If you live in the Midwest, you know that snow starts early in the winter and keeps falling well into the season.
While some might find the white, fluffy stuff fun, it can be a real pain when the wind speeds pick up and it starts drifting, especially onto your driveway.
If you have a long driveway or just want to keep the snow from drifting into the road, a snow fence is a great option.
Learn how you can put up your own in just three easy steps with this snow fence installation guide from Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
A snow fence is meant to direct and create snow drifts behind the fence. It’s essentially a windbreak. It doesn’t stop snow, but it can keep it from drifting into your driveway or the road.
If you live in a rural area, you know the plows don’t always get to the road before it gets drifted over. If you properly install your snow fence, it should cause the drift to pile up on the downwind side of the fence.
Before you put up your snow fence, you need to know where it goes. It should go upwind of the spot you want to keep clear.
For the fence to work, the general rule is that you should install 35 times the height of the fence away from the road or driveway. So if you have a 4′ fence, it will need to be 140′ from the roadway.
Use fiberglass or wood posts for the fence, not metal. Drive each 6′ T-post approximately 1/3 of their height deep into the ground.
For a 4′ snow fence, posts should be no more than 8′ apart. The fence is acting as a barrier and needs to be able to handle the snow drift. End posts should be 6′ or less from adjacent posts.
Line up your snow fence on the posts, leaving a gap of at least 5″ between the bottom of the fence and the ground.
Tighten the fence, and secure it to the posts with cable ties. Tie support wires to the end posts to stabilize the fence and prevent possible sagging.
A temporary snow fence is an easy and affordable way to control snow drifts around your home and farm. For more how-tos and guides, visit our Outdoor Maintenance Blog.
