Springs Save Fence From Floods

Springs Save Fence From Floods FENCING Fence Systems Lawrence Ward gets extra flex in his fence with recycled garage door springs They give a river front fence enough give to survive most spring floods “Every couple years the spring breakup sends ice and water through my four strands of Max 10 wire ” explains Ward “Even though it’s high tensile wire the ice usually takes out a strand or two along with posts The springs give the wire a better chance to push the ice back into the channel ” Ward’s 1 200-ft stretch of fence is across flat river bottom Most of the year the electrified wire keeps Ward’s Arabian horses off the riverbank When the frozen river breaks up in the spring the fence has to deal with chunks of ice as big as a Volkswagen and 10 ft high “I attached a long garage door spring at the end of each wire ” says Ward “The wire is strung through insulators on the back sides of the posts so it can move and stretch along the entire length of the 1 200 ft ” While nothing stops the trees if the wire can give enough it holds the ice until the river starts to go down pulling the ice with it With luck Ward figures most years the fence will still be there Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Lawrence Ward 1601 S Meridian Rd Midland Mich 48640 ph 989 832-2112; Mashallaha@aol com

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