Winter snow – and lots of it – is a way of life in Calgary.
It won’t be long before blowing and drifting starts covering your sidewalks, your driveway and your street.
When the snow gets deep and starts blowing around, a snow fence can keep the drifts off your pathways and other parts of your property.
A snow fence acts as a barrier against the blowing snow and reduces the need for shovelling or plowing.
If you have a big yard or lots of acreages, you definitely need to consider installing a snow fence.
What Is a Snow Fence
A snow fence can be anything that blocks the wind from blowing the snow and forming huge drifts.
Most snow fences are made from wood, plastic netting or trees/shrubs.
Although, plastic mesh snow fences are most commonly used.
Wood Snow Fence
A wood snow fence is constructed with slats that are woven together with gauge galvanized wire.
The slats are spaced approximately 2.5” apart, making it a great option for snow barrier.
The gauge galvanized wire is used to hold wooden fence slats in place.
It is constructed with five horizontals rows of two wires each, spaced approximately 10″ apart vertically.
Wood snow fences are commonly used as:
Farming and agricultural fence
Temporary fence
Landscapers fencing
Greenhouse benching
Construction fencing
Animal containment
Mesh Snow Fence
Plastic mesh snow fence, or also known as Orange Snow Fence is the most popular option for Alberta’s winters.
This is because it is lightweight, easy to install and stored.
At First Class Fencing, we recommend our customers to install snow fencing during October as we tend to get early snowfalls in Calgary and the surrounding areas.
The fence should be in place before the ground freezes and the snow accumulates.
Snow fence can be taken down in the spring once the heavy snow has passed.
Typically, we recommend taking down the fence in late April or early May for Calgary and the surrounding areas.
It’s not about blocking the wind or stopping the snow completely.
Most snow fences are not solid.
It’s more about how the wind and the snow fence combine to affect the air pressure.
The snow fence creates a pressure differential, with higher pressure on the side where the wind hits the fence (upwind) and lower pressure on the other side (downwind).
As the wind blows across the fence, the air pressure drops and the lower pressure causes the blowing snow to fall to the ground and form drifts – just downwind of the fence.
Where the snow piles up will depend on how tall the fence is, how much air gets through the fence, and how much wind there is.
Where Should You Place Your Snow Fence?
You should install your snow fence upwind of the pathway or area you want to keep clear of snowdrifts.
Here in Calgary, our winter winds come mostly from the north and west, so you should place your snow fence to the north and west of the area you want to protect.
How far away you place the snow fence is critical.
If you place the snow fence too close, new drifts will form where you don’t want them.
Place the fence too far away and you’ll get drifts forming past the fence’s blocking effect.
The best distance between the snow fence and the protected area should be 35 times the height of the fence.
So if you have a four-foot snow fence, which is the most common height, position it 140 feet away from the area you want to protect.
It’s not an exact science, however, so you probably want to leave the placement to the experts, like the experienced installers at First Class Fencing.
Request an estimate for your snow fence project in Calgary and areas today.
All of our fences are professionally treated and expertly installed. We are constantly innovating to offer our clients the highest quality products and services.
Rest assured, we have a systematic approach to ensure every job is completed to our high standards.
On top of that, we can provide you with comprehensive warranties on materials, installation, and workmanship. Our workmanship warranty lasts five years.
Affordable Financing Options
We also offer affordable financing options for your fencing project starting at just $44.91/month.
Our team at First Class Fencing is experienced, reputable and committed to our customers.
We will provide you with detailed drawings and checklists to ensure you have the correct quote and have all of your needs met.
We are transparent with our communications and so should our customers. If any of your needs are not met, please bring it up to our team.
We have CRM systems in place to ensure communications are upheld on all aspects of the job and wealways answer your calls.
Our systems are all designed to deliver the fence that best fits your needs on time, on budget, and with a safety-first approach.
From the first quote until the final clear up of your property, we communicate with you every step of the way to get the job done.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
First Class Fencing is fully protected and trustworthy. Our fully insured services mean that you and your property are covered.
Our process includes regular management supervision, a SECOR Certified Safety program and detailed inspections throughout the entire project.
We carry work insurance that covers the worksite, our company, and our customers.
This insurance covers all work we perform, so you never need to worry about liability for accidents, damage or work performed on your property. Find out more here.
What others say about us
Fantastic service, great prices, amazing quality and overall fantastic people to deal with! Would definitely recommend these guys to all my family and friends! They go above and beyond and won’t leave till the job is perfect!!
Garret
As a painting contractors and real estate agent, I have no doubt in confidence in their work. Great leadership and workmanship throughout. You’ll get to experience a modern way of how contracting should feel like. I have no worries referring them to current clients of mine.
Graham Kennelly
Searching for a fence contractor to replace my backyard fence, two of my coworkers recommended First Class based on their professionalism, quality, and expertise. Intrigued, I contacted them.
The owner was very personable, straightforward, and efficient, and had a quotation for me within a day. I immediately had a good feeling about this company, not just because my coworkers (who had much bigger jobs done for their residences and dealt with the same individuals). I definitely appreciated how he was honest and straightforward and communicative thoughout the whole process including what has to be done.
His team came by and did a great job with tearing down the old fence and replacing the new one. They worked efficiently and expertly. It was exactly as I expected it to be, and they did what they needed to do to ensure it was a fantastic, satisfactory job.
First Class Fencing is definitely worth contacting. I would, and have, recommended them to other people. I would definitely hire them again!
Herman
Great company and crew. Feels great having the nicest fence in the community. If you want a fence built right Tyler and his crew are who to go with.
Tyler kept us informed of start dates as due to weather he was pushed off but to make up for it the guys worked through the weekend and finished on time and budget. The crew was so nice and pleasant to work with and extremely anal when it came to building the fence making sure it was straight and plum. I’ve never seen a crew take their time like these guys did making sure everything was aligned and identical.
They built the fence like it was their own and you can’t ask for anything else. The fence stands out in our community.
Cannot give them enough praise
Miles
We are very satisfied with our new fence.Work meets our expectation. Mckeehan and Jacqueline did a great job-thank you both!
Merly
Tyler was great with coming to our home and assessing the damage from a car that nailed our fence and gate. He takes great pride in the workmanship of his company and does the “job right the first time” which is also the company’s motto. The partial rebuild and gate construction are solid and were done better than by the “professionals” who tried to do the original project. I highly recommend First Class Fencing for anyone who is interested in great workmanship and a 5-year warranty. Thanks Tyler for a great job!
Wendy
First Class understood what we needed, explained the options specific to our property, provided competitive pricing and got the job done in one weekend. We are so happy with this contractor!
Winter snow – and lots of it – is a way of life in Calgary.
The short answer is: yes.
