Useful as a barrier and providing safety, security as well as an exterior supporting appearance, the fence is an important building element in a house.
If you are planning to install a fence for your house, maybe you are faced with a choice of materials, either wood or iron.
However, what are the advantages and disadvantages of these two materials? Which one is worthy to be chosen as a house fence?
Reported from several sources, here are the advantages and disadvantages of wooden fences and iron fences.
Aesthetics
Wooden fence: there is a choice of types of wood that you can choose to serve as a fence, generally fir, cedar, teak, mahogany, and so on.
Quoted from Fortress BP, the wooden fence gives a sense of nostalgia and charm, which is visually soft and warm with the appearance of rich earth tones. Wooden fences can be stained or painted to suit a variety of color schemes.
Iron fences: be it metal, aluminum, wrought iron, to galvanized steel are often considered cold and unfriendly. However, today's iron fences provide design flexibility due to the wide variety of options available.
Compared to wooden fences, iron fences provide more patterns or shapes that can be adapted to the appearance of the house building.
Performance
Wooden fences: susceptible to water absorption and warp with drastic temperature changes. Over time, wooden fences are at serious risk of rot and damage, to the point of being eaten by pests.
Iron fences: provide great strength and will not rot, warp, deteriorate, or end up being eaten by pests.
Maintenance
Wooden fences: require a lot of maintenance to keep them operating at optimal performance levels.
To maintain its attractive appearance, a painted or stained wooden fence also needs to be sanded, polished, and redecorated every 2 or 3 years.
Iron fences: usually require little maintenance to maintain superior performance and do not involve staining or painting.
To eliminate worries about rust or corrosion on iron fences, there are many options for preventing them, namely galvanized and powder coated.
Installation
Wooden fence: easy to install. On the downside, the wood shrinks by as it dries after installation, which can leave unexpected gaps in the fence.
Iron fences: can be heavy, stiff and sometimes difficult to install.
Cost
Wooden Fence: quoted from Maintain Free, depending on the size of the fence and the type of wood you use, the cost of a wooden fence can be significant. And because these fences require regular maintenance and repairs, they continue to incur costs year after year.
Iron fences: iron, especially aluminum is cheaper than many types of wood, though not all of them. This means that price comparisons must be made for various types of wood.
In addition, because most aluminum fences have pre-made panels, labor costs can be lower.
Finally, high-quality aluminum does not need to be stained, nor does it need to be repaired or replaced as often as wood, so long-term costs are also lower.
Installation
Picket fences: picket fences take time to install, especially if you're building a fence from scratch.
Iron fences: Most aluminum iron fences come in premade panels, which makes installation quick and easy.
Privacy
Picket fences: many wooden fences are arranged so close together or the gaps are so small they can give you a greater sense of privacy, if you so desire.
As long as the fence is well cared for, the enclosed wooden fence can block the view from neighbors and nosy people.
Iron fences: most aluminum iron fences are designed with a large enough space between the spaces or gaps in each panel. This means that your house will be visible if it is not given additional cover such as fiber.
Iron fences with large gaps are great if you want to keep the view out of your yard, but not great for complete privacy.
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Of the differences between the two fence materials described above, in the end, the best choice depends on your preferences.
What's the best decision for your outdoor space? Metal iron fences are the best choice if you are looking for a durable solution that requires minimal maintenance.