Standards for Building Child Playground Fences, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the requirements and themes involved with building fences for child playgrounds. These are important locations where fencing plays a big role, and there are not only specific standards required for building them, but several themes organizers in this realm will want to consider.

At Utah Fence Warehouse, we’re proud to serve as a versatile fencing contractor who will assist with these needs and many others. We’re a varied fence supplier with a variety of products, from wood and vinyl fencing materials to fence gates and several others. In today’s part two, we’ll go over some additional themes to keep in mind when erecting playground fences, including the proper dimensions, gate requirements and long-term maintenance concepts.

Proper Measurements

As you’re making important measurements and finalizing the materials and sizes you require for a playground fence, it’s vital to stay in accordance with minimum heights and distances required for both general playgrounds and your area. These will vary between areas, but the general theme here is that height must be high enough to keep kids from attempting to climb over the fence.

In addition, there are a few other themes to stick with. The fence needs to be strong enough to withstand impact from vehicles, and should also be a certain distance away from the street to prevent such risks. Finally, gaps between rails or posts should be as thin as possible to stop smaller children from squeezing through or otherwise endangering themselves.

Gate Requirements

Another area of standards to keep in mind is the fence gate, which is vital for many playgrounds. Some specifics to be aware of here:

• Gates should be self-closing and self-locking, for safety and accountability purposes.
• Gate lock and latch sections should be at least a certain height off the ground to stop taller children from reaching it – for five-and-under playgrounds, for instance, the minimum latch height requirement is 48 inches off the ground.
• The gate should be built with the same standards and materials as the rest of the fence.

Future Maintenance

Finally, it’s important for designers of playground fences to plan for basic maintenance and upkeep themes in the upcoming years. With the right attention here, the fence will stand for years without any major concerns, even despite wear-and-tear from kids.

For starters, we highly recommend drawing up a maintenance schedule that will be stuck to for years into the future. This should include weekly and monthly maintenance and cleaning tasks, plus an annual inspection from fencing professionals like ours.

For more on building a playground fence, or to learn about any of our fencing contractor services, speak to the staff at Utah Fence Warehouse today.