Palisade fencing has become an increasingly popular choice for properties across the UK looking for secure and durable perimeter fencing. With its distinctive vertical pales and classic style, a properly installed palisade fence can provide an elegant solution for securing a site. However, for fencing situated in high-traffic areas that sees constant activity from pedestrians, vehicles, and other sources, durability becomes paramount.
In regions like Farnborough, where security is of utmost importance, Farnborough fencing contractors specialize in installing robust palisade fences designed to withstand the rigors of high-traffic environments. These Farnborough fencing solutions offer both security and aesthetic appeal, making them ideal for properties seeking reliable perimeter protection.
Understanding Palisade Fencing
Palisade fences utilize vertical wooden or metal pales that are tightly spaced together and attached to horizontal rails. This creates a solid, opaque perimeter barrier ideal for security purposes. Common materials used in modern palisade fencing include:
- Steel – Provides tremendous strength and ruggedness to withstand impacts. However, steel requires routine maintenance and coating to prevent corrosion.
- Wrought Iron – Known for unparalleled longevity and resistance to rust. Wrought iron offers a historic aesthetic but comes at a higher cost.
Overall, palisade fencing provides excellent visibility prevention, security deterrence, strength against direct impacts, and an attractive, professional appearance. These characteristics make palisade fencing a versatile choice suitable for factories, distribution yards, power stations, and even private residences. However, to leverage these strengths, the fencing must showcase durability even when situated in the high traffic areas.
Factors Affecting Durability
For palisade fencing in heavy use areas, material quality, protective finishes, and proper installation all work together to bolster longevity and ruggedness.
Material Quality
The innate properties of the metal used directly impact overall fence lifespan. When comparing the most common options:
- Steel offers tremendous tensile strength to resist bending and deformation from impacts. It remains durable at a lesser cost. However, common steel alloys have low corrosion resistance when unprotected and untreated.
- Wrought iron provides unparalleled resistance to rust and corrosion with high material strength. This allows the material to better handle exposure to weather elements and road salt use during winter months. However, obtaining true wrought iron today comes at a premium cost.
Ultimately, steel often serves as the more economical choice for palisade fencing lifespans exceeding 10 years. However, for installations expected to last upward of 25+ years without replacement, the cost of high-quality wrought iron becomes justified.
Coating and Finishes
For steel palisade fencing, applying protective surface finishes and treatments greatly increases durability. Common options include:
- Hot-dip galvanizing – The galvanized zinc coating bonds to steel for exceptional corrosion protection. Provides extended longevity compared to paints which can chip or peel.
- Powder coating – A dry finishing process that creates a durable colored coating. Adds aesthetic appeal and further shields the fence from UV rays and chemical exposure.
When situated in high-traffic zones seeing constant activity and wear-and-tear, utilizing both finishes creates a synergistic shield against corrosion and weathering. This provides maximum ruggedness and lifespan for the investment.
Installation Techniques
Proper installation also greatly impacts the stability, strength and lifetime of palisade fencing. Industry best practices involve:
- Concrete mounting – Set fence posts deep into concrete for superior anchoring and preventing loosening over time.
- Railing fasteners – Utilize tamper-proof or concealed bolts, rivets and clamps for connecting rails to posts. This deters vandalism which could compromise fence integrity.
- Wind bracing – Supports added perpendicular along fence spans help resist wind forces in exposed areas during storms.
Adhering to such methods ensures the palisade fence withstands years of wind, weather and impacts without failure at its foundations or connections.
High-Traffic Areas and Challenges
In the context of fencing installations, high-traffic areas typically refer to zones bordering roadways with constant vehicle activity, nearby factories or warehouses with regular truck access, train tracks or transit hubs, harbors and shipping ports, or urban centers with heavy foot traffic volumes.
For fencing situated in these environments, common challenges faced include:
- Repeated accidental minor impacts from passing cars, trucks and lorries
- Concentrated air pollution eating away at protective fences coatings
- Street salt and chemicals during winter months
- Vandalism and attempted security breaches
- Excess wind forces along exposed thoroughfares
The heavy activity, contaminants, and excess wear from both humans and vehicles calls for fencing showcasing exceptional ruggedness and longevity. Palisade’s strength has proven capable of meeting these needs for lasting perimeter security and enclosures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common considerations surrounding lifespan, performance capabilities, and decision factors allow better evaluating the suitability of palisade fencing for heavy use areas.
What is the lifespan of palisade fencing in high-traffic areas?
When using quality materials and finishes coupled with proper installation, palisade fences typically provide 10-15 years of reliable security separation in high traffic zones before requiring replacement or extensive repairs. Utilizing premium wrought iron as fencing material and establishing rigorous preventative maintenance intervals can extend this projected lifespan toward 20+ years based on documented case studies.
Can palisade fencing withstand harsh weather conditions?
Yes, modern palisade barriers utilize durable steel and iron metals coated in protective layers (galvanized zinc, powder coating) that allow the fencing to resist damage from rain, snow, salt, and other exposure threats. The materials and opaque structure prevent degradation from UV rays and rapid shifts between hot and cold extremes. Palisade fencing properly anchored into the surrounding terrain has proven capable of withstanding wind speeds exceeding 100 mph.
Is palisade fencing suitable for urban environments?
Absolutely. The high-security attributes coupled with customizable color finishes allows palisade fencing to blend into both historical and modern architectural surroundings. Adding lockable access gates also facilitates managed pedestrian flows. These capabilities have made variants like wrought iron palisade barriers an iconic security fixture for iconic urban sites ranging from Buckingham Palace to commercial Dublin blocks.
How does palisade fencing compare to other fencing options?
Vs chain link fencing – Palisade offers a more attractive aesthetic better suited for visible perimeter security needs while resisting climbing attempts. It also anchors more stoutly into the ground.
Vs timber alternatives – Palisade’s use of vertical steel or iron pales minimizes aging and degradation from continual UV exposure compared to wood-based solutions..
Overall, palisade presents an exceptional balance of robust security containment and visibility prevention coupled with durable, rugged materials able to withstand constant activity and wear-and-tear exceeding typical environments posed by high traffic areas.
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