Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Choosing the Fence That's Right for You: Chain Link Fence

The following article on chain link fence styles focuses on installations performed in a residential setting.

Property owners have many reasons for why they want to fence in their properties; privacy, security, pets, or children. Each reason warrants a unique style of fencing. Custom Fence Company professionally installs vinyl, wood, ornamental aluminum and steel, farm fence and chain link fence. The most versatile style in the aforementioned list has to be chain link fence. This article will explain the various chain link styles that are available to you.

Here is a description of chain link fence from Wikipedia.com to familiarize you with the style:

Picture of Chain Link Fence from Wikipedia.com
A chain-link fence (also referred to as wire netting, chain-wire fence, cyclone fence or hurricane fence) is a type of woven fence usually made from galvanized or LLDPE-coated steel wire. The wires run vertically and are bent into a zig-zag pattern so that each "zig" hooks with the wire immediately on one side and each "zag" with the wire immediately on the other. This forms the characteristic diamond pattern seen in this type of fence.

Available in heights from 42" up to over 10', chain link fence is a steel product that is coated with different materials that each give it a different appearance. The most common is galvanized coating. This gives the fence a silverish or sometimes grayish appearance. Aluminized coating gives the wire a dull silver appearance. A benefit of choosing an aluminized coating is that it does not have buildups of metal particles like galvanized coating sometimes will. The buildup is sharp and can cut the fingers of your children or pets when they come into contact. Both of those coatings are very high quality and are available in a variety of gauges for all types of installations.


Black Vinyl Chain Link
 If you want to dress up the appearance of your chain link fence you can choose a vinyl coated fence. Custom Fence Company offers vinyl coated chain link fence in green, black and brown. Vinyl coated chain link gives the fence a dressed up appearance and blends in well with backgrounds. This type of fence is also commonly installed using a wood frame; a style called San Lido. The vinyl coating is also very smooth making vinyl coated chain link fence desirable to have around swimming pools and playgrounds where children may come into contact with the fence.

Not all chain link fence is created equally! What I mean by that is that there are different gauges of the wire in the fence and of the wall thicknesses and diameters of the line posts and top rails. Always check on these factors. The gauge of wire for a typical 4' or 5' residential fence installation is 11.5, posts should have a wall thickness of .065 and top rail should be at least .055 with a diameter of 1 3/8". Post diameters are also important for the strength of the fence. Line posts should be 1 5/8" and terminal and corner posts should be 2.5".


Bundles of Top Rail
 Those numbers are a good guideline. Some circumstances require heavier duty material. If you have a dog that is large enough to jump up to the top rail or are near a park or school you may need a heavier duty top rail. Children and pets jumping on top rail can cause the rail to sag or even bend over time. The cost difference will be trivial to the extended life time that you will get if you decide to use a heavier material.

Follow the guidelines on materials above when having a chain link fence installed and your fence will last you a long time! Chain link is made of steel and coated to help reduce the rate of rusting and improve the durability of the metal. If the steel is erected with steel materials you also do not have to worry about rotting like you do with wood fence. It also serves many purposes. It will secure your property, keep your pets and children in the yard or create a barrier.

So chain link fence is great for multiple purposes, will last a lifetime and is available in different styles/colors; it must cost a fortune! Acutally chain link is typically the most inexpensive fence that we quote in residential settings. It is about half the cost of wood privacy fence and 1/4th the cost of vinyl picket or ornamental aluminum. It is also great for hilly landscapes as it follows the contour more fashionalby than it's competitors.

So basically chain link is great for a budget. You can have an effective, durable and stylish fence installed at a cost that fits your needs. Custom Fence Company custom builds chain link gates for each job as well. It is almost May and our schedule is filling up rapidly. Call us today for a free estimate for chain link fence or any of the other styles that we offer.

Look our for the upcoming "Choosing the Fence That's Right for You" article on Wood Fence

20 comments:

  1. A fence is an important part of your property. Choosing one that will last a lifetime will save considerable expense over the years.

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  2. I am looking for somebody that knows how to set up a metal fence in Calgary. I have asked a few friends and they suggested that I call a professional. Does anyone know of somebody I could call? I would really appreciate suggestions. Thanks. fencing salt lake city

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  3. Whether you need an aluminum fence that will withstand the moisture of your pool or want a chain-link one that will allow your dog to run free in the backyard, we at Challenger Fence Inc have the inventory and experience to give you exactly what you need.


    Fencing Brisbane

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  4. Hey my friends I tell you some tips I have 14 rapidfence crowd barriers panels for sale. I was going to use them for a little project but that fell through. The panel are brand new. They have just been sitting in my shed. They have slide on feet (to stabilize) included. Pirce has been changes because I want to get rid of them! $40 each! or $500 for all of them Make an offer I need to get rid of them!!
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  5. Can I just say once I was running through a field at night and I ran into some wire fencing in Calgary. I'll tell you what that didn't feel good at all!

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  6. Thanks for share this post I also share with you something hope you like my post. Many residential installations will require a lighter gauge, in which case, a straight wire is used without the 'springs'. We recommend a 12 1/2 ga. hi-tensile wire for this type of application. It is made to stretch, whereas most other types are difficult to keep tight and often times it will break, if over stretched. Unfortunately, most contractors do not use this type and it is difficult to find it smaller than 2000' coils (no we will not try to uncoil and measure out 115' for you - a $2.30 sale that takes half a day). You could purchase the whole coil (for about $40.00) and save the rest. You'll have a lifetime supply of utility wire for your household projects. If this is a no-go proposition, purchase a heavier regular gauge in a manageable footage. Thanks
    Newcastle fencing

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  7. Thanks for this information. I've been looking for someone who does wire or metal fencing in Calgary and this has helped.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the advice, I had been debating between wood fencing, and vinyl fencing. I think that I am going to go with vinyl though, it would work better for me right now.

    Jason.
    http://ardonvinyl.com/

    ReplyDelete
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  10. It is extremely interesting for me to read the article. I like such topics and everything connected to them. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.
    Thank you for it.
    EPDM

    ReplyDelete
  11. I really like that there are options to have other colors than just gray. Personally, I think I might the other type of fences seeing as they provide more privacy. It's nice to know that there are options. Thanks for the post! http://www.yorkfence.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I need to put a fence up in my yard. I wouldn't mind getting a chain link fence put up. I think they are simple fences that last a long time. I also think this type of fencing will work really well for my yard. http://www.qualitychainlinkfencing.ca/services.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have always wanted a steel chain-link fence around my garden. My dream has been to grow ivy through it to give it a little character. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up the fence and plant next week!

    Sara Welsh | http://www.kbrothersfence.com/chain.htm

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  14. My parents are actually looking for a good place to contact about putting in a chain link fence right now. They had one put up around the basketball court in their back yard, but a tree fell over last week and ruined a large portion of that fence. Hopefully they can get it replaced without any issues.
    Keara | http://www.jcfence.com/Vinyl_Fencing_Chain_Link_Fencing_Wood_Fencing_Providence_RI.html

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  15. I think that a chain link fence would be perfect for my yard. This would be a great way to be able to keep my pets in my yard. This would also be a great way to be able to make my property just a little bit more enclosed. I am really hoping that I will be able to have a fence like this installed this summer.

    http://www.collierfence.com/chainlink.html

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