Old Lyme has a look all its own. There are the white clapboard homes and old maples along Lyme Street, the Florence Griswold Museum and the art colony that made the town famous, stone walls running through the woods in Black Hall, and summer cottages packed close together near the beaches at Sound View and Hawks Nest. So it surprises some people that one of the most popular fence styles we’re asked about here is the horizontal fence.
It makes sense once you see one in person. Long, level boards echo the lines of the marsh and the water, and they give a backyard real privacy without looking heavy. This guide covers where a horizontal fence fits in Old Lyme, how to choose between cedar and composite, how to build one that stands up to shoreline wind, and what to check before you start. For more on the neighborhoods we serve, see our Old Lyme fence company page. If you want a number first, get your instant fence quote online in about two minutes.
Why Horizontal Fences Are Catching On in Old Lyme
A lot of Old Lyme homes are being renovated or rebuilt, especially near the shore, where small cottages are becoming year-round houses. Owners want a fence that matches cleaner, more modern architecture without clashing with the town’s traditional feel. A horizontal fence does that. Its lines are calm and simple, and in natural cedar it looks right at home next to shingles, stone and old trees.
It’s also practical. Beach-area lots are often narrow, with neighbors a few feet away, and a 6 foot horizontal privacy fence turns a small backyard into a private space. On larger wooded lots off Route 156 or up toward Lyme, a horizontal fence can screen just the patio or pool area while the rest of the property stays open behind the old stone walls.
Where a Horizontal Fence Works Best
Backyard Privacy Screens
The photo at the top of this page shows the most common job: a full backyard enclosure in horizontal cedar, with the boards following the grade along the tree line and tying neatly into the house. It gives a family a private, finished yard for kids and pets, and it frames the landscaping instead of hiding it. For more privacy options, visit our privacy fence installation page.
Side Yards and Utility Areas
Horizontal boards are great for hiding the less attractive parts of a property, like trash cans, a generator, a heat pump or a path to a shed. The run in the photo below follows a gravel side yard past a wood storage shed and keeps a clean, straight line along the property edge.
Patios, Hot Tubs and Outdoor Showers
Summer homes near the Sound often have an outdoor shower or a hot tub, and a short section of horizontal fence makes a tidy privacy wall. These small projects tend to make the biggest difference in how a yard feels.
Pool Areas
A horizontal fence can surround a pool, but pool barriers have their own rules, and horizontal rails can act like a ladder if they’re spaced the wrong way. Pool enclosures need to be designed so kids can’t climb them, with self-closing, self-latching gates. We’ll walk you through a compliant layout if your project includes a pool.
Horizontal Fence Materials Guide
- Western red cedar. The classic choice. It resists rot and insects naturally, stays fairly stable as the seasons change and looks warm and natural. Left unsealed, it weathers to silver gray, which suits Old Lyme’s shingle-style homes. A clear or lightly tinted sealer keeps the honey color.
- Composite. Made from wood fibers and plastic, composite boards hold their color, won’t rot or splinter and only need an occasional rinse. It’s a strong choice for waterfront lots and poolside areas where you don’t want to stain anything.
- Board size and spacing. Boards are usually installed tight for full privacy, or with small gaps for a lighter look and better airflow. Gaps help in windy spots close to the water.
- Posts. Wood posts can be wrapped to match the boards. Some styles use metal posts with inserts for extra strength. Either way, posts are set in concrete below the frost line so Connecticut’s freeze and thaw cycles don’t heave them.
- Caps and trim. A top cap or trim board protects the end grain of the boards, stiffens the fence and gives it a finished look.
- Gates. Gates are built on a rigid frame so the horizontal boards line up with the fence and don’t sag. Good hinges and a sturdy latch matter more here than on almost any other style.
Comparing horizontal with traditional wood styles like stockade or board on board? Our wood fence installation page covers the options.
Building for Old Lyme’s Conditions
Shoreline Wind
A solid 6 foot fence acts like a sail. Close to the Sound and along the mouth of the Connecticut River, we keep post spacing tight, use stronger posts and often recommend a small gap between boards. That small change takes a lot of stress off the fence in a nor’easter.
Sandy and Wet Soil
Soil near the beaches is sandy, and some lots near the Lieutenant River and Duck River marshes stay wet. Both affect how deep and wide footings need to be. We look at this during the site visit and size the footings to match.
Ledge, Roots and Stone Walls
Inland lots often have ledge, big tree roots and old stone walls along the property line. We plan post locations around them, and we can run a fence along a stone wall without disturbing it.
Permits, Historic Districts and Property Lines
Old Lyme’s fence rules depend on the height, location on the lot, distance from the road, whether a pool is involved and whether the property sits in the local historic district or a coastal area. We don’t want to guess on your behalf, so check with the Town of Old Lyme Land Use and Building departments before you build. We review this for your address during the estimate, and we handle the paperwork when a permit is needed.
Old fences and walls don’t always sit on the true property line, especially in the older beach neighborhoods. If you’re unsure, a survey is worth it, and a quick conversation with your neighbor helps. We also call Call Before You Dig to mark buried utilities before any digging starts. Private lines like irrigation or landscape lighting aren’t marked, so tell us if you have them.
How Our Horizontal Fence Installs Work
- Quote. Start with the instant quote or book a free on-site visit.
- Design. We walk the property with you and settle on the material, height, board spacing and gate locations.
- Prep. We check local requirements for your address and get utility markings.
- Install. Posts are set and checked for level and line, boards are installed and trimmed, and gates are hung and adjusted. Most residential horizontal fences take two to three days once materials are on site.
- Walkthrough. We go over the finished fence and gates with you before we leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a horizontal fence a good choice near Long Island Sound?
Yes, if it is built for it. Shoreline lots in Old Lyme Shores, Hawks Nest and Sound View see strong wind and salty air. We set posts in concrete below the frost line, use stout posts at reasonable spacing and leave small gaps between boards so wind can pass through instead of pushing the whole fence. Composite boards are worth considering right on the water because they don’t need staining.
Cedar or composite: which horizontal fence material should I pick?
Cedar costs less up front, smells great and weathers to a soft silver gray if you leave it alone, or stays warm and golden with a clear sealer. Composite costs more but holds its color, won’t crack or splinter and needs little more than an occasional wash. Many Old Lyme homeowners choose cedar for wooded backyards and composite for poolside or waterfront spots.
How tall can a horizontal privacy fence be in Old Lyme?
Allowed heights depend on where the fence sits on your lot, whether it’s along a road and whether your property is in a historic district or near the shoreline. Check with the Town of Old Lyme Land Use and Building departments before you build. We review this for your address during the estimate.
Will horizontal boards sag over time?
Not when they are installed correctly. Sag comes from boards spanning too far between posts. We keep post spacing tight enough for the board size and add a center support or cap rail where needed, so the lines stay straight for years.
How do I get a price for a horizontal fence in Old Lyme?
Use our instant quote tool at fenceprosdirect.com/instant-quote for a ballpark in a couple of minutes, or call 401-552-4845 to book a free on-site estimate.
Ready for a Horizontal Fence in Old Lyme?
Whether you want a full cedar privacy enclosure behind a home on Lyme Street, a composite screen for a beach house in Sound View or a short privacy wall around a hot tub, Fence Pros Direct can design and build a horizontal fence that looks sharp and stands up to shoreline weather. Get a price with our instant fence quote, call 401-552-4845, or email sales@fenceprosdirect.com.
About Fence Pros Direct
Fence Pros Direct is registered in Connecticut as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC.0705172) and brings 25 years of construction experience to homeowners in Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. Rated 4.9 stars on Google. Call 401-552-4845 or get an instant quote.
