Chad Galbreath, president of Penn Fencing, shows some faux stone varieties. With winter finally behind us, Penn Fencing is heading into its busy season.

After a long, cold winter, spent mainly indoors, people are starting to walk into nature and think about outdoor living projects, which can include fencing.

“We’re heading into our busy season,” said Chad Galbreath, president of Penn Fencing, located on Route 8 in Penn Township.

Homeowners have lots of different reasons to want a fence, Galbreath said. Privacy, especially around swimming pools, is a big demand. As is keeping pets inside and pests outside the property line.

And there are a lot of different types of fence options “depending on what you are trying to achieve.”

Galbreath said, “Ever since vinyl burst onto the scene in the early ’90s, it’s pretty much been the most popular type of fencing.”

Vinyl provides 100 percent privacy. People like the way it looks, it comes in a variety of colors, it’s durable and it’s a midprice fencing product, Galbreath said.

Although an ornamental aluminum fence would be slightly lower in cost, it does not provide complete privacy.

“It’s open and decorative,” Galbreath said. “A lot of people think it’s wrought iron.”

Galbreath said there’s been a lot of interest lately in faux stone fencing.

“Some people like the look,” Galbreath said, noting it’s on the higher end of the price scale.

“The best bang for your buck? Still, it’s a chain-link fence,” Galbreath said. “Chain link is for people who want to accomplish a goal, like keeping the dog in the yard. They aren’t overly concerned with decoration, and they are budget conscious.”

Penn Fencing also offers wood fencing as well as those specially designed to accommodate pools, horses and deer issues.

At Metal Fence Supply Co. in Slippery Rock, owner Paul Gajda has similar thoughts and adds that when purchasing a fence, longevity is another concern.

Wood fencing might provide the look you want, but its life span is limited.

“I will only do red cedar fences,” he said. “It will last a good 15 years. All other woods just don’t last.”

Comparatively, vinyl, he said, has a 20- to 25-year life span.

“But what we’re doing a lot of now is chain link fencing. People want to let their dog out and they pick a sturdy nine-gauge fence.

“And as soon as the snow gets off the ground, we sell a lot of dog kennels,” which are a frame with chain link fencing, Gajda said.

While most people opt for a four-foot-high fence, Gajda said he’s had requests for fences as high as eight feet.

“People who live next to a (convenience store). They want to keep car headlights from coming into their homes,” he said.