Fence Top Security for High Security Fencing

barbed wire

Strands of barbed wire attached to an extension bracket about your fence is a simple and cost-effective way to add a little more security to your fence.

Usually, either three or six strands of barbed wire is attached to a single or double bracket above your fence. While this can add a little more security to your fence, barbed wire is still fairly easy to cut, so if you want a very high security fence, this might not be enough.

Spikes

There are several fence top spike options, from more decorative spikes like the ones in the picture, to welded on “coxcomb” serrated metal strips and other kinds of metal spikes.

These kinds of spikes can either be attached to the fence when it is manufactured or could be added later by welding or using a tech screw or similar to attach it to the fence’s top rail.

Fence top spikes can be combined with other types of fence top security for higher security fence systems.

Razor Coils or Razor wire

Another popular option for fence top security is razor wire or razor coils.

Razor coils can be tied directly to the top of the fence, or they can be tied to three or six strands of barbed wire on an extension bracket.

You could also use unclipped razor wire instead of barbed wire, running three or six strands of it above your fence, attached to extension arms or brackets.

Electric Fence

It’s fairly common to install electric fence above another type of fencing. It can also be installed on top of walls or even around roofs if you need to prevent access there.

Sometimes, these fence top electric fences are installed only above the fence, attached to extension brackets as you would barbed wire or razor coils.

Other times, you may choose to add electric fence above your fence, and a separate electric fence on the body of the fence. This allows you to turn the different parts of the fence on and off when you need to, to ensure it won’t be touched accidentally.

When electric fence is installed on the body of a fence with mesh on the outside to protect passersby, it’s sometimes called “combi mesh fencing.”

Electric fence systems can be simple, in that they don’t do anything but deliver a shock, or complex, as part of a managed perimeter security system. Many electric fences can also be wired into an existing or new alarm system, provided your alarm has an available channel.

If you are installing high security fencing, it’s probably a good idea to include some kind of management and monitoring.

Electro Coils

Electro coils are another kind of razor wire and electric fence combo that can be installed as fence top security on high security fencing.

Sometimes, this combination is created using electric fence wires and razor coils, like the image, but there are also commercially available electro coils that already have the insulators and wires installed inside the coil. Which means they’re a little easier to install correctly.

Taut Wire and Fence Detection systems

The final option for fence top security for high security fencing systems we want to discuss is taut wire and fence detection systems, which are another electronic security option for high security fencing systems.

Taut wire and fence detection systems do the same thing in that they detect and report problems on fences, but they work a little differently.

As the name suggests, taut wire systems rely on wires that are tightened to a very specific tautness. They are monitored for any vibrations on the fence, and those vibrations are registered as potential breach attempts.

Fence detection systems, also known as microphonic fence detection systems, are cables that are installed along fences, with sound receivers along the fence line. They use the sound picked up by those receivers to detect potential breaches of the fence system.

Both taut wire and FDS or fence detection systems have the technology to filter out false alarms, so you only get notified of genuine risks.