Snow Fence?

[gstrom99]

Last year, I put up 50' of snow fence - the plastic type. I used zip ties to secure it to the posts. It didn't last the season. The plastic webbing busted where the zip ties were. Not happy with the plastic type. I bought the wooden slat style for this year.

It gets taken down after winter, for storage.

My question is this: Should I use zip ties again to attach it, or should I cut short lengths of wire to secure it?

 

[docone]

Use rebar ties.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I never had much luck with plastic snow fence. It would either break or stretch out. I went back to the wooden slats and used these heavy duty zip ties:

Amazon.com

They make a reusable product but they aren't as strong. Cheap enough to just cut & replace.

Eventually, I got tired of putting it up every year an installed a permanent PVC fence with a gate. May not be practical in every situation though.

 

[gstrom99]

Use rebar ties.

I had bought a pack of those - 500(?) when I was planning on doing my own concrete slab for my shop. I ended up hiring it done, and gave the whole pack of ties to the crew...

Zip ties it is. I have 100's.

 

[Thomas]

I found out regular zip ties become brittle during cold months and winter winds don't help...I use wire.

 

[ponytug]

I never had much luck with plastic snow fence. It would either break or stretch out. I went back to the wooden slats and used these heavy duty zip ties:

View attachment 4351228

Amazon.com

They make a reusable product but they aren't as strong. Cheap enough to just cut & replace.

Eventually, I got tired of putting it up every year an installed a permanent PVC fence with a gate. May not be practical in every situation though.

Where's Paul Hogan when you need him? "That's a Zip-Tie!"

All the best, Peter

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I'm installing my first snow fence this year. Yes, it is orange plastic. My plan is to sandwich it between a 1x1 stake and a 4' section of stockade style fence posts, then that is secured to posts. We'll see how that works out...

 

[gstrom99]

I'm installing my first snow fence this year. Yes, it is orange plastic. My plan is to sandwich it between a 1x1 stake and a 4' section of stockade style fence posts, then that is secured to posts. We'll see how that works out...

"I found out regular zip ties become brittle during cold months and winter winds don't help...I use wire."


Yes, the sandwich plan should work better than what I had - just zip tied to steel T posts. I can't do that.

Now, I'm still debating: zip-tie vs wire... ?

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I understand snow fence is for drifting snow. But what are the use cases? Put it next to the driveway to stop snow from drifting across your drive? Why are you using it specifically?

 

[gstrom99]

I put up a row of bushes along the 300' drive, several years ago, as bare root seedlings. Most all of them have grown good. The deer chewed down about 8 of them and I replanted them last year. This snow fence goes here, so it's not up all year long.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I understand snow fence is for drifting snow. But what are the use cases? Put it next to the driveway to stop snow from drifting across your drive? Why are you using it specifically?

For me, we have open fields to the west, and the never ending breeze/winds blow the snow from that field over our driveway. It is common for me to clear snow in morning, again at lunch and after dinner. 1 foot high drifts are the norm. And placement is a crap shoot as well, because there are few guidelines and none that pertain to our topography. Starting off 60' upwind from driveway. We'll see how that works out. Driveway is at the top of the area elevation.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

That makes sense. Let us know how it goes.

 

[gstrom99]

I understand snow fence is for drifting snow. But what are the use cases? Put it next to the driveway to stop snow from drifting across your drive? Why are you using it specifically?

It was kind of an experiment, to see if I could capture the snow for yard moisture, I guess. Seemed to work, so I'm keeping it up. Wind out here is constant and can come from any direction. The driveway bushes grew a bunch this year, so I'll see how well they work.

 

[gstrom99]

I got it up yesterday and used (US made) zip ties.

 

[ponytug]

@gstrom99 Looks nice. I would be interested to see the post snowstorm/blizzard photos. I hope that the better zip ties work for you.

When I was a kid there used be this received wisdom about prevailing wind direction and storm wind speed to set the fence distance from the road or whatever needed snow protection. Something about increased wind speed at a distance of some number of times the fence height based on wind speed. It always seemed a bit hand waving to me as how would one know the windspeed of the storm that dumped the snow you cared about? Is it still a thing?

All the best, Peter

 

[gstrom99]

Update:
The zip ties did NOT hold up, against these Iowa 50mph blizzard winds. I'll get out (when it calms down/warms up) and fix it with WIRE.

 

[gstrom99]

When I was a kid there used be this received wisdom about prevailing wind direction and storm wind speed to set the fence distance from the road or whatever needed snow protection. Something about increased wind speed at a distance of some number of times the fence height based on wind speed. It always seemed a bit hand waving to me as how would one know the windspeed of the storm that dumped the snow you cared about? Is it still a thing?

Yes, if you have the room, 10 - 30 feet away is the usual advice. For this fence, it doesn't matter and I don't have room anyway, for the driveway bushes.

 

[KWentling]

Update:
The zip ties did NOT hold up, against these Iowa 50mph blizzard winds. I'll get out (when it calms down/warms up) and fix it with WIRE.
View attachment 4643791

After my wire ties and zip tie failures due to our Wyoming winds, I ended up running smooth fence wire on both sides of the snow fence, so the snow fence is sandwiched between the wires. Since I've done that I haven't had to repair it going on three years now. It survived last weeks 50 mph south wind gusts and later 40 mph north wind gusts. Before I was repairing it multiple times a year. "Here" you want the fence about 50' upwind of what you are protecting.

 

[gstrom99]

After my wire ties and zip tie failures due to our Wyoming winds, I ended up running smooth fence wire on both sides of the snow fence, so the snow fence is sandwiched between the wires. Since I've done that I haven't had to repair it going on three years now. It survived last weeks 50 mph south wind gusts and later 40 mph north wind gusts. Before I was repairing it multiple times a year. "Here" you want the fence about 50' upwind of what you are protecting.

Iowa winds may not be the same as Wyoming, but they seem close. It's often crazy windy here.
Good plan on the wiring but... do you leave the fence up year round?

 

[KWentling]

Iowa winds may not be the same as Wyoming, but they seem close. It's often crazy windy here.
Good plan on the wiring but... do you leave the fence up year round?

I do. There is actually two parallel fences. 50' apart. Keeps the garage/shop parking area pretty clear. Used to have huge drifts in front of the doors.