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Using wrought iron fences for decoration is becoming more popular. It can add beauty to your house and protect the property. How to ensure the safety of wrought iron fences? After reading this article, you will get the answer.
With spikes on the top of the rail, customed iron fences are safer; the higher, the safer. They always are made of more robust materials like solid bars or thicker hollow pickets. Whether you want to keep things out or keep them in, keeping the space between two pickets less than 4″ is safe.
The safety code and regulations may be different; please check your state’s regulations. For example, the following table will show the iron fence safety regulations for California:
The height limits for the fence are shown in the above table from Code Publishing Company (CPC); we always install wrought iron fences in the rear yard and outside of the yard, as I marked in the red square. We should comply with the code when installing the fences; Is it possible to increase the height of the fences for safety? Yes, you can, but you should have permission from the city government. For example, with the issuance of a building permit from the city, you can increase the height to 8′ from 7′ for the fences within the required interior side and rear yard. You can learn more about the fences safety code in California from ” Fence and wall safety regulation for CA“
There are two meanings for the safety of wrought iron fences, one is to keep things in(stay in the fixed area safely), and the other is to keep things out(keep the dangerous things far away, we called this security instead of safety), the safety standard for the wrought iron fences will be different with their functions and surroundings.
There are no regulations about the materials for the fences; try to use thicker posts and solid rails to ensure security. For example, a linear 8′ long * 6′ high iron fence panel will use at least 80mm*80mm square tube with 2mm thickness as post standard. For its rails standard, it can be 14mm*14mm solid iron or 20mm*20mm square tube with 1.5mm thickness. If you want it to be much safer, you can use 5⁄8-inch or 1″ solid square bars to take the place of the hollow pickets. But it will be too heavy and costly. As you know, the lighter weight makes installation more manageable but can not be too weak for security. From 20 years of experience in manufacturing wrought iron fences, 20mm square tubes with 1.5mm thickness are suitable and safe materials.
What is the safe height for the wrought iron fences? It depends on the function of the fences. The Deck fence’s safety height is 36″ minimum, while the fences in schools should start at 5′ high to protect the students better; Because the children can come across the short fences and might fall down and get injured. The wrought iron fences installed in the outside yard should be 6′ high at least; 8′ high will be better to prevent thieves from climbing over the fences and getting to your property. And 8 ‘ high is difficult to jump over for most wild animals, especially those who live in the far countryside, need higher fences to protect their property and themselves. The higher, the safer, yes! But remember to comply with your local safety code and regulation of fences.
The factor for safety is easier to dismiss by most people; that is, the gap between two rails should be less than 4″. It can be considered to protect children’s heads. It will be very dangerous if a kid puts his head through the space between two pickets and can not get it back. Most children’s heads can not pass a 4″ space.
The gap between the bottom bar and the ground should also be less than 4″. Supposed a baby can crawl through the space between the bottom bar and the ground, it is also dangerous!
Install one post every 8 linear feet long; it can stand the weight of the fence panel and make it stronger.
Are there any ways to improve the security of wrought iron fences? Sure, let me show you herein:
Adding spears or spikes on the top of the wrought iron fences is an easy and efficient way to improve their security sharply. The fences with these sharp weapons can deter the bad guys and wild animals, as the spears and spikes might hurt them severely when they try to climb or jump over these protective wrought iron fences.
Get a professional installation company for proper installation. If you want to DIY for the installation, it is also ok, and you should do some jobs like digging post holes and pouring the concrete. Whether you invite an installation company or DIY, please keep in mind two things:
Each iron fence post comes with a plate on the bottom; it’s for masonry screws to hold the plate stably and tightly to the concrete, then covers them with trim. These are the common installation steps. But it is not enough for security; you should require the iron fence fabricator to increase 8″ long for each fence post; this 8″ section will be installed deeply into the ground to ensure a much more stable and sturdy installation. If you dismiss it, the iron fences company supplies you probably fence posts with only a 2″ deep section for installation; it is also done, but the deeper, the safer, right? And one more tip is to weld one or two small feet on the bottom horizontal bar, which can shoulder part of the weight for the heavy wrought iron fence and help it stand stably on the ground.
If there is any brick column and wall on the start or end place, please anchor the top bar of the fence into the brick column or the masonry wall 2″ deep to ensure that the installed fences do not wobble.
Galvanization, also called hot dipped zinc, is an effective method for wrought iron fences to resist corrosion. Especially for the outside iron fences, galvanization is known as a must to resist rust. Since the outside iron fences are exposed to the sunshine and rain directly, rust occurs very easily on the iron fences without the protection of galvanization; once rust occurs, it will spread like cancer and severely damage the fence panel. It has been proven that galvanized iron fences can live 50 years without corrosion. The sturdy wrought iron fences without rust will act like a guard; they can protect your property and your family well. I share more details about galvanization and corrosion in this article: “Is galvanization important for metal gates and railings?“
Depending on where the wrought iron fences are installed and where you live, for the interior of the fence, inspecting them once a year is ok, and for the outside fences, you have to inspect them more frequently, say once each season. And if the fences are installed in a place with harsh conditions like salty or humid, you should inspect your fence thoroughly at least once a month. In this way, you can find any sign of rust or damage timely and fix it before getting worse.
On the fence, sometimes you can find salt for removing snow services, and sometimes you can find the birds dropping, clean them right away, next take a rinse for the wrought iron fence, and then use a soft and dry towel to wipe off the water drops and keep it dry.
If you can thoroughly wipe off the water drops on the fence after rain, it will help to resist corrosion.
UV rays and rain might make the paint fade; once you find the paint fade, repaint it timely!
If the fence is rusty, you need to remove it immediately and, repaint it, repair the fence before the problem gets bigger and deeper. If the fence is rusty severely, I advise you to install a new one.
Wrought iron fence with galvanization can stand corrosion for 50 years; in some places with good conditions, it can even be expected to last 100 years.
People usually put spikes on fences to stop burglars; it’s a popular and legal way to improve the garden’s security. Even so, I still advise you to show the CAD drawing of the fence with spikes to your local authority department before fabrication and, if necessary, get a permit. It ensures all data comply with the local building code and regulations.
People consider painting a hazardous material; because it is smelly and contains lead. It’s understandable since lead is a dangerous substance to people’s health. Fortunately, the paint on iron fences has been banned from containing lead for decades since 1978.
Paints for iron fences are safe without lead. And the epoxy primer for iron fences is known as non-toxic when dry.
The primary substance for primer is a two-part epoxy, which can stand the temperature from 0° Fahrenheit to 140°Fahrenheit after curing. Once it is curing, it becomes sturdy and releases no toxic air. The wrought iron fences from HomeBest applied eco paint without lead, and the chemicals of paints and primer we used are non-toxic.
The safety standard for the iron fence will be different with its installation functions. You will understand it from the following safety standard we advised:
If you still have questions about wrought iron fences or you are interested to buy. Contact us now!
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