The Complete Guide to Ornamental Fence

If you’re looking for a high-end, great-looking, modern fence for your property, then there’s a good chance an ornamental fence is on your short list of options. It’s a great choice for residential and commercial applications, and it’s a very popular style of fence in the Phoenix area.

But there’s a lot more to ornamental fence systems than meets the eye. So, let’s take a closer look at everything you never knew you needed to know about ornamental metal fence systems.

What Is Ornamental Iron Fence?

Whether you call it an ornamental fence, ornamental iron fence, custom ironwork, or just metal fence panels, most ornamental fence systems have a few important things in common.

One is that they are made from a combination of different sizes and sometimes shapes of metal pipe, and the other is that it is a panel style fence. This means that each panel or section of ornamental iron fence is premanufactured to a specific size. These panels are then attached to posts, which are usually square metal tubing, using a variety of brackets and other fittings.

Unlike mesh fence systems, ornamental fence is a rigid style of fence and while some of these fences can be raked or angled to follow a gradient, they’re not as flexible as some kinds of mesh fence.

Are Ornamental Fences and Wrought Iron Fences Different?

Many people use the terms ornamental fence and wrought iron fences interchangeably, but they are two very different products.

While ornamental fences are usually mass-produced from metal pipe and tube, wrought iron fences are usually custom-made from steel rods, usually by a blacksmith.

This means that wrought iron fence is much heavier than ornamental fence, and it’s usually a lot more expensive too.

Sometimes, wrought iron will be used for one element of a fence project, like an ornate gate, and then an ornamental fence will be used on the rest of the site perimeter because it’s more affordable and much more readily available.

What Specification Options Do You Have When Buying Ornamental Fence?

If you’re not involved in the fence world, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell one ornamental fence from another just by looking at it. But like every other type of fence out there, there are endless options and combinations of specification choices that you can make to change the appearance, security, longevity, and cost of an ornamental metal fence. Let’s look at some of those options.

Ornamental Fence Heights

The first thing you’re probably going to have to choose when buying an ornamental fence is what height you want it to be.

Ornamental fence systems are available from about 3 feet high all the way up to 8 feet high and taller. The most common height for ornamental fences for residential purposes and public spaces is usually 4, 5, or 7 feet, while taller fence systems are usually used for higher security purposes.

Ornamental Fence Metals

The next big thing you’ll have to decide when specifying and purchasing an ornamental fence is the material you want it to be made from.

The two main options here are steel or aluminum, and both have pros and cons.

On the one hand, aluminum fence is much lighter and does not rust. On the other, it is not as strong, and can be expensive and harder to source.

Ornamental fences made from steel are much easier to source, but they can corrode if installed near the ocean, and it is the heavier option.

Ornamental Fence Components

The next important thing you want to consider when choosing an ornamental fence system for your project is the size and weight of the components that make up each panel.

Most ornamental fence systems will have horizontal rails or stiles that are made from channels or rectangular tubing of some kind. They will also have vertical bars, known as pickets, which can also be made from various tubing sizes and gauges or metal wall thicknesses.

Ornamental fences also have posts, which are usually manufactured from square tubing, and which usually have steel or plastic post caps, depending on the system in question.

The larger and heavier the components used to manufacture the ornamental fence system you specify for your project, the more expensive it will be, but increasing the weight and quality of the materials involved in manufacturing also means you have a stronger and more durable fence.

Ornamental Fence Picket Spacing

Once you’ve chosen the components for your ornamental fence system, the next thing you will need to decide on is the spacing of the pickets.

Most commercial ornamental fences have a standard space between pickets of about 4 inches, which is usually compliant with bylaws related to railings and similar.

However, if you have small pets or you want a higher security option, you might want to look for a system that has pickets spaced closer together, at about 3 inches.

Some commercial ornamental fence manufacturers also make what is known as “puppy panels,” which are ornamental fence panels with the pickets spaced closer together on the bottom and further apart on top.

Ornamental Fence Corrosion Prevention

As we’ve already mentioned, one option to prevent corrosion of an ornamental fence system is to choose an aluminum product.

However, there are also several other methods for preventing corrosion in ornamental metal fences.

One is galvanizing, which is usually done before panels are assembled but can sometimes be done after panels are completed, too, particularly with custom welded gates and similar.

Another option is metallizing, which is a process by which molten metal is sprayed onto the steel substrate of the fence.

Usually, galvanizing would deliver better corrosion resistance results; however, in a desert area like Phoenix, Arizona, where salt spray from the ocean will never be a concern, this is somewhere where customers can safely consider choosing a more cost-effective option.

Ornamental Fence Color Coatings

Once your ornamental fence is protected from corrosion and rust, the next thing to consider is a color coating, which is also sometimes known as a duplex coating in the fence world.

The first choice is color.

While the vast majority of ornamental fence systems are black, some are available in other colors. They can also be custom-coated or painted in nearly any color you can imagine for an additional fee.

The next big choice to be made is how the product is color coated, and there are two main options here.

The first is what is known as electrostatic painting, which is where a current is passed through the metal to give it an electrical charge while it is being painted. This helps the paint to adhere better, and cuts down on overspray.

The other option is powder coating, which is when a special color powder is applied to the metal, and then the product is baked in a very large oven at a very high temperature to provide a smooth, solid coating.

Usually, powder coating will provide a thicker and more durable coating, and if there’s a choice, this is the option we usually recommend for our customers.

Ornamental Fence Decorative Options

Once you’ve worked your way through this list of ornamental fence specification options, there’s still another one to consider, and that is the many decorative options that are available.

These could be as simple as spear points on top of your panels or more ornate, like rings or scrolls incorporated into the panel. Ornamental fence posts can also be installed with decorative caps with ball finials or spear points.

Custom-manufactured ornamental iron gates might also have more decorative options in the form of metal castings that can be incorporated into the design of the gate.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Ornamental Fences?

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into designing the perfect ornamental metal fence system for any project. But you also want to consider if this is the right fence for your project, and considering the pros and cons is a good way to weigh this option.

Here are the benefits of ornamental metal fences:

They’re an elegant and aesthetically pleasing fence option
They are often more secure and usually more difficult to climb
They are durable and will usually provide many years of trouble-free service (and a manufacturer’s warranty in many cases!)
Ornamental fence is readily available, and some fence systems are available with relatively short turnaround times
When installed by skilled crews, ornamental fence systems can be installed relatively quickly

Of course, there are no fence systems that are all pros, so you do need to consider the cons, too:

Ornamental fence is more expensive than some other fence types
Ornamental fence systems are much heavier than some other fences, so some additional site preparation may be required
Because they are metal, ornamental fences can be accidentally electrified, so if you are installing them anywhere where that might happen, they will need to be properly grounded
If ornamental fences are damaged, you might struggle to find an exact match, depending on the system chosen

What Should You Know About Installing Ornamental Fences?

A big part of a successful ornamental metal fence project is choosing the right specification and the right contractor to install it, but there are some site-related factors you should consider.

The first is that if you have a site that has very steep slopes or gradients on any of the fence lines, it may be harder to install your fence system.

Some ornamental fences can rake or be angled anything from about 10 to 30 or 40 degrees, but if your fence line is very steep, your installer might have to step your fence line, and they might also have to cut panels to shorten the span between posts. This can increase the cost of materials and labor.

Another important thing to consider is how the fence will be installed. While it is possible to base plate and bolt ornamental fence posts to an existing concrete surface rather than installing them in concrete, the extra weight of the fence needs to be accounted for, and old, weak, or damaged concrete slabs or walls might not be suitable.

The next big thing to consider when choosing an ornamental fence system for your project is that some things like custom gates can take longer to manufacture, so you do need to plan well ahead to ensure everything can be done on time.

Your Phoenix Area Ornamental Fence Specialists

As you can see from this article, there’s a lot to consider when you’re choosing an ornamental fence for your project, but if you work with the right company, you can get the results you want.

One very important thing to remember for every project of this type is that you always want to choose the best quality product you can afford and hire a fence company that understands the product to install it for you.

Ornamental fences are a big investment, and the best way to protect that investment is not to cut corners.

So if you think ornamental fence might be the right product for your project and you’re in the Phoenix area, feel free to reach out to our team. We’re always happy to help our customers select the right products, finishes and other options to meet their security, aesthetic and budget requirements. Let’s talk!