Building a new fence requires a lot of planning and decision making. Most projects require a fence that is attractive and installs quickly with minimal cleanup. People want a fence that is strong, durable, and easy to maintain. With so many different choices available today, a quick comparison between the most popular fence products is beneficial.
Chain link, Wood and Vinyl Fence
Chain link, wood and vinyl fences are the easiest to install, yet some are costly to maintain and generally have a low level of customer satisfaction over time. While chain link fences provide a barrier, they are easily damaged, susceptible to rust, and afford minimal privacy. Wood fence will fade, rot and deteriorate in time, requiring care to maintain their appearance. Additionally due to deforestation, the quality of the wood used today differs dramatically from materials of the past. Vinyl fencing, which does not have much structural integrity, looks clean and attractive when new, but can become chalky, sag, warp and break over time.
Concrete Block, Stone and Brick walls
Block, stone and brick walls require a lot of labor to install as each piece needs to be individually handled and placed on a continuous footing. Settling of the earth can cause mortar lines to crack which can eventually weaken the entire wall and cause failure. These walls can be costly based on the design and style of materials used.
Other concrete fence wall systems
Traditional concrete fence systems are supplied with separate columns and panels. Two types of systems are presently available.
- A stackable system uses a 5" square concrete post installed in the ground every five feet on center. Concrete panels, measuring 1ft. high by 5ft. long then insert into preformed slots in the posts and stack one upon the other to build-up the wall. These concrete panels are 1 ¾ " thick and can crack and break during shipping or if they sustain a semi-hard impact. It is also possible to notice where the panels meet one another.
- The traditional full panel concrete fence system has an 18” to 20” square column that is typically set every 12ft. on center over previously poured footings with rebar supports protruding upward. Once the columns are set in place, a concrete panel is then placed between the columns and inserted into preformed slots. The columns, which have a hollow center are filled with concrete and capped, thus completing this labor intensive installation. This process is known as a grouted cell connection.
The StoneTree™ System
The unique installation process and revolutionary design of the StoneTree™ System will change your mind about concrete fence walls. StoneTree’s™ one piece panel/column construction takes less than half the time to install than traditional two piece or stackable panel and column systems. The rigid footing support gives the wall greater stability during thefence installation process, which increases safety, aligns the fence during construction and increases the over-all strength of the installation. While easy to install, easy to maintain, yet remaining stable and durable, the StoneTree™ fence wall system offers all the best features of the other fence wall systems available today...and more.
Comparing the various concrete fence wall systems:
| Description |
StoneTree™
Fence Wall |
Traditional
Concrete Fence |
Stackable
Concrete Fence |
Concrete
Block Fence |
Number of Footings per 600ft. |
41 |
51 |
121 |
Continuous |
Column Sizes |
18” sq. |
12” to 20” sq. |
5” sq. |
Not Always Present |
Panel Thickness |
5” |
4” to 5” |
1 ¾” |
Typical 6" x 6" x 18" |
Maximum Texture Relief |
⅞” |
¾” |
½“ |
Depends on Design |
Expansive soil Adaptability |
Excellent |
Good |
Marginal |
Marginal |
Panel Depth into Column |
4” |
3” |
1 ½” |
n/a |
Speed of Installation |
Fastest |
50% Slower |
60% Slower |
70% Slower |
Double Sided Finish |
Yes |
Not All |
Yes |
Depends on Design |
Full Panel Construction |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
n/a |
Solid Panel/Column Connection |
Yes |
No |
No |
n/a |
Column Caps |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
If Built with Columns |
Sound Barrier Rating |
High |
High |
Low |
High |
Concrete Sealer |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
n/a |
Risk of Reinforcing Corrosion |
Low |
Low |
High |
Low |
