Why do people have wrought iron fences? (Chicago: how much, houses)

[Gelasia]

Are they suppose to keep unwanted people out?

I always climbed/jumped fences when I was little and wanted in.
How tall are these fences people typically put up around their property?

We have fences but they are for privacy and made of wood.

[ajolotl]

I'm no fence expert but have driven the city and burbs studying them in anticipation of a big fence purchase myself.

Iron fences are more secure, durable and require less maintenance than wood. They are also the most expensive type. They are harder to climb and more attractive than chain link. In my opinion they look very nice with brick or stone houses. A frame house looks better with a wood fence. Obviously if you want want privacy a wood or vinyl fence is better unless you add shrubbery. I have never noticed a typical height -- most I see are between 4 and 6 feet.

Originally Posted by MyssaTx

Are they suppose to keep unwanted people out?

I always climbed/jumped fences when I was little and wanted in.
How tall are these fences people typically put up around their property?

We have fences but they are for privacy and made of wood.

[j33]

I suspect it is because that someone related to the mayor owns a wrought iron fence company.

[Gelasia]

Yeah I dont think they are ugly and Shrubs are nicer for privacy.
Typically where I am from people dont have fences in the front of thier homes but I see it a lot in Chicago.
4-6 feet doesnt seem very tall if you are using it for security reasons.

[ajolotl]

The aim of most typical security measures in the city (glass block, iron fences, alarms, bars, etc.) is to make your house more difficult to break into than your neighbor's. None of them is anything close to fullproof. It takes and effort and makes quite a bit of noise to scale an iron fence in plain view. It is also hard to cut them. Even harder is getting the flat screen back across.

Originally Posted by MyssaTx

Yeah I dont think they are ugly and Shrubs are nicer for privacy.
Typically where I am from people dont have fences in the front of thier homes but I see it a lot in Chicago.
4-6 feet doesnt seem very tall if you are using it for security reasons.

[Gelasia]

yeah I didnt think about that- getting the stuff out would be an issue. ok
Well If we get a fence it is going to be 9ft! lol

[ajolotl]

If you get iron that might cost more than the house itself!

Remember, the vast majority of burglars don't want to tie you up in the basement. They are looking for an easy opportunity to grab something and run. Any fence is a good deterrent against that.

It is also nice these days not to have people be able to walk directly up to your door. That is how they scope your house and formulate their plan for later. A good iron gate and an intercom will keep them at a distance.

Originally Posted by MyssaTx

yeah I didnt think about that- getting the stuff out would be an issue. ok
Well If we get a fence it is going to be 9ft! lol

[Gelasia]

well how much does an iron fence cost?

[ajolotl]

It is by linear foot and the range is so huge that it's best to just get an estimate. Good wrought iron can cost $100 per foot easily. I have about 400 feet to cover so I'm in the 40K range. You can go as low probably as $40/foot and for a small city yard though it can probably be done for as little as 5K. So much depends on the quality, height, ornamental details, number of posts, etc.

Originally Posted by MyssaTx

well how much does an iron fence cost?

[Thepreacherswife]

It's also to keep random people from walking from the street to the alley whilst using your property as a thruway.