Metal picket fencing for business premises: entrances, sightlines and spacing

Within the limits of the selected fencing system, the gaps between sheet steel pickets can vary by location. A close-spaced section can screen the service yard while a more open run preserves the view at the exit. Assess each length where it will actually stand.

The fence bay, pedestrian gate and posts are seen together. The same picket profile can link them visually, but their widths often differ. Set out each part separately so an awkwardly narrow gap does not end up beside the gatepost, in full view of everyone entering.

Agree the top line and how it will step between different heights. Coordinate signs with the fence layout. Before fixing a heavy sign to thin pickets, check the structure. The sign may require its own supports.

Across a wide frontage, slender pickets produce a different texture from the same profile on a small entrance. Viewing distance and the building behind the fence affect the result. Assess several bays alongside the gate and the building rather than relying on a single sample.

Depending on the model, metal pickets have straight or rounded tops. This changes the outline seen along the fence. Choose a consistent finish and inspect the detailing at the entrance, where people will see it close up every day.

Where vehicles manoeuvre, check the directions from which people approach. Closely spaced pickets at a corner can hide a pedestrian from a driver. At an entrance or exit, leave the view needed by both road users when deciding how much of the site to screen.

Fence openness is one part of site safety and traffic planning. Check the view from the actual driver and pedestrian positions while laying out the frontage, before the posts and bays are installed.

Consider what will occupy the entrance area once the site is in use. Planting, advertising or stored goods can block the view through an open bay. Define where these items may stand. Wider gaps between pickets will only preserve the sightline if the space on either side stays clear.

Visitors may first see the fence from the street and then from the car park. Check the finish on the reverse face of the chosen picket. A photograph of the front provides no evidence that the back carries the same decorative finish.

Posts, rails and fasteners are visible from inside the site. Inspect the finish of the supporting frame alongside the picket colour. Approve a complete trial bay from both sides to see how these parts look together.

A business entrance is subject to dirt and frequent contact. Leave room to wash and inspect the fence. Bins or stored materials pushed against it can hide the lower ends of the pickets. Keeping this area accessible also improves the appearance of the entrance.

Clean the coating in accordance with its instructions. A cleaner used for workshop machinery may be unsuitable for decorative coated steel. Give the maintenance instructions to the person responsible for the grounds.

Sheet steel pickets provide fence infill and mark a boundary. Vehicle restraint or a specified level of resistance to forced entry requires a system with documented performance for that purpose. Identify any such requirement separately in the specification.

Assess the gate structure and its operation separately, even where its infill matches the fixed bays. The gate and fence can share a common appearance while each has its own technical requirements.

Use the first assembled bay to inspect the gaps, colour and fixing quality alongside the entrance and façade. Adjust the setting-out at this point if needed. Well-detailed metal pickets can give the frontage a regular outline while keeping entrances legible and maintaining the sightlines required in daily use.