Howdy! If you are planning to build a fence on your property, you will want to make sure you make the right choice. A good fence will last for many years and will help to protect your property from intruders and wild animals. It will also help to keep pets and kids inside the garden where they belong! I'm Tony and this is my fence blog. Last year, I spend a couple of months working alongside a fence contractor as he installed a wooden fence on my property. I learnt a lot of neat stuff which I would like to share with the rest of the world.
Wrought iron fences are a classic choice, and can work well for any property, no matter its size or design of the home. While wrought iron can sometimes be a bit more expensive than other fencing materials, it offers many advantages over wood, aluminium, plastic mesh or vinyl, and other such fence types. If you're thinking of getting a new fence for your property, note a few questions you might have about iron itself, and about this type of fencing overall.
What are the advantages of iron in terms of security?
Iron is very durable and secure, and it's virtually impossible to bend or cut through the pickets of an iron fence. These pickets are also typically welded or bolted to the fence posts, adding to their overall security.
Wood pickets, on the other hand, can be pulled away from posts, and aluminium pickets are often so lightweight that they can be bent or pried out of position. A lightweight vinyl fence might also be easy to simply kick over!
Iron fences can also be made with pointed finials at the top, discouraging anyone from trying to scale the fence. This makes them one of the best fencing choices for keeping intruders out of your yard.
What is wrought iron versus cast iron?
The terms wrought iron and cast iron simply refer to how iron is fabricated and formed. Cast iron will have other alloys added to the iron ore, and this mixture is then poured into a cast or mould. This makes cast iron harder and more brittle than wrought iron. Wrought iron doesn't have these added alloys, and is softer and easier to bend.
If you need maximum security for your property, you might choose a cast iron fence, but for decorative posts that include twists and other shapes, wrought iron may be your only option. In either case, iron itself is very strong and secure, so don't assume you're compromising the strength of your fence by choosing wrought iron over cast iron.
Can you paint an iron fence?
There are paints meant to adhere to metal, but it's often good to have your iron fence powder coated when needed. This involves a colouring in powder form that is attached to the fence with a small electrical charge. This process causes a stronger adhesion between the metal and the coating, so the powder coating is less likely than liquids paints to peel, chip, or flake. This added durability is especially important for outdoor fences, as long-term exposure to the elements can easily compromise the durability of any metal paint.