Aluminum fences can last of decades without maintenance. If you buy quality products from a trusted supplier, they will never rust for as long as you own your home.
While there are many types of fences to choose from, there is only one type of fencing that is easy to install and lasts for many years without the need of regular maintenance. This is no other than aluminum fencing.
What is Aluminum Fencing?
Aluminum fencing is exactly what the name describes i.e. a fence constructed from aluminium. Aluminium is a metal that has low density, is lightweight, durable and can resist corrosion. Aluminum besides being used as a raw material for fence panels, it’s also used in the construction of airplanes, soda cans, roofing solutions, foil and many other everyday items. When aluminium is fixed with other metals, it becomes stronger and harder. Aluminum fences come in a variety of sizes, styles, heights and shapes. While the basic colour of aluminum is silvery-white in appearance, using a powder coating which is applied through an electrostatic process, the fences can have different colours. The most popular fence colours being black, bronze and white. An aluminum fence can be used to limit access to your pool, protect your house or property from intruders and for privacy purposes. They can also be used commercially in apartment complexes and office parks. One of the main characteristics of aluminum fences is that they are very easy to install. You can buy your fences from a wholesaler (like Aluminum Fences Direct) and install it yourself using our step-by-step installation instructions and save money at the same time.How long do aluminum fences last?
The easy answer is that they last for decades but it depends on quality of aluminum and coating process used to manufacture the fences in the first place. Unlike other companies that may use cheap materials from Mexico or China, we only use high quality materials manufactured in the US. Our coating process is guaranteed to meet and exceed the stringent performance requirements of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA-2604) against corrosion and fading. The above combination of material and coating process, guarantees that your fences will not chip, peel, crack or flake and that will never rust for as long as you own your home. One of the biggest selling points of an aluminum fence is that it lasts a long time, with very little maintenance, and requires very little in the way of upkeep. The reviews of aluminum fences are very positive, as we’ll show below, and an aluminum fence has a better lifespan than either wooden or vinyl fences. They’re hard to damage, and they are a solid, long-term investment. Aluminum is one of the most common elements in the earth, and the most abundant metal. It has many properties that make it ideal for manufacturing, most notably its corrosion-resistance and its natural strength. It gets its anti-corrosion properties from a phenomenon called passivation, which basically means the metal uses a light coat of protective coating, such as metal oxide, to create a shell against corrosion. It is also remarkably strong and light, and is used in everything from automobiles to spacecraft to packaging to construction materials to cooking utensils and furniture. And, of course, aluminum fences. This combination of strength, lightweight, and non-corrosion make aluminum fences a force to be reckoned with.What is the Lifespan of an Aluminum Fence?
A quality aluminum fence will last upwards of 50 years. Aluminum doesn’t rust like other metals. And unlike wood, it doesn’t warp, rot, crack or split. On top of the average lifespan of an aluminum fence, Aluminum Fences Direct offers a warranty on every aluminum fence panel, post, and gate that lasts for the lifetime of the fence, for the original owner (it is non transferable). This warranty also states that our aluminum products will be free from defect in workmanship and that our coating will not crack, chip or peel for as long as you own your home.What Maintenance is Required of an Aluminum Fence?
The first step is quite possibly the easiest: every few weeks, or months, hose down your fence to get rid of any dirt, fertilizer chemicals, and other yard waste that may accumulate on the aluminum. While none of this will necessarily hurt the fence, it does make it look a little less than perfect, and you definitely want your aluminum fence to be looking great. If hosing it down doesn’t remove any grime that accumulates on the fence–say you’ve had a particularly muddy rainstorm and the bottom of your fence is caked with splatters of mud–then you can wipe it down with water and a washcloth–something soft will do; we definitely don’t want a wire brush. We recommend that you wash up first, to dislodge the grime, and then wash down to remove it away from the fence posts. You can allow it to air dry, or you can wipe it down with a soft cloth. If your fence has stains, use the same technique as described above, except add a little degreaser to the water, something like Simple Green, to take care of any unsightly spots. For hard water stains (which should be very rare, unless your fence post is right next to a sprinkler head that always spews hard water) you can use CLR (Calcium, Lime and Rust remover). This chemical isn’t particularly dangerous, but if you’re using it near a vegetable garden, you may want to apply it and remove it with a rag, rather than hose it off so the chemicals can get on the plants. If you have any other areas that are more soiled, that aren’t coming clean with water or degreaser, a bucket full of warm water with dish soap can be used to wipe up any major spots. While most dish soaps are perfectly fine for plants and grass, you may want to keep the soap from running off the fence. This shouldn’t be hard with some gentle scrubbing with a damp rag. If you live in a humid area, mold, mildew and algae might grow on your fence, which, while they won’t damage the fence, are ugly to look at and might make someone sick. Normally, when cleaning away something like this, you’d want to use bleach to kill these things, but that can hurt the surrounding plants, so a vinegar solution is recommended. Use two parts water to two parts vinegar, and either spray in an outdoor sprayer, or use a washcloth to wipe the mold away. Finally, if you live near the coast where salt water corrosion is a problem, you’ll want to spray your fence down with a hose a little more often, just to make sure the salt doesn’t become a problem.Does an Aluminum Fence Rust?
While there are many different alloys of aluminum, they contain almost no iron, and without iron rust (iron oxide) can’t form.How do other materials compare to aluminum for fencing purposes?
Aluminum fences are not the only option when it comes to fencing solutions. The most common alternatives are wrought iron, steel, wood and vinyl. There are though a number of differences that have to do with resistance to weather conditions, ease of installation, maintenance and durability. To be more precise: Wrought iron fencing- Requires regular maintenance (needs re-painting to keep its color)
- It’s heavy and difficult to install
- It can rust easily
- More expensive than aluminum fences
- Need to be installed by professionals (difficult to do a DIY installation like aluminum fences)
- Most suited for industrial premises and is not a good option as a privacy fence.
- May need sanding and repainting every few years
- Requires yearly maintenance
- Cannot be exposed to all weather conditions
- Wood can easily rot over time and will have to be replaced
