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What kind of house fencing to keep children safe?

31 August 2022

When thinking about a fence, it is worth analyzing it well and choosing one that will not only look nice, but will also be functional and, above all, safe. When I think about safety, I primarily think about children, but not only. Very often, when planning a fence, we only take into account its appearance. And this is not the only and most important criterion. The appearance is impressive at first glance, but in the long run, the functionality of the fence, as well as its potential safety for users, must also be foreseen.

In order for the fence to be safe, it is worth paying attention to:

– all edges should be smooth, rounded and properly finished;

– the size of the mesh in the panels or the spacing of bars or profiles in palisade fences must not be too large, so that there is no risk of a child sticking in his head, and thus the risk of getting stuck;

– if we have small children, we should avoid fencing designs, the filling of which is made of horizontal profiles with a wide spacing, because it begs the child to climb the fence like a ladder. If we absolutely want to have a fence with horizontal filling, we should use the smallest possible clearances between the profiles;

– let’s pay attention to how the fence is protected against weather conditions, it is better when it is galvanized and powder coated, because then the surface is perfectly smooth. In the case of the galvanization itself, unfortunately, the surface is very often rough and there are sharp, pointed unevenness, and thus you can easily cut yourself;

– we will evaluate the quality of the materials, selecting only the most reliable fences. Thanks to this, the risk of damage will be much lower, and thus frequent repairs that generate considerable costs will not be necessary. It is not uncommon that it is necessary to replace the entire fence, because it is in a terrible condition several years after installation;

– at wickets and gates, remember that the space between the leaves and posts should always be greater than 12 mm, also when the leaves are moving, so that there is never a risk of getting your fingers caught;

– when planning the purchase of an entrance gate with automation, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the drive is equipped with photocells. Photocells are an absolute must, especially if we have small children at home. In the event that the child is unfortunately in the gate’s light when the gate is just closing, the photocell will cause the gate to stop and open again. Of course, this matter should be considered much in advance, so that before laying the pavement, pull the power cord to the photocells in the ground, so that later you do not have to disassemble and re-arrange the paving stones unnecessarily.

As you can see, there are quite a few things to think about before we start building a fence, so that there are no unnecessary problems later, and above all, that nothing bad happens to anyone.