A fence made of corrugated board: the subtleties of manufacturing

Today, more and more owners of private houses are erecting fences from metal profiled sheets (profiled sheets) on their plots. And this is not surprising - this durable and reliable material quickly gained popularity among the people. It is not difficult to build such a fence on your own. You can find out about all the subtleties and nuances of this work in this article.

A fence made of corrugated board can be put on the site according to your drawing without contacting professional builders and renting special equipment. This and other factors make it very popular with private home owners.

• Wear resistance. A fence made of profiled steel sheet will serve for many years, since the material does not change its characteristics over time. It is reliably protected from corrosion by a special coating and is resistant to strong gusts of wind.
• Profitability. According to the ratio "price - quality", the corrugated board can be called the best for the manufacture of fences.
• Ease of installation. Almost any summer resident will cope with the features of the device of such a fence as quickly as possible.

• It does not require special care. It is enough just to sometimes wash the fence with plain water and, if necessary, replace individual sheets.
• Large selection of colors.
• Reduces noise levels. Decking is able to reflect sound waves.
• Aesthetic appearance.

First you need to check the thickness of the sheet (for building a fence, an indicator of 0.6-0.7 mm is quite enough). Then you need to make sure that the seller has certificates confirming the quality of the material.

For fences, wall sheeting is most often used. It is cheaper than the load-bearing one and is suitable for any terrain without strong wind loads. It is important to find the optimal balance between price and sheet protection from external influences. Do not forget that the cheapest option loses in durability anyway.

The material has many layers, each of which serves a different purpose. Of course, only the right combination of them makes the professional flooring really high quality. For example, a low-grade steel coating will not have the desired effect. To focus on a specific material, you need to know what the steel is coated with.

Varieties of protective coatings for corrugated board.

• Zinc. The cheapest option, the reliability of which cannot be hoped for. It is rarely used for the construction of fences in summer cottages, but it is popular in warehouses, construction sites and industrial enterprises as a temporary fence.
• Aluzinc. This is an aluminum and zinc coating. Outwardly, such a fence will be more presentable, moreover, it can be coated with acrylic or oil paints for metal. But the final cost will turn out to be rather big, if you take into account the cost of high-quality paints.

• Polyester. The glossy surface of such a fence will always look neat, and any dirt is easily washed off by rain or water from a garden hose. The coating is resistant to any weather conditions and is not afraid of solvents.
• Plastisol. The most expensive and at the same time the most reliable option.It can often be seen in elite buildings. A plastisol-coated fence will last for decades and look like new throughout that time.

We are talking about the thickness of the galvanized sheet in its original form, without a protective coating.

To avoid problems with the choice and not stumble upon low-quality material, it is better to order corrugated board in Europe. The world's leading manufacturers are concentrated there.

Before starting construction, it is important to decide what kind of structure the fence will be. There is little choice here: the bottom edge can be buried in the ground or be above the ground. The distance between the fence and the ground is a must if construction is carried out on a slope or on excessively damp soil.

It is also worth remembering that the wind and dust will gradually erase the protective layer of the corrugated board and it will need to be tinted to avoid the appearance of rust.

But there is another way out - to install special U-shaped profiles for protection on the fence. They will also need to be tinted every few years, but this is much easier than dealing with rust on the fence itself.

If round pillars of brick or wood serve as supports, the fence frame must be overlapped, that is, by welding the log and the surface of the posts, and attach the sheets exclusively to the logs. In the same way, you can assemble the frame on rectangular supports. Professional developers often do this.

But for greater strength, it will be useful to fix the logs in the space between the supports so that their outer parts coincide. With this method of assembly, the sheets can be attached both to the supports and to the logs. Self-tapping screws, of course, in this case will need more, but the strength of the structure will increase many times.

There is also a so-called modular (sectional) fence - each profiled sheet is framed by a frame around the perimeter, and then welded to the supports. This option is very laborious, but in the end, such a fence will look more stylish and complete than an ordinary metal one.

Decking is a fairly durable material, and from it you can erect fences up to eight meters high. The metal is attached to logs, of which there are often two or three. Self-tapping screws for metal are also needed for mounting.

To calculate yourself how many supports are needed, you need to divide the length of the fence perimeter into the intervals between the supports. To the resulting number, add 4 (two pillars at the edges of the gate and for attaching the wicket) and 4 more for each corner.

The amount of corrugated board is calculated taking into account the width of the sheets. Again, the perimeter of the fence must be divided by the width of the selected profiled sheets. It is recommended to take a couple of sheets more in case the calculations give an error.

To get the desired length of the lag, you need to multiply the perimeter indicator by 2, and add the required footage to the result obtained to install the gate and wicket.

To make it easier to mount the fence, you can immediately order sheets of the desired size. Their standard width is approximately 120-130 cm, and a height of 190-200 cm. You will also need self-tapping screws for metal, paint (if necessary), gravel and cement.

The final cost of the fence can be influenced by the method of installing the supports, the thickness of the profiled sheet, the size (number) of gates and wickets, the number of pillars and lag.

Step-by-step instructions for preliminary work before starting construction involves the implementation of several stages.

The first step is to decide where exactly the fence (gate, wicket) will be located and mark the place for the pillars. You also need to decide what the height will be in order to correctly calculate the amount of material when buying.

Most often, metal pipes are used as supports.The thickness of their walls should be at least 2 mm, for high buildings - at least 3 mm. Between round and profiled pipes, it is better to choose the latter, since they are distinguished by increased mechanical strength. The height of the supports directly depends on the height of the fence, and metal is often placed underground for half a meter. Over time, metal supports must be treated with anti-corrosion compounds.

If you need to save money, you can choose wooden posts for the supports. They are not as strong as metal ones, but they are much cheaper. In this case, the most suitable species would be spruce, cedar or pine. It is important to choose a timber without cracks, with a flat surface, otherwise repairs may be required pretty soon. Before placing the pillars in the ground, they must be treated with an antiseptic and a water-repellent mixture.

Concrete structures can be an alternative to wooden and metal supports. These pillars are made of cement, crushed stone and sand and are highly durable.

Sometimes the foundation of the fence is made of brick, which looks more advantageous from the outside. But building a fence with brick supports will require a lot of time and effort.

When the issue with the choice of material is resolved, you should proceed with the direct installation of the supports. Here, the most easy and reliable option would be a fence with concrete pillars. The standard spacing between the posts will be 3 meters. The fact is that the profile pipes are 6 meters long and with spans of 3 meters it will be much easier to join the logs.

Further, in the right places, using a drill, you need to make holes that will be at least 10 cm wider in diameter than the selected supports. Gravel is poured into these holes, which must be properly compacted. Then the supports are inserted and aligned.

After filling the holes with gravel to about the middle, you can start pouring the cement. The pillar must be well fixed with boards or braces, which can be removed only after the solution has completely solidified.

When the foundation is completely frozen, you can install logs. Here you need a six-meter pipe, which was mentioned earlier. The number of lags varies from 2 to 3 depending on how high the fence will be. Lags are installed at a universal distance from the edge - 4-5 cm. For reliable fixation, it is better to weld them.

In order to avoid the appearance of rust, the pillars are covered with a primer. If the soil on the site is soft, then the pillars can sink quickly enough over time. Therefore, in this case, it will be logical to make a strip foundation. It is easy to install it with your own hands - a ditch is dug along the pillars and a low tape box is built, then waterproofing is laid along the walls of the structure and all this is poured with concrete.

The next stage is the installation of the metal profile on the logs. In order to firmly attach them, ordinary metal screws will be enough. Docking of metal profile sheets is done with an overlap. It is necessary to mount it with construction gloves, since there is a danger of cutting yourself on the corners of the corrugated board.

The last and most time-consuming stage will be the installation of the gate and wicket. For them, you need to build frames. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent the sagging of the gate leaves by welding a separate bar to each of them, which will connect the opposite edges of the frames. After fastening, the frames are sheathed on top with corrugated board.

Important features to consider during construction.

• So that the final structure does not skew, it is very important to monitor the vertical position using a plumb line when installing the pillars.
• It is better not to make the distance between the supports more than 2.5-3 meters, because otherwise the wind effect may be created.
• You can start building a corrugated fence at any time of the year. Its further properties will not be affected by the weather and air temperature.
• If during installation the sheets are slightly damaged or scratched, you must immediately paint over all damage. In the opposite case, the corrugated board will lose its anti-corrosion properties.

Between the pillars on which the wicket or gate will be installed, you need to dig a trench up to 30 cm wide, lay the reinforcement frame inside and pour concrete on top. This is necessary so that the pillars are interconnected by one foundation and the effect of weather conditions is the same on both sides of the wicket (gate).

Such a design will allow avoiding the skew of the sashes and they will open / close freely. For pillars that are intended to be bricked, such a design is required.

If the site is located on a slope, this is not at all a problem for the construction of a fence from corrugated board, there are just a couple of features that should be taken into account during construction. For the evenness of the structure, you need to stretch the rope around the perimeter of the building. Focusing on it, the profiled sheets are attached in such a way as to prevent differences in height between them. It turns out that each leaf has a slight deviation from the vertical with respect to the ground, but on a small slope this will be almost imperceptible.

If the fence is being erected on a steep slope with large differences in height, then another technology is needed. In this case, the line for installation is determined using a rope, a plumb line and a building level. It is necessary to measure the height of the drop between the posts. To calculate the number of supports, in this case, the height of the differences is divided by the indicator of the spans between the supports.

For example, if you plan a fence with a length of 30 meters with spans between the supports of 3 meters, and the magnitude of the difference is about 1 meter, then you need to divide 10 centimeters by the number of spans, that is, by 10. We get a result of 10 centimeters. It is by this value that each of the spans must be made lower, which will preserve the aesthetic appearance of the building. You will get a kind of ladder that gradually descends along the slope.

If the slope is very steep, you can install profiled sheets of different sizes for each span. Thus, it will not be the most beautiful option, but at least the differences between the sheets will not be very noticeable and the fence will look more solid.

Combined structures with stone or brick supports require special attention to the condition of the soil at the site of the proposed construction. Soils that retain moisture can become a problem for construction. This property of the earth can lead to a sharp rise in the level of the soil when the soil freezes and, as a result, to the destruction of the entire foundation.

There are several ways to solve this problem.

• You can remove all the soil according to the level of freezing and replace it with another soil. This also needs to be done with the ground around the foundation.
• You can install the foundation below the freezing level, but in this case, the wet soil will press on the foundation.
• There is also an option for warming the foundation with a special material for the entire depth of soil freezing. But this method is only suitable for light buildings.
• The best option is to install a drainage system in the form of a trench with a pipe that needs to be wrapped in a filter cloth. This drainage is erected at a distance of about 40 centimeters from the fence, and the final structure is covered with rubble.

As you can see, a fence made of corrugated board can be built by yourself in the shortest possible time and you can be sure that it will stand for many years. If the concrete pillars do not look very aesthetically pleasing, there are many ways to make the fence more attractive and stylish.

Initially, corrugated board was produced as a material for finishing warehouses, temporary buildings, parking lots. That is, buildings that do not have an attractive appearance. Today, the professional sheet has become very popular, so manufacturers had to think about the colors and options for its decor.

The most common decoration method is a combination of corrugated board with brick or stone supports. You can also finish concrete pillars with artificial stone or buy profiled sheets painted to imitate wood or stone.

The color of the fence should not stand out too steeply against the background of the design of other buildings and the entire site. Some summer residents choose corrugated board of the same color with the roof. For the decoration of steel elements, it is better to use powder paint that will not fade or crack.

Plasma cutting technology allows you to make a figured cut on profiled sheets. Often, the owners are limited to the curly design of the upper edge of the fence.

Many people decorate their fences with forged items. It can be geometric shapes, patterns, ornaments, and whatever is enough for imagination. They can be welded or simply screwed to the corrugated board. These elements will look especially advantageous if similar ones are already present in decorating a balcony, staircase or wicket.

If you have front paints, you can make your fence one of a kind. You can draw your favorite subjects, flowers, abstraction. Better yet, hire a professional artist to render a reproduction of a classic painting. After drying, such a pattern must be varnished so that it does not crack and fade over time.

Well, the classic version of decoration - with climbing plants, remains always relevant. Often, greenery helps to grow in the right direction with a couple of small fasteners on the fence, leaving only the wicket and gate free.

• If suddenly, during installation, the sheets of corrugated board are scratched with self-tapping screws or something else, it is worth painting over the damage with a spray can as soon as possible.
• Without at least minimal experience, it's not worth taking on a welding machine. It is better to invite a professional or use alternative methods of installation without welding.
• If the parapets (ebb) of the fence are left open, then moisture will constantly get into small cracks in the material. With temperature changes, this moisture alternately freezes and thaws, which can lead to the expansion of cracks and the subsequent destruction of concrete.

• A mandatory step is to waterproof the holes. Especially if the groundwater level is above average. Roofing material is well suited for these purposes.
• If the sheets of corrugated board from the inside are very dark, the area will visually appear smaller.
• It is necessary to dock the sheets in such a way that the corrugated sections are located vertically. Sometimes they are deliberately installed horizontally, but in this case it is worth taking care that moisture does not accumulate in the recesses.
• Sand filled in before pouring the foundation will protect against uneven freezing of the ground in winter.

• Weld seams must be degreased and painted in the same color as the posts and the gate. Otherwise, the seams can quickly rust.
• The work will go faster and easier if the first sheet is installed correctly and accurately at once. The standard distance between the screws can be called three waves on the profiled sheet. Thus, 10-12 self-tapping screws are consumed per sheet.
• For additional protection from moisture and to complement the building, you can install a wind bar.
• When the pillars are installed, you need to once again make sure that their location is even. To do this, you need to take a thick thread and stretch it along the entire fence, securing it to the first and last pillars.

• Some self-taught builders simply drive the supports into the ground and attach professional sheets to them. In no case should this be done, because without a planned foundation, the fence in a couple of years can fall from a simple gust of wind. So that such improvisation in construction does not turn into complete destruction, you should immediately contact the professionals.
• For fastening the lag, both a welding machine and bolts are used. Experts advise choosing the first option.The total cost of the project will not change from this, but the strength will significantly increase.
• To avoid deformation of the sheets, you need to provide the correct distance between the edge and the lags. It will be optimal if it does not exceed 40 mm.

• For fastening the profiled sheets, galvanized self-tapping screws are required. The use of aluminum fasteners can lead to cracks on the fasteners in frost and, subsequently, to the destruction of the entire fence.
• The choice of materials for the future fence depends entirely on the owners of the site and can greatly affect the final result and service life. If you come across dubious material at a low price, it is better not to take it. After all, the desire to save money at the initial stage of construction can lead to additional expenses for repairs or even to the need to completely redo the fence.

• If financial capabilities allow you to purchase a profiled sheet with a double-sided protective coating, then it would be logical to do so. After all, this option will be much more reliable and durable than conventional corrugated board with one-sided protection. This investment will make it possible to repair the structure less often.
• When painting sheets, it will be optimal to apply several layers. This is due to the fact that after mounting, certain areas will no longer be available for painting, and additional protection will never hurt.
• It is clear that brick or stone supports will look much more attractive than metal pipes. But the latter are still used most often. This is due to the ease of self-assembly and the ability to install a lightweight foundation.

• When decorating, you should not limit yourself to identical sheets of the same color. With the right approach, you can combine multi-colored sheets with different corrugations and stone or brick supports.
• For decoration with plants, you can plant grapes, ivy or other species that can grow along the fence.
• Also, more voluminous plants are often planted around the perimeter - spruce, garden shrubs, or large flowerpots are installed in which ornamental trees grow.

• The interior decoration of the fence can include various shelves on which you can put pots with curly flowers or just hooks on which decor items for the yard and garden are hung. In addition to jewelry, these shelves can be used to store household items or gardening tools.
• The question often arises of how to close the space under the fence in the presence of a strip foundation. This can be done carefully from the inside of the fence using the remaining pieces of corrugated sheet or ordinary boards. Of course, this will spoil the aesthetic appearance of the fence, but dense bushes planted around the perimeter will easily solve this problem.
• If you need to plant flowers along a high foundation, then it is better to choose varieties that are not afraid of shadows.

• To make the walls of the concrete base smooth, it is recommended to add stone chips to it before pouring it.
• Some builders weld lintels to posts for added stability. This should be done from the outside or between the posts. This method requires a lot of time and effort, but it will produce a very rigid and reliable frame. In this case, each individual support will be attached to the sheets and thereby strengthen the entire structure.
• The amplitude of the corrugated wave directly affects the rigidity of the profiled sheet. Accordingly, the larger this value, the stronger the fence will be. If the site is located on an area with strong winds, then the material of class c20 will be optimal.

• When choosing the thickness of the sheet, you need to take into account the future height of the fence. For a fence up to 2.5 meters, a thickness of 0.5 millimeters will be optimal. And a standard fence for a summer cottage is rarely made above two meters.
• The coating should also be given special attention. Powder coating is more durable, so you need to make a choice in favor of it.It is worth considering the fact that the standard profiled sheet is sold with paint coating on only one side, the reverse side is either painted gray, or is not processed at all. If the appearance of the inside of the fence is important for the owners and they do not want to spend a lot of effort on decor, then it is better to immediately purchase a corrugated board with a double-sided coating.

• If there is a need to cut the profiled sheet yourself, then special metal scissors will help. In this case, it is better not to use a grinder, because the edge can turn out to be jagged, and the scissors are much safer.
• Another important feature that for some reason many builders neglect is that the top of the support pillar should definitely be welded, otherwise it will simply flatten out and this will lead to moisture getting inside and, as a result, to an increase and cracking of the support in winter.
• It is better to start the installation of the pillars from the extreme ones, fixing them with wedges and a stretched cord. Guided by them, it will be much easier to adjust the height of the following posts.

• The fastening of the corrugated board and the lag should be started only after the concrete has completely dried, and this will take 3-4 days.
• The corrugated board does not require special care, but you still need to make sure that rust does not appear and just clean the fence from dirt.
• An alternative and more budgetary option for the foundation is the foundation on screw piles. It can be mounted in any weather, saves on building materials and their transportation costs, and its installation takes much less time. In addition, having decided to install a screw foundation, you do not need to worry about soil indicators, since they do not matter in this case.

A classic example of brick pillars with a brick and a half masonry. The supports must be protected from above with metal caps. Such a fence requires a solid strip foundation with additional reinforcement.

The combined design with natural stone supports looks very nice. But to make such a fence, you need to spend a lot of time and effort.

An excellent design solution is a wood imitation drawing. Looking at such a fence, it is not immediately possible to guess that it is made of corrugated board

Forged elements can give a luxurious look to even the simplest corrugated fence.

Well-chosen garden furniture, lighting and decorative elements will be perfectly combined with the simplicity and style of the corrugated fence.

Along the entire fence, you can equip a frame, and use the recesses in it as shelves. In this example, candles are placed on such shelves, which create a cozy courtyard lighting in the evening.

Simple wooden supports look very stylish if you choose the tone of the profiled sheet that suits them.

Another original solution is decoration with flowers cut out of aluminum. Their production will take a lot of time, but this is a good opportunity to make your site recognizable and unique.

Simple flower pots attached directly to the fence are a great design solution. This option is versatile and does not require large costs. Pots can be made from available tools.

Graffiti on corrugated board is most often found on city fences and is associated with vandalism. But by paying due attention to the drawing and the quality of the work, you can get an original fence in a street style.

The fence frame can be used as shelves. Of course, there is not much space there, but small candles will fit and create the desired effect.

Looking at such a fence, one cannot immediately guess that it is made of corrugated board. With the help of openwork forging and additional gates, this fence was turned into a real work of art.

Such an extraordinary landscape can be painted with paints if you have the proper skills, or printed on self-adhesive film and simply attached to the fence.It is worth remembering that the metal profile will last much longer, and the film will very soon lose its appearance and begin to peel off.

In this example, many decor techniques are combined - each sheet of corrugated board is placed in a frame, the upper part of the fence is decorated with figured cutting. The whole composition is complemented by forged elements. It will take a long time to decorate such a fence, but such a chic appearance is worth it.

Another example of a well-painted fence. Drawn natural elements in the form of greenery fit very organically into the general appearance of the site.

With the help of curly cutting, the upper edge of the fence is made in the form of a kind of peak. It should be borne in mind that not every fence can be decorated in this way, but only with a certain type of corrugation.

Another option for designing a profiled sheet for wood. Such a six-meter fence will organically look on the site with a wooden gazebo.

Drawing on the material can emit not only wood, but also stone - however, in this case, care must be taken that such a fence does not stand out too much against the background of a residential building.

For information on how to install a corrugated board fence, see the next video.