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Fences are an indispensable element of a backyard, summer cottage or garden plot. Unfortunately, their appearance is not always pleasing. The owners begin to think about how and how to decorate the fence. A quick and reliable way to decorate any fence is a polymer mesh with an image printed on it. Most of the time it’s a photograph. Because of this, they call the material – a photo grid for fences, and a fence – a photo fence. The idea came up recently, but is becoming more and more popular: quickly and inexpensively decorate an unsightly fence or wall – who doesn’t like it …
What is a photo grid on a fence
The technology has been known for a long time – it is used in the manufacture of banner advertising or for printing photo wallpapers. But the use of such materials for decorating fences began only recently. The photographic image is applied either to the banner fabric or to the reinforced PVC mesh. It is difficult to say what is better: you can choose according to each situation.
In the case of mesh fences, it is better to use a photo mesh rather than fabric. It is “perforated” – the cell size is 1 mm. Because of what transmits both light and wind. For this reason, if it creates additional windage, then it is insignificant. Even poles installed simply in holes with rubble, without concreting, will normally transfer it.
The second plus of the photogrid for the fence is that it transmits light. And if your fence stands on the border with a neighbor, he will have no reason to complain that your fence obscures his plantings: enough light passes through. At the same time, a very small cell significantly reduces the visibility of your site: just a grid without a pattern is visible by 35%, and almost nothing is visible with a pattern applied. Even the silhouettes are difficult to distinguish.
Banner fabric photo fences are good if you decide to decorate the back side of the corrugated fence. A dull gray or shiny surface is not only not pleasing to the eye. It also harms nearby plantings: the metal heats up in the sun and burns out everything that is planted nearby. In this case, there is no need to let in sunlight. A banner fabric with photo printing stretched over such a fence will reflect or absorb most of the solar heat. As a result, the metal will heat up less, and plants near the fence will grow well.
Temperature range of use — from -40°C to +70°C. The declared service life is indefinite, the warranty period is from 5 years. Estimated price – 500 rubles / sq.m; 800 rubles per linear with a width of 160 cm. Most companies offer a gallery of images that they can transfer to the grid, some can print any image.
There are two forms of release: in a roll of a certain height (usually 160 and 180 cm) or in canvases – fragments of 160 * 250 cm or 160 * 300 cm.
How to mount
The installation method recommended by manufacturers is to insert eyelets into the mesh body – metal rings. Through these rings, the photo grid for the fence is attached to the posts. Fasteners – plastic clamps, wire, cable, twine or something similar if attached to poles or metal rails.
Grommets are included, but you install them yourself: often you have to cut the canvas to fit the run. Therefore, they must be installed after the fact: after they have tried on and cut off the necessary piece.
You can buy rings and blocks separately – they cost a penny, they are in stores selling furniture fittings, you can also find them in the construction or car markets, as they put them in awnings for cars, on shading nets. How to install the grommet using improvised means, see the video.
The photo grid for the fence can also be attached to wood. To do this, it is not necessary to install eyelets, you can nail it directly: use staples and a construction stapler (only take staples with a wide back and stainless steel, otherwise rusty streaks will go). The second option is nails with press washers and preferably plastic (transparent) or galvanized metal.
Before starting the installation, remove the protective film from the photo grid, which is pasted on the back side and can be hung. The removed film, by the way, can be used as ordinary polyethylene: it is of good quality and fairly high density.