Advantages and disadvantages of a chain-link fence, fencing, choice of materials, construction technology. A chain-link fence is an inexpensive and relatively high-quality fencing of various areas where there is no need to build a serious structure. We will talk about ways to create a fence from this building material in our article.
Features of a fence from a chain-link mesh
A chain-link is a low-carbon wire mesh woven into a kind of cloth. The product is made with a height of 1.5-2 m and sold in rolls of 10 m.
A fence made of this material is much cheaper than a fence made of metal or planks and is therefore very popular in rural areas. A chain-link fence is erected almost everywhere to protect the territory from outside penetration, as well as as a basis for hedges and other decorative elements. It is indispensable for the formation of internal partitions in areas where contact with one or another part of it is required.
The technology for erecting a fence is very simple - just dig in the pillars and pull the mesh between them. A fence of this type has proven itself well on flat horizontal areas. If the territory has a large slope, it must be terraced, otherwise it will not be possible to fix the product at an angle.
A chain-link fence is made in two ways - tension and sectional. In the first case, the material is stretched between the supports and fixed in this position. In the second, a metal frame is pre-made and a mesh is attached to it, and then fixed to the posts. In terms of strength, it surpasses stretch hedges.
Advantages and disadvantages of a chain-link fence
The main buyers of the chain-link are summer residents who value this building material for the following qualities:
- The cost of a mesh fence is lower than other materials.
- Construction work is simple and does not require relevant experience.
- The fence does not restrict the sun's rays on the site, so the plants get maximum light.
- The fence is easily decorated with climbing plants.
- The service life is very long.
- The fence provides air circulation throughout the site.
- The design does not require any special maintenance. Even without decoration, it looks neat.
- The fence is able to withstand a fairly large mechanical load.
- It can be disassembled and carried to another location.
- A transparent fence visually expands the area of the territory.
- This fence is most effective for guard dogs.
- With a large plot of land, the savings on the construction of the fence are significant.
- The roll form of the netting is very convenient for transportation. The chain-link in this form easily fits into the trunk or trailer of a car.
The owner of the site needs to know the disadvantages of this type of fence:
- He does not close the territory from prying eyes.
- Non-galvanized mesh will rust quickly.
- The fence does not trap dust.
- The design is not considered prestigious due to its low cost.
The choice of materials for the installation of the fence
To make a fence, you will need two main elements - a mesh and pillars, as well as metal rods to prevent the product from sagging and fasteners to fix it to the supports. Recommendations on how to choose the right materials for the fence are given below.
Chain-link for installation of a fence
On construction markets, you can find several types of mesh, which differ in many ways. Before making a chain-link fence, you need to choose material from several varieties:
- Non-galvanized mesh … It is used as a temporary fence due to the lack of a protective coating. After a few days, the wire will start to rust. Its use implies the installation of a more reliable structure soon.
- Galvanized chain-link … Gained widespread popularity due to its resistance to corrosion. It is slightly more expensive than the first option.
- Plasticized chain-link … Reliably protected from rust with a polymer coating. Its service life is much longer than that of the first two options, it looks more aesthetically pleasing. But the product is expensive.
The cells can be of any shape, but they do not affect the functional properties of the product, in contrast to their dimensions. The openings are made with dimensions of 25-60 mm, which allows the mesh to be used for various purposes. For fencing a site with chickens, it is recommended to use products with small windows, for fencing a summer cottage - with large ones. The small mesh is very strong and does not sag at large distances between the posts.
When buying a chain-link, pay attention to the following points:
- On expensive polymer-coated meshes, check for scratches on the interior surfaces. If they are found, the goods must be replaced.
- Press on the edge of the chain-link - it should not diverge.
- If possible, measure the mass of the mesh and compare the value with the parameters according to GOST. Results should not differ by more than 5 percent. If the chain-link is lighter, it is made of thin wire and does not meet the technical requirements.
Fence posts
For the construction of the fence, you will need supports. Wooden products are short-lived, so they are used in the case where they are much cheaper than metal ones. For example, the use of beams is justified when installing a fence in the forest, or if there are remnants of old building materials. The mesh is attached to the lumber with nails or self-tapping screws.
Metal supports are more reliable than wooden ones and last longer. On sale there are special profiles on which hooks for the net are already welded. Also for this purpose, it is allowed to use concrete or asbestos-cement pillars. The disadvantages of this method of fastening include the difficulty of fixing the mesh with wire or clamps.
It is recommended to use round profiles with a diameter of 60-120 mm or rectangular ones with a wall thickness of at least 2 mm. To reduce costs, it is allowed to use used structures, for example, old water pipes. Blanks are easy to find at scrap metal drop-off points.
The height of the posts is selected depending on the size of the chain-link. To calculate it correctly, consider the following:
- The protrusion of the rack above the ground is equal to the height of the net plus a gap of 10-15 cm, to which the fence will be raised above the ground.
- Dig a hole deeper than the level of freezing of the soil for a given area by 10-15 cm, usually 70-100 cm.
- For a net with a height of 2 m, in most cases, the post should be 3 m long.
- The extreme racks are recommended to be made 25 cm longer, because they have to withstand a significant load. They need to be buried deeper.
- Make some supports thicker. Doors or gates will be attached to them.
The technology of building a fence from a chain-link mesh
The chain-link mesh is easily cut and processed, so there are no difficulties with its installation. Consider the main stages of assembling a fence of various designs.
Construction markup
The construction of a chain-link fence begins with determining the position of the protective fence. To do this, follow these steps:
- Drive the pins in the corners of the fenced area and pull the cord.
- Measure the perimeter of the site and add 1-2 meters to the resulting value. This determines the length of the mesh.
- Mark the position of the pillars. To avoid sagging of the chain-link, set the distance between the supports to 2-2.5 m.
- Determine the number of posts by dividing the length of each side of the territory by 2.5 m. Round off the resulting value and divide the length of the side by an equal number of supports. The result will be the distance between the posts for the selected number of posts.
- Hammer in the pegs in their locations.
Make sure they line up. For a product with 20x20 mm cells, the spacing of the supports can be increased, because such a mesh has increased rigidity.
Installation of fence posts
The supports are subject to a large load from the weight of the net and its tension, so they must be securely fixed. Perform the following operations:
- Dig a hole with a shovel or drill a hole with a drill to a depth of 0.8-1.2 m, but always below the level of soil freezing for a given area. Do not make holes too deep due to excessive consumption of cement. The dimensions of the hole are within the width of the shovel.
- Pour crushed stone and sand into the pit in a layer of 10-15 cm and tamp them.
- Remove bark from lumber. Cover the bottom with mastic to protect it from moisture and insects. Paint the top.
- If the site is terraced, longer pillars are needed in places of elevation changes. The mesh will be attached to them at different levels. In this case, the chain-link is divided into parts or sections are made.
- Prepare a sand-cement mortar in a 1: 2 ratio and mix it thoroughly. Add 2 parts of crushed stone and mix thoroughly as well. Make sure that the solution is not too thin.
- Place the first profile vertically in the corner hole and fill it with mortar. Compact the concrete with a shovel handle.
- Fix the stand in the same way in the opposite corner.
- Place the rest of the supports between them on the same line, controlling the location with a cord. It should be on one side of the post.
- Further work on installing a fence from a chain-link is performed after the cement has completely solidified.
The pillars do not need to be concreted. In this case, the work is performed in the following sequence:
- Fill the pit with a layer of rubble stone, compact it and fill it with soil. Then repeat the operations until the well is completely filled. The last layer can be filled with concrete instead of soil, which will increase the strength of the fence.
- To prevent water from entering the pipes or profiles, close the holes with special plugs.
- Fasten to the pillars to which the gates will be fixed, curtains and arches for locks.
Fastening the grid of the tension fence
The choice of how to fix the chain-link often depends on the material of the supports. Screw screws or nails into wood. Weld the hooks to the profiles, on which the chain-link is put on.
To build a chain-link fence with your own hands, perform the following operations:
- Lift the roll and hold it vertically next to the corner post. Hook or nail the net without unwinding the package. If the stand is metal, pass a wire or rod with a diameter of 3-4 mm through the cells of the first row, and then weld it to the support. The rod will hold the mesh horizontally and prevent it from bending.
- Unwind the roll by 2-2.5 m.
- Pass through the cells located behind the nearest post, a rod from bottom to top to tighten the chain-link and evenly pull the mesh. This requires the participation of two people: one must pull on the top of the rod, the second on the bottom. After tensioning, secure the product to the rack.
- Fix the netting completely on one side of the plot. Separate it behind the corner post and secure to the other side in the same way. Do not go around the outer posts with a net, they will be exposed to too much load.
- Pass rods with a diameter of 6, 5 mm or a cable through the cells in a horizontal position at a distance of 5-20 cm from the top or bottom of the fence and fix them to the posts. Thus, the load on the fence is reduced, which prevents it from sagging.
- If the cut is not enough, you can connect the next piece. To do this, remove the last row of wire from one part of the net, bring in a new roll and weave the removed wire. You will get a solid piece without gaps.
- If there is an extra cut left, remove the wire from the product, leaving one cell behind the post, and disconnect the chain-link.
- After fixing, paint the fence to protect it from corrosion.
It is possible to fasten the mesh to metal profiles without welding, using bolts. To do this, use an electric drill to make holes in the supports and cut the threads. Make lengths of 150-200 mm from a 4x20 mm strip. To attach the segments to the posts, make smooth holes in them. Place the product against the support and press down with plates and bolts. You can also drill a through hole and fix the plates to the mesh with bolts and nuts.
Installation of fence sections
The technology for installing a sectional fence has much in common with a tension fence - the marking of the site and the fastening of the supports does not differ from the previous version.
The rest of the work is carried out as follows:
- To make a frame, buy corners of 30x30x4 mm or 40x40x5 mm.
- In order not to be mistaken with the dimensions of the sections, it is first necessary to concrete the pillars. The height of each element should be 10-20 cm less than the protrusion of the support above the ground, and the length should be 10-15 cm less.
- Cut corners of the required size from the workpiece and weld the frame.
- Unwind the mesh to fit the frame. Pass a metal rod into the extreme row of cells and weld it to the vertical corners.
- Place the same rods in the last cells from the opposite side in the vertical plane, as well as horizontally at the top and bottom. Pull the mesh in all directions and weld the rods to the frame.
- Cut off the parts protruding from the frame with a grinder.
- Make the rest of the sections in a similar way.
- Cut 30x5 cm strips from metal sheets 5 mm thick. Weld them to the posts horizontally at the top and bottom with 20-30 cm indents from the top and bottom.
- Place the sections between the supports at a distance of 10-15 cm above the ground and weld to the strips. After cooling down, paint the welds.
How to make a fence from a chain-link - watch the video:
Fences of this kind are very popular for a reason. If all the requirements of the technology of installing a fence from a chain-link fence are fulfilled, the fence will stand for many years without losing its attractiveness.
