The Amazing Benefits of Wattle Fences

I’ve got to tell you about the amazing benefits of wattle fences. Not only do these look great but they are a sustainable product. Plus, you can build one yourself. We’re continuing our effort to cut cost and lower embodied energy. In addition, we want to use waste or otherwise abundant materials. As a result, we stumbled on the idea of fencing our yard with a wattle fence.

Why are we even going to build a fence?

We have a dog and a cat and they both love to be outside. Without a fence they need to be tethered to us and that’s not nearly as fun for anyone.

Our dog, Iggy, is a 7lb. Chiuaua mix. Therefore, he’s naturally scared of people and generally protective of “his territory”. This makes a fence crucial. It also means that a chain-length or other easy-to-see-through fence will only encourage him barking at passersby.

Our cat, Dobby, is mostly an indoor cat. He’s too young, friendly, and curious for us to allow him to just wander the neighborhood. As such, we really honestly need a fence. Without one he may go home with someone else. Alternatively, he could meet a car head-on. We love him too much for either of those options so a fence is crucial.

What is a wattle fence?

A wattle fence is weaved similar to wicker (wicker baskets, furniture, etc.). However, unlike wicker furniture they are significantly more sturdy. These fences were and still are mainly used for keeping pigs, goats, even cows and other larger animals penned in. As such, they have strength which matches their beauty.

We won’t need ours to be super strong. That said, we plan on having veggies and things. So, we will want a fence tall enough to keep the deer from jumping it.

The picture of the fence above was grabbed off of Flickr from a user named Veggiesosage. It’s a great shot that shows you how a hurdle (or section of wattle fence) ends as well as showing you how they are weaved. There are loads of other examples online. I suggest that you check them out. They’ll give you a good feel for this very artistic and functional form of fence making.

How do you build a wattle fence?

To build a wattle fence upright stakes are placed in the ground. These are often called sails in the UK. Many fence builders will build the fence onsite. They will stake the sails right into the ground.

However, others build inside of forms such as in logs that have pre-drilled holes. This allows them to build sections of fences that can then be placed in the ground later. In the above photo you can see this section is built with the sails sticking out from a log.

Use Green Branches

Green branches, usually of hazel or willow, (though any thin straight green branches will do), are woven in and out of the sails. Often these weavers, (as they are sometimes called), are braided together to add stability. Additionally, this holds the sails in place better.

Some builders add patterns into their wattle fences. They do this by using two weavers on either side of the sail before switching direction. However, some just build for speed without worrying about the finished look or creating a pattern. If you do a Google image search you’ll probably notice some wattle fence builders use different colored weavers. Some even split their weavers in two before weaving them.

Why wattle?

Wattle fences are 100% natural. In addition, they have low embodied energy as materials can be gathered locally. Plus the wood used in them is typically burned as kindling. Worst still, it’s often left to rot. However, this increases the chance of brush fires.

We want to make a functional low-cost fence in this fashion. After all, wattle fences have served their purpose for hundreds of years proving that they work. Plus the technique can be shared with neighbors and friends.

We’d rather avoid seeing our neighbors spend money at a big warehouse chain store on PVC based fencing. After all PVC is very nasty for the environment. We’d rather help them create a lasting and environmentally friendly fence. PVC is environmentally harmful. However, wattle fencing is regenerative. It makes a positive impact on the plant.

How hard are wattle fences to build?

The process of building a wattle fence for the inexperienced is time consuming. However, the results are extremely beautiful. Plus, the life of these fences can reach to ten years. If a sail has rotted it has likely done so near the ground. Of course, that rotted sail can be used as a guide for it’s own replacement. Plus, when a weaver rots it can be removed and replaced without too much fuss.

As a result, this means repairs are low cost. Additionally, very little maintenance is required. They’ll require more looking after than a PVC fence but they also won’t be creating toxins. Beyond that, the carbon released would have been released anyhow had they been burned or left to rot. This means that they’re carbon neutral.

Estimating Our Time

We estimate that the yard space we want to fence will take us 24 to 72 working hours to fence. This might seem like a lot. It’s true that if we were installing a milled-wood or PVC fence we could probably have it done in 4 to 6 hours. However, the embodied energy would be much higher and the job would be much less rewarding.

We plan to spend more time this winter and spring experimenting. We’ll build wattle hurdles to increase our speed. If anyone would like to join us please leave a comment. If the hurdles we build are good enough we might sell them. After all, they make great room dividers so keep an eye out for those too!

A living fence

Wattle fences built with willow sails often take root. This creates a living fence. Plus, the sails won’t rot and actually sprout. Even if the sails don’t take root many wattle fence owners use the fences to support the growth of plants such as ivy, grapes, or other vines.

Clearly these living fences have a place in the modern urban design.

We’ve long known that in densely populated areas we need to build skyward. Living fences provide an amazing opportunity for urban dwellers to expand their growing space. Too, they provide passive fruit (such as grapes) to the public, and help clean toxins out of the air.

Wattle Fence Benefits

Wattle fences are a great base for these vertical growth systems. They don’t make the vines go far between cross-sections. This provides ample places for the vines to wrap around.

Wattle fences also serve as wind-breaks by slowing the air that comes through them. By not forcing it over-the-top of them like a wall would they break it’s energy. Such wind breaks can be very beneficial to home-owners. This is especially true for those living in high-wind areas. Also, those with older homes or homes that are not as weather sealed benefit.

As with cob, straw-bale, and other natural systems that we find ourselves drawn to we hope to see more people become interested in wattle fences and encourage you to learn more and try your hand at building one. Thanks for your interest and leave a comment below if you’d like to talk more about wattle fences.