Fence
This article is about the structure. For other meanings, see Fence (disambiguation). | Fence with barbed wire on top |
|
|
| Split-rail fencing common in timber-rich areas. |
|
A
fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent
movement across a
boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a
wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage (though the definitions overlap somewhat).
Fences are constructed for several purposes, including:
*
Agricultural fencing, to keep
livestock in or predators out
*
Privacy fencing, to provide privacy
*
Security fencing, to prevent trespassing or theft and/or to keep children and pets from wandering away
*
Decorative fencing, to enhance the appearance of a property, garden or other
landscapingSome of the technologies developed for fencing include:
*
Barbed wire fence
*
Chain link fencing*
Electric fence* Feather edge board and
aris rail.
*
Hedgerows of intertwined, living
shrubs (constructed by
hedge laying)
*
Palisade*
Picket fences, generally a waist-high, painted, partially decorative fence
*
Post-and-rail fencing*
Rock fence, generally agricultural
*
Split-rail fences made of timber, often laid in a
zig-zag pattern, particularly in newly-settled parts of the
United States and
Canada*
Stake-and-wire fencing*
Ha-ha (or sunken fence)
*
Turf mounds in semiarid grasslands such as the western United States or Russian steppes
* Wood-panel fencing
*
Snow fenceAlternatives for a fence are a
hedge or a
ditch (occasionally with
water, that is, a
moat).
A
balustrade or
railing is a kind of fence to prevent people from falling over the edge, for example, on a
balcony,
stairway (see
railing system),
roof,
bridge, or elsewhere near a
body of water, places where people stand or walk and the terrain goes steeply down, and so on.
The following facility types have to be fenced in:
*facilities with open high-voltage equipment (transformer stations,
mast radiators). Transformer stations are usually surrounded with barbed-wire fences. Around mast radiators, wooden fences are used to avoid the problem of
eddy currents.
*railway lines (in the UK)
*plants with dangerous mobile parts (for example at roundabouts on entertainment parks)
*explosive factories and quarry stores
*most industrial plants
*airfields
*military areas
*prisons
*zoos and wildlife parks
*open-air areas that charge an entry fee
*domestic swimming and spa pools (in New Zealand)
Fences can be the source of bitter arguments between neighbours, and there are often special laws to deal with these problems. Common disagreements include what kind of fence is required, what kind of repairs are needed, and how to share the costs.
In some legislatures the standard height of a fence is limited, and to exceed it a special permit is required.
"Good fences make good neighbors." -
Robert Frost"A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn't climb over it." -
Arthur Baer"There is something about jumping a horse over a fence, something that makes you feel good. Perhaps it's the risk, the gamble. In any event it's a thing I need." -
William Faulkner"Fear is the highest fence." -
Dudley Nichols*
Wire obstacle*
Separation wall* Encyclopedia Britannica (1982). Vol IV,
Fence.
