The Best Fencing for Security: Keeping Your Family Safe

It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare: getting home at the end of the day to find their home has been broken into. Maybe even worse, someone could break in during the night while you’re home. There were 307 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people in Minnesota in 2021, so it is a real and understandable concern. It’s scary! Thankfully, the chances of experiencing a burglary are still pretty small.

At Northland Fence, we’ve heard all the reasons for investing in a security fence, and any reason is a good one. Whether it’s the neighborhood kid messing around with your stuff to keeping unwanted animals out of your garden, a good security fence can give you and your family a lot of peace of mind. You might have some questions, though. What are the characteristics of a good security fence? What are your options? Is it possible to get a secure fence without making your home look like a prison or a nuclear waste facility? As a family-owned, Minnesota-born fencing company with 15+ years of experience in the field, we’ve got you covered. We’ll answer all your questions on the best fencing for security.

Difficult to Cut or Breach

This is something many homeowners don’t consider, but if someone is determined to break in, they might come with the tools necessary to demolish your average fence. Chainlink and wire do not pass the test here, because they’re pretty easy to cut through. Even wood fencing can’t stand up to expert crooks. You’ll also want to check your fence to make sure it’s holding up regularly. If you notice any weak spots, you can bet that anyone looking to break in will find it. 

Metal and welded mesh fencing are your best options when it comes to a sturdy, nearly impenetrable fence. We’ll talk more about those a little later.

Outfitted With Locks

You can’t go wrong with locks when it comes to security. At the very least, a lock on an unclimbable fence will slow a burglar down. At best, it will keep them out altogether. No matter what lock you use, make sure there aren’t any gaps in the fence to give any unwanted visitors access to it. If an experienced miscreant tries hard enough to break in, just about any lock will be no match for them. Make sure they can’t get their hands on it in the first place.

No Hiding Places

This might seem like a no-brainer, but because this is a comprehensive list, it’s still worth mentioning: make sure your fence doesn’t give any shady individuals a place to hide. This ties into the next section.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Pros and Cons of a Security Fence

It’s a good idea to weigh the upsides and downsides of security fencing before jumping into building one or buying one. 

The main positive of a security fence is deterring crime around your property. That’s its main purpose, after all. It’ll come with the bonus of more privacy than your regular old fence, and in some cases, may increase property value.

The downside is that security fencing tends to be more expensive. It also isn’t the right option for you if you want your yard to look warm and inviting. Security fencing is meant to deter people, so it looks intimidating by nature, and it’s hard to change that without compromising security. You’ll also want to spend extra time maintaining your fence to keep everything secure, whereas you can, for the most part, install a regular vinyl privacy fence and leave it without much upkeep.

Palisade and Ornamental Steel Fencing

Palisade fencing is usually made from steel or ornamental steel, and is a very common security fence. It’s used for schools, data centers, airports, and more, but it can make a decent fence for just about anyone. The bars on palisade fences run vertically, and the fence itself can adapt to small slopes as it’s installed. Palisade fencing also usually has spiked tips, and can be made so the top of the fence slopes outwards, making it harder to climb.

High-Security Ornamental Fencing

You may be familiar with regular ornamental fencing, but there are a few differences between that and high-security ornamental fencing. For one, high-security ornamental fencing uses heavier, tougher metal. Sometimes it has additional support and is higher than regular ornamental fencing. It also usually has spikes at the top, and there are smaller gaps between the vertical bars of the fence to prevent anything from slipping in.

Welded Mesh Fencing

Welded mesh fencing is essentially a bunch of wires running horizontally and vertically that are welded together at every intersection. This creates a bunch of little square shapes in the fence and makes it nearly impossible to cut into. The tiny holes come in different shapes and sizes, and there are probably as many different kinds on the market as there are squares in every welded mesh fence, so make sure to look at your options.

Security Fencing with Northland Fence

Installing a security fence on your own is a hefty task, and all of your options can be overwhelming. We’d suggest asking an expert for guidance and help installing your fence. Might we recommend Northland Fencing?