5 Ways Ornamental Steel Fencing Is the Best Fit for Minnesota Windy Weather


Minnesota Ornamental Fencing

If it’s time for a new fence, don’t just get a newer version of what you had before. Fencing technology is always improving to bring you stronger, sturdier fences. If you live in a windy area, strong and sturdy is what you need. Ornamental steel fences provide precisely that because:

1. Strong winds will knock out solid panels.

If you’ve ever tried to hold up a sign in the wind, one of the corners probably fought really hard to escape your grasp. If the wind couldn’t find a way through the solid face of the poster, it was going to create one either by knocking the obstruction aside or by tearing through it.

The same is just as true for fences. Solid wood panels block wind’s path, and that only works if the fence is stronger than the storm. But wrought iron and ornamental steel fencing have purposeful gaps between each of the sturdy pickets. Not only is the fence well-entrenched in the ground, there’s not a barrier for the wind to damage and knock aside.

2. Steel fences withstand landscaping erosion.

Soil shifts over time and the wind just makes that happen faster. But letting soil build up on one side of a solid fence is a bad idea. That pressure builds and can warp, weaken, or break the fence. Even if it’s reinforced, traditional fencing can’t handle the weight. It also can’t handle the moisture that will start to eat into it from the dirt.

But ornamental steel can withstand shifting soil and stay upright. Even if the grade of your property line changes to a steeper tilt, steel fencing is less likely to tilt or bow.

3. The coating won’t tear.

Every fence needs a coating of some kind. Traditional wooden fences need a stain to keep the moisture and sunlight from weakening the planks. Chain link fences are covered in vinyl to mitigate rust and deter people from cutting through it. Ornamental steel fences have a powder coated finish.

Powder coating is a dry sealing process that covers the metal surface with a layer of protective powder. Depending on the specific formula, the powder coating can repel moisture, add texture, and resist heat. This protective finish is hard to chip or damage. Also, unlike with many paints, the damage won’t spread. Each particle of powder binds with the fencing material, not the adjacent particles, so the coating won’t rip or tear away.

4. Prefabricated welding can stand up to the wind.

Nails have nothing on welding. Prefabricated ornamental steel fence panels are welded at each intersection between the pickets and the cross beams so you don’t have to worry about the structural integrity of the fence. Combined with the protective powder coating, even rust doesn’t have a chance of weakening the fence for decades.

If you’re worried about the wind destroying your fence, welding will hold the panels together. Welded steel panels vastly outstrip aluminum panels in terms of strength, so your fence is also safe from the gate banging into it during a storm.

5. You don’t have to worry about noise.

Windy areas have a lot of noise. Trees and wooden fences creak under pressure. Chain link fences can rattle if there’s even a faint breeze. But steel fences are sturdily installed into the ground, and there’s no wiggle room for them to make noise. All of the pieces are also tightly welded together so there’s no noise to keep you up at night.

Ornamental steel fences are a great choice for every climate and every time you need secure fencing on your property. Go to Security Fence & Construction to get started.