How to Dress Up a Residential Metal Fence
Posted on: 14 April 2017
A metal fence is a great choice for any residential property, as it's durable and sturdy and needs very little maintenance. This type of fence, whether it's solid metal panels or wrought iron bars, can be colour bonded, which is a colour added through a coating method that also protects the metal. This bonding means that a homeowner doesn't need to paint, sealcoat or otherwise make repairs to their metal fence. However, the metal can look a bit industrial and drab, so note a few tips for dressing up such a fence around your home.
Scrollwork
While wrought iron bars are very secure and very sturdy, you might break up this look by adding scrollwork to the bars or substituting the bars for scrolling designs every few panels. Some scrolling bars every few feet or meters can make a fence look more residential and inviting and less barren and stark, while still being very secure and durable.
Varying patterns
Iron bars can look dull when this is the only pattern to your fence; vary the pattern by adding a different shape or pattern in a row along the bottom or top of the fence. A row of crossed or rounded bars along the bottom can still prevent someone from having a toehold on the fence, while keeping the fence from looking too prison-like.
Slats
If you prefer metal panels for privacy but feel they're too claustrophobic, opt for slats. Like slats for a wood fence, this choice can obscure the view from outside your property but still allow in light and fresh air. Horizontal slats also give you a space for hanging flower baskets, wreaths, outdoor lamps and candles, and other decorative items that break up the look of the metal itself.
See the fence as a backdrop
Try to see your metal fence as a backdrop instead of just a property divider. What do you imagine against the backdrop that could enhance it? This might be flowering shrubbery, a row of landscaping trees, or even outdoor artwork. Have the fence powder coated with a new colour every year for some variation to this backdrop; as said, this will protect it from damage, and also keep it from looking boring and bland. If you see the metal panels as a chance to work as a blank canvas or blank slate, this can help you better decide how to dress it up to suit your own tastes and make it more attractive.
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