Metal fences: a wide choice of really reliable designs

Metal fences and gates are in steady demand, since it is the metal that has sufficient mechanical properties to give the fence the necessary strength.

Different technologies of its processing allow to design and manufacture the most different types of enclosing structures, therefore practically for each situation it is possible to find an option that satisfies both functional and aesthetic requirements.

Metal: reliable, beautiful, practical

Varieties of metal fences

To date, there are several types of enclosing structures, combined by the OKOF classifier in category 123697050 - “Metal fences”. For the manufacture of most of them, steel of different grades is used, however, sometimes cast iron elements, as well as decorative lining of non-ferrous metals are included in the design.

By type of construction, all these fences can be divided into several groups:

• Mesh.
• Latticed (forged and welded).
• Panel.
• Fence of corrugated (profiled steel sheet).

In our article we will look at these metal fences in detail, as well as focus on their advantages and disadvantages.

Mesh hedges

Mesh fence construction

Slave - “cheap and cheerful”

One of the most economical, and at the same time practical designs is a metal fence, the basis of which is knitted or welded metal mesh:

• The simplest scheme of such a fence involves the installation of support pillars at a distance of 2.5 - 3 m from each other.
• Between the columns, the wire mesh is stretched, which is attached to the supports with the help of special clamps.
• The thickness of the wire, as well as the size of the mesh mesh are determined by the requirements for the fence. You can also purchase a grid with a zinc or polymer coating - in this case, a metal fence will last much longer.
• Instead of a roll grid in the spans between the supports, you can install sections with a frame from a steel corner. This design is more difficult to manufacture (the frame must be welded), but the resistance of the fence to deformation increases many times.

Tip! Instead of a grid for filling the frame, a metal perforation for the fence can be used - a steel sheet with holes made in it. Perforation refers to production waste, so it can be purchased relatively inexpensively.

Metal cutting section

Pros and cons of mesh fences

The advantages of fences of this type include:

• Relatively low price (even the chain-link with polymer coating is cheaper than other materials for the manufacture of fences).
• Simplicity in manufacturing and manufacturability.
• Reliable protection of the site from penetration from the outside, including contact with animals.
• Good light transmission.

Sectional fence

But the relatively low mechanical strength and not the most attractive appearance can be safely attributed to the minuses of these fences. Yes, and the transparency of the fence is also not always a virtue, because in the case of installing the grid, your yard turns out to be in full view.

Forged and welded fences

The design of the fence of rods or pipes

To ensure greater mechanical strength, the filling of the metal frame of the fence can be made not from the grid, but from a rod or pipe of different section and diameter.

Forged design is beautiful but expensive

The welded fence is made as follows:

• The supporting structure in this case are metal racks for the fence (round or shaped pipes with a diameter of from 40 to 100 mm). These racks are installed in holes drilled in the ground, aligned and poured with concrete.
• After the concrete has completely set, horizontal lags are welded to the vertical posts.
• By lags by welding, rods or filling pipes are attached, as well as decorative curved elements.

With forged fences everything is more complicated. The fact is that such fencing is often made according to an individual sketch by a master of art forging, therefore a significant part of the work is carried out not at the site, but in the workshop. The finished sections of the forged fence are transported to the object and installed there by welding to the supports.

Note! In some cases, after installing the sections, thin decorative elements are attached to them. This is done in order to avoid damage during transportation and installation.

Reliable welded joint of profile pipes

Advantages and disadvantages

Welded and forged fences are distinguished by high strength, in addition, forged fence is considered to be the most beautiful.

But to make welded or wrought metal fences with your own hands without the appropriate equipment and skills is almost impossible, since this work requires special skill. And the price of the product will be impressive, and first of all it concerns individual designs with numerous design elements.

But as practice shows, if a person really wants to establish a premium class design, all these shortcomings fade into the background.

The use of metal panels

Fences made of clapboard and metal batten

Recently, prefabricated enclosing structures have become quite popular, with metal cladding for the fence or other panels similar in structure as the main element.

Pressed steel fence

• A fence or metal lining for the fence is a strip of galvanized steel, stamped on a specific profile and coated with a special polymer composition (see also the article Fence of a metal fence: reliability and aesthetics).
• Lining is made in the factory and cut to size according to the wishes of the customer, so you can choose what height your fence will be.
• The design of the panels allows both vertical and horizontal installation, which allows you to experiment with the appearance of the fence. In this case, the strip can be placed not only close to each other, but also at a certain distance, providing the transparency of the fence.
• Metal for the fence is covered with an anti-corrosion polymer, in addition, it is possible to apply a decorative texture to the surface. Due to this, steel clapboard can be used to make a fence that is visually almost indistinguishable from wooden.

Advantages of panel fences

If we exclude the relatively high cost of materials from which such fences are made, panel fences have many advantages:

Steel Panel Blinds

• They provide reliable protection of your site from outsiders.
• High manufacturability allows you to collect fences yourself. As a rule, there is an instruction on the manufacturers' websites that shows the assembly sequence.
• High-quality coating protects the metal from corrosion, because the service life of the entire fence is calculated for dozens of years. Moreover, it is possible to use a special lining with a vandal-resistant coating, which makes the surface practically invulnerable.

Decking

Construction of the fencing of the profiled sheet

Another type of fencing that is mentioned is metal fences made of profiled steel sheet (see also the article Fence made of corrugated board - an economical installation option).

Solid frame sheathing professional sheet

Note! Depending on the type of profiled sheeting used (it is determined by the thickness of the metal, the wave profile and the characteristics of the coating), such fencing may have different bearing properties.

The scheme of construction of the fence is as follows:

• At the beginning, as in the case of fences of the previous types, support columns are installed in the ground. They are either concreted, or (if temporary construction) tamped with gravel.
• Lags from a corner or a profile tube of rectangular section are attached to the pillars.
• On lags we impose sheets of corrugated board and fix them with special screws. Polymer gaskets on the caps protect the metal coating from damage during fasteners.

Application of a professional leaf: "for" and "against"

Fences from a professional sheet have both pluses and minuses.

On the one hand, they are quite reliable, cheap and technological, which allows you to mount them yourself (the video in this article and other articles of our site is proof of this).

The fence of metal - the original replacement professional sheet

But on the other hand, the professional flooring is not the most esthetic material. Yes, and a solid wall of metal sheet to their liking will have to not everyone, because the shading of the area will be quite strong.

Of course, in the framework of our article we can provide only the most general information about the main types of metal enclosing structures. But we hope that the information presented here, supplemented by the samples shown in the photo, will be enough to show you all the available diversity. Believe me, if you really need a reliable hedge - then you will not find better metal!