The Ultimate Guide to Palisade Pales
If you’re interested in a palisade fence, you’ve probably already discovered that the vertical components of each panel are called pales. However, like most things fence related, you’ve probably also discovered that there are a huge variety of options available.
In this ultimate guide to palisade pales, we are going to look at all the options, as well as how palisade pales are manufactured. Here’s what you need to know.
How Are Palisade Pales Manufactured?
In some cases, when you are using angle iron for your pales, you can purchase the material ready-made from a steel supplier. However, in most cases, palisade pales are manufactured by roll forming.
Steel coils are slit to the desired width, and then it is passed through a series of rollers that shape the flat steel into the pale profile.
Some palisade pale roll forming machines also cut the head and punch holes, so the pale that emerges from the other side is ready for galvanizing and finishing and then for assembly.
What Length Do Palisade Pales Come In?
Palisade pales can be manufactured to nearly any length. There are very short options that can be used to construct a “picket fence,” and there are options that are 12’ high or 3.6m or even higher.
One important thing to consider when you are choosing the height of your palisade fence is the palisade pale head style. If it is easy for people to accidentally touch them, you want to choose a style that does not have any sharp points. If someone gets hurt on your fence, there may be legal liability issues, depending on the fence design.
What Thickness Is the Steel that Palisade Pales Are Manufactured From?
Palisade pales can be manufactured from a variety of different steel thicknesses.
When thinner material is used, the security of the fence goes down, but they will be cheaper, which might offset the loss of security for lower-risk sites.
When heavier duty materials are used, the fence will be much more secure, but they will be heavier, more expensive, and cost more to galvanize.
Ideally, you should let the security requirements for your site guide your choice in steel thickness for your pales. The higher the security requirement is, the thicker the steel for your palisade fence should be.
What Palisade Pale Profiles Are There?
As you can see from the image in this article, there are several different palisade pale profiles available.
W profile pales are usually considered the most secure palisade pale option because the W shape naturally protects the bolt that holds it in place. This makes it harder for anyone to try to loosen or tamper with the bolt to gain access.
D profile pales are a slightly lower security option, and as such, they are popular for lower security installations like commercial buildings and residences. They are slightly cheaper than W profile pales, too, because they use less steel and are lighter and, therefore, more affordable to galvanize.
The final pale profile option is the angle pale. This looks like a simple triangle when viewed from the top. Sometimes, palisade fences are constructed from angle iron that is purchased from a steel supplier, but it can also be roll formed from steel coil like W and D section pales.
What Palisade Pale Head Styles Are There?
There are several types of palisade head styles that you could choose, and each has different benefits. Here are the options:
- One point or spear type – offers a little security, but aren’t the highest security palisade pale head option
- Triple pointed or trident style – the highest security option, has three spiked points for added security
- Rounded – best for low-security applications, particularly public spaces, as it’s the safest choice
- Rounded and notched – another lower security option, with notches that are mostly for aesthetic appeal
- Flat – the simplest palisade head style option
What Spacing Are Palisade Pales Installed At?
Palisade pales are usually installed at roughly 150mm or 6” spacing. This ensures that the spaces between pales are less than 100mm or 4”, which is generally considered safe for pets and children. If your palisade pales are spaced any further apart than that, there’s the risk that a child or small animal might get their heads stuck between the pales.
If you have smaller animals that you need to prevent access or egress through the fence, you could install a chain link or welded mesh along the bottom of the fence.
How Much Ground Clearance Do Palisade Pales Usually Have?
Like most fences, palisade pales usually have about 50mm or 2” ground clearance. This helps to prevent corrosion from groundwater and also makes it possible to cut grass along the fence line.
However, in some cases, palisade pales may actually be longer, so that 200 to 300mm or 8 to 12” extend into the ground. This provides anti-dig security under the fence too. If you do choose longer pales that create an underground barrier, you will need to treat the buried portion with a corrosion-resistant product, like a bitumen product or specialist paint product.
How Are Palisade Pales Attached?
There are two ways that palisade pales can be attached: bolted or welded.
Bolted palisade pales take a little longer to install and slow down installation productivity because each bolt needs to be installed individually. However, bolted palisade panels can rake or angle according to the ground level, so it’s a good choice for sites with slopes or undulating fence lines.
Welded palisade panels are much more secure because there are no bolts to be tampered with. However, welded palisade panels are rigid and do not follow slopes. This means if you do have a sloped site, you will need to survey the gradients and manufacture angled panels to suit.
What About Curved Palisade Pales?
There are some manufacturers that offer a curved palisade pale option that is supposed to be the equivalent of an overhang on the fence.
In theory, this is a good idea, but in practice, those curved sections make it easier to get leverage on the palisade pale, and that creates tension on the bolt. So, by installing a curved pale for security, you might actually be making your fence more vulnerable.
Instead of curved pales, you could consider adding overhang brackets to the top of your fence and installing barbed wire, razor wire or electric fence.
What Kind of Finish Do You Get On Palisade Pales?
Most palisade pales are made from mild steel, which means it needs to be protected from corrosion after rolling. This is usually done by hot dip galvanizing, but metallizing is another option that might be available in your area. Some manufacturers also use pre-galvanized coil, although this leaves the edges of the pales unprotected.
Once galvanized or metalized, palisade pales can also be powder coated to match your fence structure, and they can also be painted using a paint system that is designed for galvanized steel.
Can You Buy Palisade Pales On Their Own?
Most fence manufacturers sell full system products, but that doesn’t mean no one will sell you palisade pales on their own.
Buying palisade pales without the rest of the structure lets you design the fence type you want, and often, it’s a cheaper option. If you do plan to buy palisade pales without the rest of the structure, make sure you order enough and even a little extra. While the general palisade pale profile doesn’t change, there might be slight differences between one manufacturer and another, and you don’t want to have two different types of pale!
Palisade Fence Is a Great Choice
We hope you liked this deep dive into your palisade pale options and that you learned something valuable.
We really like palisade fencing, and it’s one of our favorite medium to high-security fence options. So, if you’re looking for a versatile, durable, higher security fence option, make sure this is on your shortlist.
