Selecting the Best Fencing
Selecting the best fencing
With growing amounts of scientific research and expanding anecdotal information, we can now clarify the most appropriate materials and products that will inform the best fencing decisions for your project(s).
Major factors to consider when adopting a wildilfe fencing solution will undoubtedly include most, if not all of the following:
Effectiveness
Cost
Maintenance
Longevity
Effectiveness
Fencing materials are often selected based on their availability and price rather than their effectiveness. This poses numerous risks to the sensitive wildlife the barrier is being installed for in the first place, and frequently becomes more hazardous than helpful.
Some risk factors that sub-optimal materials create can allow animals to climb, risk entangling as well as encouraging unnatural pacing behaviors. It is therefore important to select fencing materials with a high opacity and avoid products made from fibrous or mesh materials.
Cost
Project budgets for environmental management or mitigation can be limited so it is important to invest in long lasting products which reduce ongoing costs. Although some materials may be cheaper upfront, these fences have incredibly high maintenance costs and are therefore, much more expensive overall due to replacment and repair needs over the duration of a project compared to others. It is advised that you consider investing in more durable materials up front as this will create big savings in the long run cheaper materials are often unrecoverable and therefore cause greater long-term harm to the environment. Selecting more durable materials will allow you to recover and reuse the material, which will also further reduce landfill, disposal and environmental costs.
Maintenance
Overlooking the durability and maintenance requirements of fencing materials can be extremely expensive. It is important to understand how much time and money is required to ensure your newly installed fence is effective after the initial purchase to avoid costly surpises in the future.
Fibrous and mesh materials often require significant amounts of maintenance compared to solid materials such as plastic rolls or metal sheets.
Vegetation encroachment on mesh fences can be extremely difficult to remove and using weed-whackers often damages the fencing beyond repair.
Plastic mesh destroyed by weed whacker.
Areas with heavy snowfall can also destroy lightweight fences posing a great risk to hibernating animals which are often quick to move once it thaws.
It is also advisable to use perforated materials in aquatic environments or areas with expected heavy rainfall to avoid pooling against the barrier, which may lead to scoring under the fence.
Longevity
Understanding the life expectancy of your fencing materials is imperative and can have a great impact on project budgets and the fence’s ability to safely exclude or protect wildlife.
Selecting a cheaper material with a short life span for long-term projects will inherently incur greater costs for replacement and risk rendering the fencing redundant for unwanted periods.
Comparatively, using overly heavy duty and expensive fences for short-term projects may not be an efficient use of budget and may cause unnecessary habitat disruptions during installation.
Wire mesh, silt fencing & orange plastic mesh deteriorating on site boundary, USA.