Ornamental Steel Fence
Ornamental Steel Fence is an excellent way to enhance the beauty and security of your commercial or residential property using the look and strength of a traditional wrought iron fence without incurring the high cost and maintenance of one. Whether to provide security or safety for your commercial property, public property, residence, or just an aesthetic accent to your properties or projects landscape design, we here at Infinity Fence Inc. have the experience to help you achieve your steel ornamental fence installation goal.
Infinity Fence Inc. offers high quality, well established lines of Ornamental Steel Fence and fence products and we provide our customers with a detailed estimate so you know exactly what you are getting.
The Importance of a Detailed Proposal
We know that with so many ornamental steel fence manufacturers and installation companies out there, there is much to be considered and we are here to help you with that process. We look forward to working with you on your ornamental steel fence installation project. Please feel free to give us a call (919-846-2229), email us or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment for an estimate or to discuss your ornamental steel fence needs.
To see pictures of our ornamental steel fence installations please visit our Gallery
For more product information and links to manufactures web sites please visit Product Resources
Overview
Ornamental Steel Fence, while more costly than its comparably specified aluminum fence counterpart, will in most instances, offer a significant increase in strength and vertical load. This makes ornamental steel fence a great choice for high traffic areas including commercial and industrial applications.
There are however, a few lines of steel fence that do cater to residential installation applications. Ameristar’s Montage line of fence is the most common of these and one of the few offering a 5/8″ square picket. This picket size makes it the most comparable line of steel fence to aluminum residential picket specifications.
Typical sections widths for steel ornamental fence are 6′ and 8′ with heights available from 3′ to 10′ in height. Picket sizes are generally 3/4″ to 1″ square and available in different wall thicknesses. Color offerings vary by manufacturer, with most offering the “trifecta” of standard colors; Black, White & Bronze with some adding Green, Brown or Beige to the mix. There are also accessory accents available such as custom picket tops, section rings and post tops enabling you to personalize your steel fence installation.
Ornamental Steel Gates are fabricated to match the chosen section style or may be arched. Double swing gates and enclosed track slide gates are available for wide openings or property entryways. Gates can be accented with Convex or Concave Swag Arches or with a full opening Rainbow arch. As with steel ornamental fence sections, gates are also available with many of the same accessories options.
As with any fence installation, location and application usage should always be considered. No matter it’s type or style, it is also beneficial that you have a proposal presented to you providing the complete scope of your project as well as all material specifications for the project. While product manufacturers have material specifications available to view on their sites and brochures, the usage and configurations of these materials will be customized for your particular installation and may vary from one fence installation company to another.
Steel Fence History
The steel fences we currently refer to as “Ornamental ” were originally built from a mixture of iron and other materials and were heat forged by blacksmiths dating as far back as the Middle Ages. These types of fences can truly be referred to as Wrought Iron Fences. They can, and have, lasted hundreds of years and can still be found across Europe and in some of our older cities. To this day, there are still a few craftsmen to be found that produce wrought iron fence and products of this great beauty….and expense.
In the mid 1800’s “mild steel” was introduced and this less expensive material ultimately was the demise of the “true” wrought iron fence. While people still referred to these steel fences as wrought iron, in truth they had more in common with today’s steel ornamental fences than the wrought iron products that preceded them. The mid 1900’s saw the next big advance in steel manufacturing with the Linz-Donawitz oxygen steel making processes. Basic oxygen steel making methods advanced steel quality by pumping oxygen into the furnace limiting impurities, thus a superior steel product.
Today, we have a high quality steel fence product line with state of the art construction and finishing techniques, that have all but eliminated the need for welding or painting. Steel ornamental fence os an affordable high strength alternative to what was a high cost, high maintenance product line with manufacturers worldwide offering different styles, construction designs, colors, and grades. With quality high and choices plentiful, today’s ornamental steel fence is a product line worthy of it’s ancestry.
Steel Fence Sections
There are many different styles of steel ornamental fence that are available including those with arches and decorative tops, though there are four fence styles that seemingly make up the majority that customers choose to have installed. With many manufactures, each with their own name or number classifications for these styles, the top three styles, pictured below, are the most common styles chosen, accompanied by their Guardsman Fence names. Sections are offered in 2, 3 and 4 rail configurations.
Horizontal rails positions and spacings can vary among manufacturers and can also be altered to fit a particular installation. A standard alteration is dropping the bottom rail so that the pickets do not protrude through the rail (see above). This is commonly referred to as a drop rail style of fence and is typically done on 54″ heights to meet pool codes, though it can be done to any height, style or grade.
The sornamental steel fence of today is primarily a pre-assembled section available in lengths of 6 or 8 feet. and are available in heights ranging from 3′ to 10′ tall. The assembly of these sections differ by manufacturer and product line having their pickets either tab welded, riveted, pinned or have a small internal retaining rod.
Sections to post installation methods also vary.
While ornamental steel fence does not tend to categorize itself as distinctly with grades of fence as does ornamental aluminum and chain link fence, it can be looked at similarly.
Fence Specification Classes:
- Residential (5/8”sq. picket x 18 gauge)
- Commercial ( 3/4” sq. picket x 16 or 18 gauge )
- Industrial (1” sq. picket x 14 or 16 or 18 gauge)
- Also, some manufacturers offer a solid 3/4” picket…. Super Industrial???
- Posts: 2-1/2” Sq to 8” Sq. with wall thicknesses varying from 14g to 3-16″ thick
Remember, just because a manufacturer has provided specifications for materials manufactured, your instillation configuration may be designed using a variation of these specifications which is why we strongly recommend that your proposals include a detailed accounting of the materials being used for your installation.
Gates & Hardware
Ornamental steel gates are constructed of welded steel frames and are built to match the sections rail and picket style. Gate tops can match the sections being flat or ached with double drive gates arches being a double arch, rainbow, or swag arch (up or down).
While many choices exist for gate hardware usage, the most common ways to install your steel ornamental gate is using the standard hinge and latch set provided by the manufacturers which generally has a configuration similar to that pictured here:
To allow for self closing gates, D&D Technologies Tru-Close hinges are available. They are heavy duty, adjustable hinges that will self close most single swing steel gates up to 130 lbs. Perfect for pool applications along with the Top Pull Magna Latch.
For industrial applications, weld on hinges with sealed bearings are also available.
Other latching options include the Ornamag Magnetic Latch, the Lokk Latch and Lokk Latch Delux all of which available upon request as well.
Steel Fence Accessories (may vary depending on product line)
Along with the Ball Top which is offered by most companies as the alternative to the standard flat cap, there are many after market alternatives including solar accented post top lighting. Picket tops on sections and gates can be upgraded to the Victorian, Monarch or Imperial Finial adding a more classic “old-world” look to your fence and gates. Small scrolls and rings between rails and pickets even further accent your fence as well as larger scrolls that can be placed in gates or sections.
Steel Fence Colors
The three basic colors for all steel ornamental fence manufacturers are black, white & bronze with the bronze colors ranging from an antique bronze to off brown color. Other colors availabilities, like desert sand, vary amongst manufacturers.
(Please be aware that monitor settings may vary affecting actual product color)