Pros and Cons of Ornamental Fence

If you’re looking for a fence that’s more stylish and elegant than chain link, and you don’t need the privacy offered by vinyl fence or wood fence, ornamental fence might be exactly the right fence for you.

However, like every fence, ornamental fence has pros and cons. Let’s take a closer look at what an ornamental fence is and what the positive and negative elements of this type of fence are.

What Is Ornamental Fence?

An ornamental fence is a type of metal fence that is made from hollow steel horizontal rails and hollow steel pickets. It’s usually installed on square tubing posts, and it can be embellished with fancy post caps or decorative elements.

Different types of ornamental fences are made from different size tubing and different profiles, and some might be made from square and rectangular tubing or channels, while others might be rectangular tubing with round pickets.

Most ornamental fence systems are welded together, and they can be made from galvanized or metalized mild steel or aluminum.

What Are the Pros of Ornamental Fence?

Ornamental fence is a great fence choice for high-end residential fence projects as well as commercial properties. Here are a few of the big pluses of this type of fence:

Ornamental fence looks great – it will definitely look a lot more stylish and elegant than most mesh fence systems
Offers great visibility – perfect if you want to enjoy a great view or if you need visibility for security on a commercial project
Available in a huge variety of heights and specifications, so there’s something available for nearly every project
Comes with matching gates, so you can coordinate your whole fence line
Available in black and various other colors
Will add value to your property when installed
It’s hard to climb because the vertical bars do not offer any footholds

What Are the Cons of Ornamental Fences?

Of course, every fence has both pros and cons, and ornamental fence is no different. So let’s look at the not-so-great things you need to consider about this type of fence:

The first major con to ornamental fences is the cost – if you are cost-sensitive – you can expect to pay at least three or four times more than a similar height fence in chain link
Not all ornamental fence systems can “rake” or be angled to follow the ground – so if you have a sloped site, you might need to step your fence, which could cost more
There are vastly different quality levels from different fence manufacturers – if you buy a cheap ornamental fence, you might very well find that it doesn’t last too long or corrodes quickly
Ornamental fence does not keep small dogs in or small animals out
Spike-topped ornamental fences are a safety hazard for animals like deer, which can be impaled on the spikes

How to Get the Right Ornamental Fence for Your Project

If you love the look of ornamental fences, you’re certainly not alone. It is definitely a good-looking fence system!

There are several things you can do to make sure that the fence you get matches the one you envision.

Find a reputable fence company that specializes in this type of fence installation – panel fences are different to mesh fences or even wood fences, and it takes some skill to install them correctly
If you want to save some money on a larger fence project, ask your fence contractor to quote the publicly visible parts of the fence as ornamental fence and the rest as black chain link fence
Don’t buy cheaply made ornamental fence systems – look for fences from reputable manufacturers that carry a material warranty – this will protect you if the fence rusts or degrades too soon
Buy the right kind of ornamental fence for your project – a fence designed for residential fence is not suitable for commercial properties and so on

An ornamental fence is definitely an investment, but a good ornamental fence will look great for decades and can really add value and visual appeal to a property. So if you love this fence, go ahead and get quotes from good fence companies in your area, compare your options, and find the one that works for you.