Snow – Fence Frenzy

Snow fences are important in snowy areas, but plastic snow fences are relatively new to the world of snow management. Do plastic snow fences actually work? Plastic snow fences work well. Plastic snow fences are durable enough to hold large amounts of snow, and the holes in the plastic allow wind to flow through. It also allows the snow to melt in warmer weather. Plastic snow fences are cheaper and lighter than wood snow fences. Now that you know that plastic snow fences work, you may be wondering how they work and how you can install one on your property. Those are all good questions to explore, so let's get started! Best Plastic Snow Fences Now that you know how to build a plastic snow fence, you are likely wondering what the best plastic snow fencing materials are. Listed below are the best plastic fence materials on the market today. 1. Garden Fence Safety Netting Barrier Plastic Lightweight Dark Green The Garden Fence Safety Netting Barrier Plastic Lightweight is one of the best plastic fencing materials on the market today. It's inexpensive and is very durable. The holes in the plastic material are large enough to let the wind through, and the actual fencing material itself is very durable. Although it is typically used around gardens to protect it from scavengers, this is a great product to use while building a plastic snow fence. You can purchase the Garden Fence Safety Netting Barrier Plastic Lightweight Dark Green on Amazon here. 2. Tenax 5A030001 Guardian Safety Fence 4x100ft The Tenax 5A030001 Guardian is a great plastic snow fence material. It is very durable, has wide holes that let plenty of wind and snow through, and is 4 feet tall. Each roll has 100 feet of material, and it's very inexpensive as well. It is rated 4.5 stars by consumers, so a lot of people love using this product and will likely purchase it again. You can purchase the Tenax 5A030001 Guardian on Amazon here. 3. ZORO SELECT 33L957 Snow Fence The ZORO SELECT 33L957 Snow Fence is one of the best plastic snow fencing materials on the market today. This material is literally designed to be used to build a plastic snow fence. It has large holes to let wind and snow through, but the material in between the holes is thick and very durable, so it will not become ripped or stretched out over time as the wind and snow goes through it. An entire roll of the ZORO SELECT 33L957 Snow Fence product is 50 feet long, so you can build a very long plastic snow fence around your property. And an entire roll only costs $36. It is rated 3.5 stars by consumers, so many people love this product and will purchase it again if needed. You can find the ZORO SELECT 33L957 Snow Fence at Walmart here. 4. Orange Extra HD Diamond Grid Construction Snow/Safety Barrier Fence The Orange Extra HD Diamond Grid Construction Snow/Safety Barrier Fence is a great plastic snow fencing material to use to build your plastic snow fence around your property. It is rated 3.9 stars by consumers, so most people will consider purchasing this product again when they build another plastic snow fence or another project that warrants using this material. The Orange Extra HD Diamond Grid Construction Snow/Safety Barrier Fence has large holes to let wind and snow through and only costs $61 for an entire roll of product. This fencing material is 4 feet tall and 100 feet long, so you can build a very long plastic snow fence. You can get the Orange Extra HD Diamond Grid Construction Snow/Safety Barrier Fence at Home Depot here. Do Plastic Snow Fences Work? Plastic snow fences do work, and they actually work very well. The plastic that the snow fences are made out of is typically reinforced in some way, so it can withstand the weight of the massive amount of snow that builds up around it. Plastic snow fences are commonly seen near roads and highways while wood snow fences are not typically seen near busy roads. The plastic material that makes up plastic snow fences is typically seen around construction sites, but this type of fencing has many uses outside of construction. One use that people have found is that it is very useful for snow fences. Plastic snow fences, as well as other types of wood fences, are set up in areas that get a lot of snowfall during the winter season. They are placed at strategic locations so the wind patterns flow around them and create a snowdrift. They are typically built near busy roads and around apartment buildings. If they can pile up snow in a specific area, they can prevent the nearby roads and structures from getting buried. Are There Other Types of Snow Fences? Yes, there are different types of snow fences. There are wood, plastic, and synthetic material snow fences. Plastic snow fences are rapidly becoming more popular though because they are effective and easy to set up. Plastic snow fences are much cheaper to build than wood snow fences. Plastic snow fencing typically costs between $28 to $90 per 100 square feet, although you can find rolls of plastic fencing that are even longer than that. Wooden snow fencing typically costs $80 to $250 per 100 square feet. However, wood snow fences typically last longer and are more aesthetically pleasing than plastic snow fences. If you are building a snow fence and want it to last more than 5 years, then you will probably want to build a wood snow fence rather than a plastic snow fence. (Source) Plastic snow fences are cheaper to replace and easier to repair and remove than wood snow fences. When a plastic snow fence is damaged, all you need to do to repair it is cut away the damaged plastic fencing and replace it. When a wood snow fence is damaged, it is much harder to repair it because you have to cut away the damaged piece of wood, then replace the entire stretch that was damaged. How Do Plastic Snow Fences Work? Plastic snow fences work by causing wind turbulence when the wind hits the plastic material. If you have ever noticed plastic fencing flapping in the wind, don't be fooled into thinking they are flimsy and useless. They are actually supposed to do that! When the plastic snow fences create turbulence, they force the wind to drop the snow that the wind is carrying during a snowstorm, blizzard, or windy day. Plastic snow fences basically create intentional snowdrifts. These snow drifts around plastic snow fences are actually great because, without the plastic snow fencing, snowdrifts will form in other areas, including around busy roads and apartment buildings. These snow drifts can potentially become dangerous when they melt and ice over. Plus if they get too large, they can trap people inside buildings or shut down roads. Plastic snow fences are typically placed a little ways away from busy roads, but still close enough for them to help keep snowdrifts off of the road and keep them in the typically grassy area that the plastic snow fence is built on. Although the snowdrifts don't typically form directly around the plastic snow fencing, they do form close to them because of the plastic snow fence. Plastic snow fences need to have a lot of holes built into the material in order to let the wind that hits the fencing through. Plastic snow fences are typically 50% holes and 50% plastic. The holes in the material allow wind and snow to blow through it and allows snow to drift to the ground and create a snowdrift after the snow passes through. (Source) How to Properly Install a Plastic Snow Fence Building a plastic snow fence is relatively easy compared to other fence types if you know what you are doing. First of all, you will need some type of fence post. This can be made out of wood, metal, or plastic. It just has to be sturdy and long. Dig a hole big enough for the fence post that you have chosen, but make sure that it is at least 2 1/2 feet deep in the ground. You don't have to secure it with concrete, but if you want the fence posts to last a long time you may want to do this. When you place the two end fence posts, drive them into the ground at an angle.Attach the plastic fencing to the fence posts after the fence posts. You can do this with zip ties or other strong ties that won't break when the plastic fencing blows in the wind. You can measure the plastic fencing beforehand, or you can put the plastic fencing on the fence posts and cut it off where the last fence post ends.Make sure that there are at least 6 inches of space underneath the plastic fencing. This will prevent the plastic snow fence from becoming buried in snow and make it more effective. The plastic snow fence can't work if it is buried in snow. Now that you know how to build a plastic snow fence, you may be wondering how you can maintain your plastic snow fence. How to Maintain Plastic Snow Fences Plastic snow fences are very easy to maintain. If you can during the winter, check on your plastic snow fence and make sure that none of the plastic fencing is broken or ripped. If some of your plastic snow fences have been broken or ripped, simply remove the damaged plastic fencing material and replace it with new plastic fencing material. You can attach it with twine or zip ties. Try to prevent your plastic snow fence from becoming completely buried in snow during the winter. If your plastic snow fence does become completely buried in snow, it loses effectiveness and can become damaged if it is buried for long periods of time. It can be partially buried in the snow because it will still be somewhat effective and will not likely become damaged from the weight of the snow. "Most of the time in the winter, you can just leave your plastic snow fence alone. It does not necessarily need to be maintained unless something breaks. However, plastic fencing rarely breaks on its own because it is very durable." During the spring, after all of the snow has melted, go and thoroughly check on your snow fence. Make sure that all of the posts are secure, and make sure that there are no rips or tears in the plastic material. You should also make sure that all of the ties that are holding the plastic fencing material to the fence posts are intact and are still where they are supposed to be. Even if you find that damage has occurred anywhere on your plastic snow fence, you can wait until fall to replace the broken or missing materials. During the spring and fall, make sure that the plastic fencing material is not unnaturally stretched as this can compromise the integrity of the fencing material. In the fall, before it starts snowing, make sure that there are not a lot of weeds near the base of your fence. The roots of the weeds can attach to the fence posts or the fencing material and reduce the effectiveness of the whole thing. If a part of your plastic snow fence is damaged, simply replace it. Luckily, it is very easy to replace plastic fencing material. Simply cut away the old fence material and replace it with fresh new material. Attach the new plastic fencing with zip ties or twine. Final Thoughts Now that you know about plastic snow fences and how to build one, decide if you should build one of these fences around your property. If you live in an area that gets a lot of snowfall during the winter season, then it is likely a good idea. However, if you do not have any issues dealing with snowdrifts around your property, then it may not be necessary for you to build a plastic snow fence.