Choosing the Right Fence to Keep Your Kids Safe

Why do you need a fence around your property? If you’re like most people, it’s to keep your family, especially your children, safe and protected. When that’s the goal, take these factors into consideration.

• A child-friendly fence shouldn’t have splinters. Often, as wooden fences age, the wood starts to break down. When that happens, it’s very easy for a child at play to get splinters from the fence. If you choose an aluminum or iron fence, it won’t require as much maintenance as a wood fence and won’t leave splinters in little fingers.
• It’s preferable for kids not to climb the fence. However, because most children love to climb, they’re likely to give it a try. Remove the temptation by installing a fence with no handholds or footholds, and moving anything near the fence that might enable them to climb onto it. If you’ve got a chain link fence, you can privacy shields, weaving strips through the links for a more solid surface.
• Durability is important when you’re putting up a fence to protect kids. Again, some fences require more maintenance than others and can fall into dangerous disrepair pretty easily. Going for a sturdy, dependable fence that doesn’t need maintenance will give you peace of mind about the kid playing in the yard.
• It’s important that children be protected, yet visible. You’ll want clear sightlines with any fence in which kids are playing, in case you ever find yourself on the other side of it. An iron fence, for example, is a great option that ticks a lot of these boxes: it’s sturdy and dependable, hard to climb, yet can be seen through easily.
• A fence needs to be too tall for someone to reach over and grab a child. That may sound dramatic, but it’s every parent’s worst nightmare, for someone to snatch a playing child right out of the yard. Installing a fence that’s at least five feet tall will help prevent this from ever happening, and pointed finials on top are an additional, optional security measure.
• The gate to a child-safe fence should latch easily and securely. You should also be able to see at a glance that it’s locked, so you can be sure no children will escape the bounds of the yard.
• Fence pickets must be close together to contain kids. Remember, small children can easily slip through a gap too small to accommodate an adult.

If you’re ready to install a fence that will keep your kids safe, you can trust A-1 Fence to get the job done right and stand behind our work. We’re a locally owned and operated company with more than 40 years of experience, committed to providing fast and efficient work with a personalized feel. We’re fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and are proud of our reputation for quality work. For more information or a free estimate, contact us through our website or call 832-962-4765.