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