you could be put on it for peeing in a public place? Or on the side of a highway? I've peed BEHIND a restroom at the park because it was locked! *I* could be put on that list if someone saw me.

Pssst! Hey, 8kidsdad! ;o) A 50x50 yard would be 200 linear feet of fencing.

Our rules for putting someone on the sex offenders list is very screwed up.

An 18.1 year old high school senior boy having sex with his 17 .9 year old high school girl friend on prom night can put him on a sex offender's list. A woman going topless on a deserted beach can be put on a sex offenders list. A 50 year old man having sex with a dozen 5 year old boys or girls can find himself on a sex offender's list.

I wouldn't want to live near to the last one, but the other two are a "so what."

Cheap fencing. 4 foot welded wire fencing is the cheapiest. You can buy 150 feet and have a 50' by 50' fenced in yard. Home depot is probably the cheapest place to buy.

ADDED: If you are looking for in-expensive fence, use chain link for the small area in your back yard, then as finances improve fence the actual fence line with 6' wooden fence. I put up a 6' wooden fence around my one acre back yard in about 3 months of every other Saturday, by myself.

Also if you go down the fence lines, your neighbors should help with either the cost or the labor or both. My neighbors did.

Good luck to you and yours.

a friend of mine managed to fence her property with chain link fence being given away either in the local newspaper or on freecycle or craigslist. you might luck out and be able to do the same. for the section that will be near the boy's trailer, you could buy some trellis wood and put up some type of climbing vine to block the view.

why would you buy a house next door to a sex offender??????????????

A chain link is the cheapest but before you do anything, check with restrictions with the town first. Some limit the height and type of fencing.

In this situation, I'd definitely opt for wood for privacy. We had to replace a large section of wood fence and it ran around $1,000, but a lot of that was for labor. If you can do it yourselves, you can save a lot of money.

Psst; Christy P...........a 50x50 fenced area behind a house usually only has 3 sides of fence because the house is the 4 th side...3X50 = 150.....if the house isn't 50' wide, then the other three side lengths can be adjusted a bit. I don't know if I explained it clearly enough, but 8kidsdad......I get what you're saying! ;-)

We have chain link and planted red tipped something or others by it. They grow super fast and look really nice.

Chain link is cheapest if you do it yourself. But privacy panels are probably better for young kids and dogs - can't climb over them easily...and no one can see them playing in the yard nor do you have to see their mobile home. You can put those in yourself too, but it's hardwork and can get expensive if you have to do the whole yard, front and back.

Chain link is great. Make sure you have no home owners association rules against it and find out how tall a fence you are allowed to have.
If one side of the house forms one side of a rectangular area to be fenced, you only need 3 sides.
A 4 ft fence is ok for containing kids/puppy BUT a taller fence will help keep balls and toys from going over the top (especially into the yard of the mobile home).