7 Reasons Chain Link Is An Excellent Fencing Material
There are many reasons you should install a fence. You might want to add another layer of security to your property. You could just want the kids to play around the yard without worrying they’ll reach the road. Or you may be planning to sell your house later and thought you could add a fence to increase its value in the market.
The next question is: What fence material should you choose? You might have already checked wood, vinyl, and stone. But another option is chain link fencing. Continue reading to see if it’s the best excellent fencing material for you based on the following reasons:
1. Chain Link Fences are Highly Inexpensive
Indeed, you’ve already seen chain wire fencing before. If you’re a bit observant, you’ve noticed that large properties—like playgrounds, sporting fields, and parking lots—have them. The biggest reason behind that trend is that chain link is a highly inexpensive fencing material.
So, if you want your fence to cover a vast area, chain link is the best fencing material.
2. Chain Link Fences Don’t Obstruct Your View
Sometimes, privacy is of no concern when building a fence. In most cases, home and commercial property owners want a fence to keep wandering animals and unwelcome guests away from a property. Any sturdy fence would do that; however, many prefer a chain wire fence because these allow visibility outside the perimeter.
Chain link fences allow property owners to enjoy the view outside the fence. It also allows them—and their security cameras—to see and identify entities wandering about near their fences. As a bonus, chain link fences don’t block sunlight, further improving visibility.
3. Chain Link Fences are Easy and Quick to Install
As obvious as it may sound, you don’t need to do the linking of the chains, order from chain link fencing supplies, or deal with chain wire fence fittings. Chain links are sold premade. To install, you just need to hook or connect them to your fence posts.
If you let a professional do the installation for you, you can expect it to be done in a day or two after finishing the chain link fence post installation.
4. Chain Link Fences Require Little Maintenance
Chain link fences have a small surface area, so there are few places to clean with minuscule amounts of dirt accumulating on them. When your fence becomes too dirty or rusty, you can just scrub it with a steel brush.
Also, painting or repainting the fence to get a black chain wire fence or other color using a brush or spray painter is a breeze, albeit messy and costly as paint will splatter and drip immensely. Fortunately, you can skip painting them as the steel used in these fences takes time before rusting.
5. Chain Link Fences are Tough and Durable
Chain link fences are durable. They won’t easily bend. Even when they do, you can just bend them back to their original shape.
Aside from being roughly beaten against, chain link fences can withstand the brutal elements. They can endure nonstop rain, snow, wind, and sunlight.
6. Chain Link Fences are Customizable
The quality of your chain link fence depends on the specifications you’ll order. You can choose a thicker wire gauge if you want a resilient fence. For fencing livestock, it’s ideal to choose 12-gauge. For fencing an orchard, 14-gauge is recommended. For fencing pets, opt for a 16-gauge. The higher the gauge, the thinner the wire.
If you’re going to ensure rodents and small critters can’t get through your fence, you can opt for a smaller mesh size. If you’re afraid of rust, you can opt for certain wire types (e.g., galvanized, stainless steel, and aluminum).
7. Chain Link Fences can be Electrified
The sight of a chain-link fence is enough to deter people and animals from attempting to trespass on your property. However, there are some situations when it may not be enough. You may think establishing a clear border between you and people and animals outside your property isn’t enough security for you.
In that case, you can amp up a chain-link fence’s security by electrifying it. However, you may want to consult your local government before you do this. Remember that electric fences can pose a risk to you and everyone else.
A single pulse of a regular fencer (or electric fence charger) has at least 3kV at 30A. Being shocked by this amount of electricity in a fraction of a second should make anyone jump away. However, if the victim doesn’t bulge with the initial shock, they may prolong their contact with the electrified fence, which may lead to an injury.
Conclusion
These are the reasons chain link is an excellent fence material. It’s inexpensive, durable, and versatile. It can give you a high level of security for your home or commercial property.
References:
1. Home stratosphere’s Editorial Staff And Writers. https://www.homestratosphere.com/fence-wire-gauge/
2. Stone, Jessica. “3+ Types Of Chain Link Fences. https://upgradedhome.com/types-of-chain-link-fences/
3. The Mother Earth News Editors. https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/electric-fence-zmaz86mjzgoe/.