GREEN VISTAS
Imaginative borderlines
K. RAGHURAMAN
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Today's fencing options give you a wide range of alternatives that goes beyond the boundaries of functional aspects.
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Wrought iron fencing is a universal option as it can be combined with stone, lattice or mortar.
THERE CAN be as many variations of fencing as one's imagination. However, most fences are classified according to the basic or predominant material used. If we were to look at the worldwide scenario, timber fencing probably scores heavily over the rest. This is because, most residential properties are vast and wooded. Therefore, it is easy for the owners to access the raw material from their property, as erecting timber fences is relatively simple. In India this option was popular in the hilly regions and Kerala, where timber was available in plenty. But in the last decade, with the onus on environmental protection, large-scale use of timber, which directly means denuding tree-covered acreage, has not been a popular or advisable option.
The other popular option is to go in for stone fencing. This could either be of natural stone or brick. It is probably the most durable and almost maintenance-free option. The disadvantages being that it could be very drab and any add-ons to make it attractive such as the use of wire-cut bricks is going to make it a costlier affair and involves constant monitoring to keep it moss free.
Another popular option that can be used in properties of all sizes, and suites most climatic conditions is the use of cast/wrought iron. This is by far the costliest option and requires annual, if not more frequent maintenance.
The fourth and most interesting option is the absence of compound walls or fencings. If you were to walk down on any commercial street in the West, you will notice that few complexes have any permanent fencing structure. This is because, essentially security is not dependent on fencing in such situations and also the absence of compounds increases the ambience of the entire zone as a composite whole. This concept is yet to catch on in a big way in India and we will look at this closely in the coming weeks.
This week we will work on the wrought/cast iron fencing, which as mentioned above, is a universal option. In commercial establishments, as the picture published shows, it can be placed at about one foot above ground level, though in residential properties it can be combined with stone, lattice or mortar structure to provide considerable screening. Another point that recommends a difference in usage of the same material between commercial and residential properties is that, in the former, fencing has to accentuate the land use pattern, in this case the commercial angle, and provide visual access to the building, its environs and what it showcases.
There are many types of metal fencing, and the different styles depend partly on the type of metal used. A wrought iron fence is usually slender and bent into elegant curves; cast iron is formed in more rigid, formal patterns; mild steel can be welded to form a strong wire mesh; and the standard post and wire fence is the cheapest and most visually open fencing of all.
There are two obvious advantages to a fence made of metal — it is durable and requires little maintenance, other than painting. Apart from that, some styles of metal fencing can be very elegant in the appropriate setting, while other styles, though less elegant, are worthwhile practical solutions to the fencing problem. The disadvantage of the more elaborate types of metal fencing today is their high cost.
Metal fencing first appeared on the landscape during the Victorian era and was an ideal add-on to its stately buildings. It is still possible, these days, to have a metal picket fence in the Victorian style, but the job would have to be done to order. Instead of cast iron, mild steel is used for the pickets, and the heads are cast in aluminium.
Most wrought iron fences are also made to order only. This makes wrought iron fencing expensive — and elaborate designs are more costly than plain ones because more design skill, material and workmanship are involved.
A wrought iron fence can be an elegant solution to the problem that arises when a strong barrier is required without obstruction of the view — for example, around a terrace or a city front garden. Wrought iron is also often used in conjunction with a solid material such as stone or brick. Remember that if the wrought iron fence is black, it will hardly impede the vision at all; if it is painted a pale colour, the effect will be much more opaque.
The same principle applies to another common type of metal fencing, the wire mesh or chain link fence. If the mesh is coated in dark green plastic, as some manufacturers can supply it, the effect is less visually obstructive than if the fence has a galvanised finish, as is usual.
Prefabricated wire mesh or chain link fencing is useful because it provides a strong childproof, animal-proof (even rabbit-proof) barrier. It is available in many different heights, from 760mm to 1.8m and higher, and its price is usually quoted by 2.4 m runs-the recommended distance between posts.
Wire meshes and chain link fences for domestic use are generally constructed with galvanised metal and timber posts can be used if desired. The posts must be set in concrete, and welding is sometimes necessary. The cheapest form of metal fencing is the standard post and wire. Apart from the fact that a post and wire fence is an economical way of securely fencing a large block of land, it
can also be the ideal fencing in a situation where no restriction of vision at all is required. Remember that such a fence can be supplemented attractively by planting. Timber posts can, of course, be used with wire, but though they may be more attractive than metal, they are not termite-proof.
In the coming editions we will look briefly at some more fencing and in some cases non-fencing options briefly.
(The author is a Chennai-based Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner)
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