When to Choose Fence Columns
When you’re fencing acreage to keep cattle in, you use barb wire and steel posts. When you’re fencing a basic backyard, the standard chain link fencing or wooden privacy fencing is the standard. But when you’re fencing the front yard of a home or the front of a business in wood or wrought iron, something about stone fence columns adds the perfect touch.
A fence with a stone column is a method of not only creating a beautifully designed fence but also provides stronger support for the fencing. Stone fence columns reduce settlement while increasing load-bearing capacity. They accelerate soil consolidation with the granular materials used to install them that encourage drainage. When fencing is installed on property with a slope, stone fence columns improve the stability and increase the soil’s strength.
What is a stone column foundation?
General contractors are often faced with needing to construct deep foundations for multi-story structures. This is an expensive and time-consuming process that can throw them off-budget and late making their deadline. A stone column foundation, which is similar to stone fence columns but underground instead of above ground, is a solution they turn to.
Foundations built with stone columns can reduce the use of spoils and prevent soil settlement. This is often inspected and advised by a geotechnical company that will design the cost-effective treatment and installation to meet the general contractor’s needs.
How durable is a stone column and wood fence?
To create an inviting entrance for visitors, a wooden fence with stone fence columns can be the perfect touch. While wood fencing has been known to rot, by supporting that with stone fence columns, you’re keeping that wood off the ground and protecting, making it more durable than ever. Other than durability, other reasons that stone fence columns with wooden fencing are:
- Individual Style Showcase
Stone fence columns can be constructed in different shapes and sizes, making it easy to showcase “your” style. The wooden rail fence around your home creates the boundary and the stone fence columns keep that statement stable. Go with a traditional rugged look or have larger oversized stones used to create larger stone fence columns to establish your home as your castle.
- Structural Support
If your wooden fencing will have gates, they can get heavy for the standard fencing columns and posts. Using stone fence columns on each side of the gate will provide strong structural support and keep it in a style that is yours.
- Hiding Gadgets
Stone fence columns can hide the gadgets that are a part of your command station. The equipment like the automatic gate opener and the intercom system can be hidden by stone fence columns. Stone fence columns make an ideal place to install the mailbox, eliminating the possibility of vandalism, an ideal solution in rural areas.
Can you add a stone column around a post?
Absolutely, and there isn’t any better way to make a weathered wooden post look beautiful than building stone fence columns around them. For a 6×6 size wooden post, there are stone fence column kits available, each stone comes labeled as A, B, C, and D. The instructions will walk you through the process so that your stone fence columns come out perfect, creating that beautiful accent to your home and fencing.
The stones will fit like puzzle pieces, with stone A being the starting stone and the stones labeled D will be the finishing stone. In between A and D is a matter of simply attaching the subsequent stones of A to B to C and to D as instructed, stacking, and repeating the process.
Finishing off the stone fence columns with stone column caps then gives you custom-designed stone fence columns, hiding the weathered and worn wooden posts. To make this easier, hiring a professional fencing contractor that specializes in stone fence columns is always possible.
Which is best: stone column vs concrete column?
Builders and contractors have searched for years on better ways to build columns, whether it is for fencing and structure support. We all must agree that anything we use today is better than the tree trunks of yesteryear.
Stone fence columns give us that timeless appeal of permanence and quality, for residential or public fencing. Often stone fence columns are requested to match the façade of the structure it graces and surrounds. When properly built and installed with professional stone column equipment by a contractor that knows how to repair stone columns, it will last for many, many years.
GFRC fence columns (glass fiber reinforced concrete) include lightweight fibers that greatly increase the quality of the precast concrete. This is a process commonly used today for architectural elements, exterior and statuary components, like limestone simulated wall panels. With long and short lengths manufactured, the high-strength glass fibers that are embedded in the concrete matrix give the columns an added tensile strength that has ultimate load-bearing capacity.
In Conclusion
While the concrete columns may provide a stronger substance underground, the stone fence columns will give a decorative outward appearance. Stone fence columns are an addition to any architectural style of homes or businesses that can provide usefulness too. To learn more, reach out to Ware Fencing at 817-948-4503 today.