Before You Buy: Windscreen Buyer’s Guide

Fences – they act as barriers, ornamentation, and boundary markers. A well-placed fence is both aesthetically pleasing and functional, and none more so than a fence windscreen.

Are you considering installing a fence windscreen for your residential needs, commercial business, or sporting event location?

Keep reading to learn why you should consider a windscreen for your fencing needs.

What Is a Fence Windscreen?

Windscreens are generally installed over chainlink fencing, a type of fabric mesh that is designed to minimize wind gusts and provide privacy.

Fence windscreens are used in a variety of applications, both commercial and residential.

Sports Fields and Centers

From sports complex interiors to large outdoor fields, you’ll generally find some sort of fencing designed to separate players from the spectators and offer protection during gameplay.

Residential Homes

Homeowners love the privacy and protection a fence windscreen offers. Especially in yards with small kids, dogs, or pools, where privacy is valued, windscreens can be a cost-effective solution to privacy.

Commercial Businesses

From temporary construction-style windscreen fences to permanent barriers that shield your business assets and keep them safe, business owners

The Benefits of a Windscreen

Chain link fences offer quite a few benefits — they’re cost-effective, easy to install, and don’t require much in the way of maintenance. If you’re looking for a fence that will last, a chain link is the way to go.

For sports applications, they have the added benefit of also being nearly invisible at a distance. It’s an effective barrier between gameplay and those watching without being intrusive.

But a chain-link fence does have some drawbacks.

It offers sizeable handholds that a child or adult could use to climb, leaving you liable in case of an accident. It also doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy, for those situations where you’d like your fence to act as more than a barrier.

A fence windscreen offers solutions to these problems while retaining the benefits of chain link fences.

Cost-Effective

Fence windscreens cost only slightly more than having a chain link fence installed, making them a terrific alternative to more costly privacy options.

Easy to Install

Most fence windscreens are installed via a system of metal grommets used to attach them to the fence. Installation is as easy as deciding where to place the screen and quickly attaching it to the fence.

Very Little Maintenance

Windscreens are designed to deal with weather, construction sites,Very Little Maintenance and sports events. If installed properly, windscreens are made to last and require little maintenance. Inspecting your windscreen at its attachment points regularly and making sure it’s still held in place well will extend its life.

Cuts Down Safety Concerns

A fence windscreen minimizes the liabilities a chain link fence opens an owner up to. Because the fabric or mesh covers larger holes in the fence, it’s harder to find a hand or foothold that would allow climbing.

Offers Privacy

While you’d want to look into something more solid, like a vinyl or aluminum fence, for more complete privacy, a windscreen does minimize the view through the fence. You can find windscreens that are completely opaque or ones that offer some translucency.

Protection From the Elements

Not only does a windscreen live up to its name and protect from the wind, but it also protects from the sun. For athletes running around on a hot field, a little shade is a welcome perk of this kind of fence system.

Wind interference can actually change the course of a game, meaning protecting your game from the weather is a huge perk.

The Best Fence Windscreen for Your Needs

When trying to choose a fence windscreen, make sure you know the style, size, and function you need to meet your needs.

What Is the Purpose?

When choosing a fence, the best way to decide whether a windscreen is a good option is to decide on its purpose.

• Is this strictly a barrier, to keep traffic out, or do I need a fence that can also hold back the weather?
• Is privacy a concern?
• Do I need to worry about safety issues that might arise from having a standard chainlink fence?
• Does the fence need to be aesthetically pleasing?
• Are there any fence codes I need to be aware of before installing my fence windscreen?

Do I Want Semi-translucent or Opaque?

Once you’ve decided on the fence’s purpose, you get to look into the design aspects. The first design question is rooted in function — how much privacy do you want?

Fence windscreens come in varying levels of privacy from almost translucent to totally opaque. More translucent options work great for sports applications. It protects players who understandably don’t want gameplay interrupted by gusts of wind while maintaining a visual for those watching.

Totally opaque windscreens are great for businesses protecting their property, construction sites, and for residential homeowners.

What Colors and Designs Do I Want?

Beyond how transparent your windscreen is, you also have color and design options. Standard colors for windscreens are black, blue, green, and white, but you can custom design a windscreen in your chosen colors.

You can also add a design, like a logo or say, to your windscreen. This adds a marketing appeal for sports teams and businesses — your fence can do a little free advertising for you to those driving or walking by!

How Much Do I Need?

You’ll want to measure the height and length of the fence your windscreen will hang on. From there you can decide if you want total coverage or partial.

Some people use windscreens to cover a select area, like a corner of their yard around their pool area. Sometimes windscreens are put only part of the way up a higher fence, leaving the top section open.

Choosing Your Fence Windscreen

Do you need help choosing the right fence or fence windscreen? Talking to a fencing specialist will help ensure you get the right fence for your particular needs.

Call us at Florida State Fence to see how we can help you design the perfect fence for your home or business today!