Plastic fences: from production to installation

In terms of frequency of mentioning in various advertisements plastic fences from the manufacturer today are not much inferior to plastic windows.

What is the reason for the rather rapid growth in popularity of this type of fences?

PVC fence

The advantages of plastic fences

The demand for polymer fences is explained by the fact that they have a number of advantages.

Let's look at them in more detail:

• First, fences made of polymeric materials are characterized by considerable durability. They are resistant to weathering, do not rot, they are not damaged by rodents and insects.
• Secondly, they do not need to be painted annually or processed in other ways.. If you bought a high-quality fence, then it will look like new in a few years.
• The mechanical strength of such a fence is quite sufficient.. Of course, plastic will give way to a metal fence, but under the condition of proper installation it is able to withstand a serious load.
• There are many models on the market today. (you can see examples of them in the photo in this article), because you can easily choose the appropriate design.

Decorative fence

All these advantages are explained by the design features of plastic fences.

Features of PVC hedge construction

Manufacturing technology

Such fences, possessing sufficient characteristics for effective use, appeared on the domestic market relatively recently.

Of course, earlier attempts were made to use fencing structures made of polymers, but their strength and durability could not be compared with fences made of other, more traditional materials.

So it was possible to install a maximum plastic fence for the front garden.

PVC section for fence

The situation radically changed when the technologies used earlier in the manufacture of metal-plastic windows began to be used to produce fences:

• Modern plastic fences and fences are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is a polymeric compound characterized by high strength and thermoplasticity. Due to this, manufacturers have the opportunity to combine the elasticity of the polymer with high mechanical properties.
• Equipment for the production of plastic fences is a complex of devices in which the processing of polyvinyl chloride raw materials.
• PVC, heated to the state of fluidity, under pressure passes through a profiling device - the so-called spinneret. At the same time, the output is a special-shaped profile panel, which is used for the manufacture of fences.
• The panels are cut in accordance with the required size, and are connected, forming a section of the fence. For the connection can be used as welding, and mechanical connecting elements. The assembly is carried out both in the factory and during the installation of the fence on the object.

Profile extruder

A separate category of enclosing structures are the so-called metal-plastic fences. They have metal reinforcement parts installed in profiles placed along the edges of the section, as well as in some horizontal elements. As a rule, a profile tube with a thickness of 1.2–1.5 mm is used as reinforcement, which gives the fence additional strength.

Naturally, this is not the only available technology. There are also hedges, stamped from sheet plastic and welded in pairs. However, despite the fact that the price of such fences is low, they are seriously inferior in strength and durability to PVC profile barriers.

Assembled section

The composition of raw materials for production

For the quality of the surface of the fence are the special components that are introduced into the composition of raw materials for the production of the fence.

These include:

• Stabilizers - give the material of the fence mechanical strength. The use of stabilizers reduces the fluidity of PVC, because even under the influence of high temperatures, the fence is not deformed.
• Plasticizers - reduce the fragility of the material. The optimal content of plasticizers is important primarily in northern latitudes, where the temperature in winter can reach -35-40⁰C. The lack of plasticizer can cause the fencing panels to become very fragile in the cold.

White pigment - titanium oxide

• Pigments. For the most part, plastic fences are made white, so manufacturers pay special attention to the use of bleaching pigments. The most qualitative (and at the same time - the most expensive) is titanium oxide, which reliably protects the surface of the fence from yellowing.

Note! Unscrupulous manufacturers in order to save a significant portion of titanium oxide replaced with chalk. This leads to the fact that plastic adsorbs substances in the air, and the fence rapidly loses its original color. This concerns not only white fences, but also fences in light shades.

• Also, other pigments are used to give plastic hedges of attractive appearance. As a rule, the better the products, the longer the pigment resists fading under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, and the longer the fence retains its original appearance.

The composition of the material from which the hedge sections are made is very important. If you buy a plastic fence from the manufacturer, be sure to ask about these nuances, because they determine how long your fence will last without losing appearance.

Mounting technology

Preparatory stage

Before you install a metal-plastic fence, you need to plan its placement on the site.

For this:

• Inspect the site, noting the line on which the installation of the fence. If necessary - remove the obstacles.
• With the help of pegs and measuring cord apply marking, separately fixing the placement of gates, wickets, etc.

Peg with cord for marking

Note! In some cases, it may be necessary to coordinate the project with the neighbors and the administration. It should also be remembered that, according to the SNiP, the minimum indents of the fence from residential buildings, outbuildings, etc. are regulated.

• We measure the planned length of the fence. Then we either count the number of sections we need ourselves (if we know their width), or consult with a representative of the company where you will purchase a plastic fence.
• We also calculate the number of support pillars for the fence, corner pillars, the dimensions of the door leaves, etc.

Mounting pillars

Plastic fences are most often mounted on special pillars of square cross-section with rounded corners. You can buy them in the same place where you will buy the fence sections themselves.

Support before fastening in the ground

Before installing the fence it is necessary to securely support the supports in the ground.

Mounting technology несущей конструкции несколько отличается от установки столбов для деревянного или металлического забора, потому рекомендуем внимательно изучить данный раздел, а также – просмотреть видео в этой статье.

• With the help of a tape measure, measure the distances between the pillars along the lines broken by stretched cords.
• In the marked places we drill holes for installation of supports. The depth of the hole is determined by the freezing of the soil, but in any case you should not make it smaller than 600 mm.

Note! If the design of the fence involves the use of a column of 100x100 mm, then the hole should have a diameter of at least 250 mm. For pillars 125x125 mm we make holes with a diameter of 300 mm or more.

Installation pillar

• At the bottom of the hole we fall asleep gravel-sand mixture. It will prevent the support from moving vertically.
• Install the pillars into the wells, and then align them with the water level. When the upper part of the column is displaced vertically, we add or remove some of the gravel bedding.
• We fix the supports with wooden wedges, after which we fill the wells with cement mortar. To ensure strength, it is recommended to pour the solution in layers, no more than 150 mm at a time.

A day after the concreting, you can proceed to the installation of sections.

Assembly of sections

Fences, like windows, are often installed by representatives of the organization that made the sale. At the same time, to save money, you can mount the fence with your own hands.

If you chose this path, then the instruction will help you:

Assembly process

• The easiest way is to assemble fences, which are solid sections supplied as an assembly. It is enough to install them between the pillars and fix them with the help of standard fixings.
• Piling hedges are somewhat more complicated. Their installation begins with the installation of the lower railing in the slots on the vertical supports.
• Sliding the railing into the groove, snap its fasteners, and then start typing vertical elements.

Assembly of parts in a single section

• After all the vertical requested are collected, we connect them with the help of the upper railing.
• If necessary, over the main part we mount a decorative grille, inserting it into special grooves. Fix the lattice top bar.

According to this scheme, we collect all sections of the fence. In conclusion, we close the upper parts of the support pillars of the fence with decorative caps, fixing them with glue such as “liquid nails” or silicone sealant. We hang gates and gates on the hinges, after which we wash the fence, clearing the sections of the impurities that are unavoidable during installation.

Installed gate and gate

Taking into account all the above, we can safely consider plastic fences to be a worthy alternative to fences from materials that are more familiar to us. And if you choose a high-quality model and correctly install it, then such a fence will last for a very long time!