Baseball fields, airports, public pools, school yards, factories, military bases, prisons.
What’s the common link between these types of locations?
Yep, you guessed it. They are all typically surrounded by chain link fencing. Chain link has been the preferred fencing material for bordering commercial, industrial, and public properties for decades.
What makes chain link fencing a trusted choice for non-residential fence seekers?
Here from the Fargo-Moorhead, Liberty Fence is rolling out the latest in our blog series on Comparing Fencing Materials. Now that we’ve already covered Wood Fencing, Vinyl (PVC) Fences, and Aluminum, we’ll give you a full run-down on Chain Link’s place in the fencing world with a professional perspective on its style, durability, relative pricing, and sustainability.
Note: Wondering why we recommend chain link for commercial and not residential properties? Find the clues throughout the article.
Style Options for Chain Link Fences
As one of the most widely installed fences in America, chain link (AKA wire-mesh fence, cyclone fence, diamond-mesh fence, or hurricane fencing) is something that almost everyone is familiar with. We all climbed one when we were a kid, and we’ve all seen them countless times guarding properties throughout the community. It’s easy to conjure up the image.
The woven steel wires are galvanized, aluminized or vinyl coated and form small diamond patterns that are barely too small to fit a fist through. The classic chain link fence is a simple steely gray color. More recently, however, many color options for chain link fencing have become available.
Liberty Fence Co. offers fully customizable chain link to accommodate whatever look you are aiming to achieve on your property. We supply a large variety of material weights, colors, and finishes. Beyond that, chain link fencing comes in galvanized or aluminized finishes, and can also be customized with an endless amount of gate configurations.
Full disclosure:
When compared with more trendy fences like vinyl or aluminum, chain link has a rather simple, cold, no frills appearance. Aesthetically, chain link is by no means a showstopper, which is one of the reasons why we don’t always recommend it for residential properties.
If you’re trying to impress your neighbors or add any sort of curb appeal to your home, chain link is not the fence for you. Still, if your goal is simply containment or security, chain link will do the job credibly. Whatever fencing material you opt for, Liberty Fence will ensure that it is installed with top-notch craftsmanship and that you will have a sturdy, stunning fence.
Chain Link Fencing Security
The purpose of most chain link fences is either containment or security. Chain link is a classic choice for families who have pets or kids and need to keep them from wandering off and preventing unwanted visitors from finding their way in.
For similar reasons, chain link is also widely used for prisons, industrial areas, schools, tarmacs, employee parking lots, fleet parking facilities, waste-water plants, sports fields, and military bases.
Ranging anywhere from 4’ to 10’ in height or even higher, chain link fences can provide high security, especially when embellished with barbed wire or other added security measures. For extra security, sometimes multiple individual fences are added around a property, in effect, layering security.
Durability and Privacy Level of Chain Link
When it comes to durability and resilience, chain link deserves high marks. Chain link did not get its reputation as ‘hurricane’ or ‘cyclone’ fencing for nothing. It can easily weather even extreme Midwest windstorms.
Requiring little maintenance, chain link is strong, durable and relatively unobtrusive. If, for some reason, a chain link fence has been hit with enough force to bend, it can be bent back into shape with minimal effort, which cannot be said about most fencing materials.
Despite its high security and durability, chain link offers little privacy. High privacy is a priority for many homeowners, which is another reason we do not always recommend chain link for residential properties.
True, privacy slats may be added to chain link, but it will not look as nice as opting for a fence made for boosting a property’s privacy, such as wood or vinyl. As a natural alternative to privacy slats, some chain link fence owners plant ivy and weave it through the fencing.
Price Range and Value of Chain Link
Chain link is known as one of the most affordable fencing materials. When compared to other fencing on the market, it is the most budget-friendly option. That being said, chain link prices change week to week because of global steel tariffs, so the pricing will not be as consistent as domestic sourced fencing materials, such as PVC and aluminum.
Pro Tip: When you add security measures to a commercial property, such as a chain link fence, it could lower your insurance premiums. If you install a chain link fence, don’t forget to ask your insurance company about lowered rates!
Installing a chain link fence on your commercial property could add resale value, if you plan on selling in the future. Potential buyers will likely be drawn to the existing security measures.
Recyclable Chain Link
Much of our chain link fencing material selection is made from galvanized steel. The galvanizing process extends the life-span of steel, since the zinc coating makes it resistant to rust and corrosion.
The Galvanizer’s Association explains, “Galvanizing is a corrosion protection process for steel, in which the steel is coated with zinc to prevent it from rusting… Galvanized steel is easily recycled.” With regards to durability, they add, “Data shows that galvanizing can provide between 34 to 170 years of protection for steel.”
The more durable a fence is, the less frequently the fence will need to be replaced. This, in turn, equates to the need for less material, which of course, reduces the carbon footprint of a property.
Install a Chain Link Fence
Convinced you need chain link? Liberty Fence Co. will gladly help you install a top quality chain link fence on your commercial property. Your security measures will be ramped up in no time.
Liberty Fence Co. has recently been awarded top ratings from the website Angie’sList.com and is recognized as being rated in the top 5% of all fence and deck contractors in North America & Canada by our customers. Now, that’s quality you can trust!
Stay tuned for the next article in our Comparing Fence Materials Blog Series! Have a success story with chain link on your commercial property? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear about it.
