Fencing Options During Hurricane Season

With a couple of significant hurricanes already passing through 2020, you may want to consider how to protect your household from damage during torrential storms. There are certain disasters that no one can avoid, but most of the time, you can take steps to mitigate the harm a storm might do if you act with plenty of time to spare and invest in the right safety measures.

One such safety measure is to install the proper fencing around your property. Though you may concentrate on the house itself, a fence can be an additional way to protect your home from wind and storm-damaged debris. Let's take a look at some of the fence options that are available to you — and what will work best to protect your property.

Wooden Fences

Wooden fences have some aesthetic appeal and are a classic choice in some areas of the country. A wooden fence can also be put together to seal off your yard from outside eyes and let your family enjoy the privacy of your own yard.

However, a wooden fence may be highly impractical for a storm-prone area. Wood is inflexible, which will make it more of a hazard than a help if the winds are strong enough to uproot your fence. Wood will also take more damage, especially from high volumes of water, and you will have to do repairs more frequently even if the fence stays put.

Metal Fences

Chain-link fences have a better chance of withstanding the wind and rain, to the point that some call chain-link fences hurricane fences or cyclone fences. The metal fence posts are set into the soil or in concrete, and the wire mesh is flexible enough to bend with the weather, while still keeping debris out of your yard. If your fence does take damage, the wire is easy to repair or replace.

If you're concerned about keeping your yard out of sight when storms are far from the horizon, chain link fencing may seem a little too open and revealing for your tastes. However, you can easily weave slats of plastic or some other material into the mesh in order to minimize the visible space. 

If you dislike the severe and institutional look of chain-link fencing, a wrought iron fence may be a good option. Wrought iron will have many of the same benefits as chain-link, including the airflow and solid foundation, but will look much less industrial and forbidding. While wrought iron may be a viable fencing option for you, it will not have flexibility or ease of repairs of a chain-link fence.

Vinyl and PVC Fences

Vinyl or PVC fences can also be great options. The material is solid and durable and closes off your yard from the neighbors as well as from storm rubbish. Another benefit to solid-paneled fencing would be some added protection against mild flooding, depending on how far down you embed the fence posts. The main concern with solid panels is their less flexible design, which could work against you in a hurricane.

Whatever fencing you choose should be an asset to you in protecting your home from hurricane damage. Simply look at the pros and cons for each kind of material, and ensure the fence is assembled and installed correctly for maximum protection. When you choose to install a hurricane fence, you may very well save yourself time, money, and effort down the road when another storm strikes. 

Are you ready to install a fence that will work well during hurricane season? Allied Fence of Tampa Bay is ready to help you. Contact us today for an estimate.