ABOUT PALMSHIELD LOUVERS & ARCHITECTURAL SCREENING

For over fifty years, PalmSHIELD has been designing, engineering and installing rooftop screen fencing, screen walls, industrial louvered screen, louvered mechanical equipment screen and architectural screen fencing and wall systems.  In addition to our custom louvered screen wall and architectural screen fencing and wall fabrication division, PalmSHIELD fabricates square welded and woven wire mesh screen, private, solid, semi-private, staggered, and alternating screening and fencing, grating, and perforated metal screen.  You can find our work from the base of the Grand Canyon to the midst of the Yellowstone Forest.  PalmSHIELD has the ultimate architectural equipment screening and louvered mechanical screen fencing equipment solutions.

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PalmSHIELD Exclusives

PalmSHIELD has designed its own line of industrial hinges: The Gorilla Hinge.  This hinge uses a half inch thick plate to mount to both the gate and gate post.  In support of our large mechanical equipment screen gates, the Gorilla Hinge has a slight offset on the hinge plates to allow the gate to slightly close past full close.  Like with all of our architectural screen gates, this intended design quirk was incorporated because we realize that not everything happens exactly like you want it to in the field.  Sometimes, the gate posts are set an eighth to a sixteenth of an inch out of square.  This is not noticeable at the post but a typical hinge would not allow the gate to come to a full close if the gate post was not set perfectly square.  Installing larger louvered mechanical screen fencing equipment is a challenge. We empathize with these field irregularities and believe it is our responsibility to find solutions to offer our customers some flexibility. You will find this same level of precision and consideration in all of our louvered mechanical screen fencing equipment and architectural screen fencing and wall.

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PalmSHIELD is an industry leader in cable railing systems.  We fabricate systems for both interior and exterior cable railing applications.  In our five decades in the industry, we have learned a thing or two about cable railing systems. PalmSHIELD has designed its own fully framed cable railing system.  We have a welded frame design or a field assembled design that can be field modified for changes in both elevation and direction.  Fully framed systems are critical as cable railing requires at least ten cables to be tightened to a pull force greater than 1000 pounds.  Without a full frame, the system pulls significantly where the post is anchored to the surface.  This is not always predictable and will cause system failure. This level of consideration and design experience is found in all of our cable rail systems.

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PalmSHIELD utilizes the industries’ only picture frame design for our louvered mechanical screen fencing equipment, walls, rooftop screen fencing, perforated metals, architectural screen fencing and wall, welded wire mesh and grating systems. With the picture frame design, each panel is rigid enough to stand on its own. This design provides a rigid framework to support the louvers, perforated metal, welded wire mesh and grating from twisting and warping also making it easy to remove and reinstall if necessary. These systems are perfect for providing excellent ventilation while keeping items out of sight from others while maintaining a consistent design throughout the system. PalmSHIELD’s systems can even be configured as a series of screens, grills, swing gates and slide gates. This design is consistent with all of our mechanical screen fencing equipment louvers and architectural screen fencing and wall.

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The Specs

PalmSHIELD’s architectural screen fencing and wall and louvered mechanical screen fencing equipment is custom fabricated to each application, allowing end users to select the amount of visibility and air flow by varying louver spacing or degree of perforation. Louvers may be placed vertically, horizontally or even diagonally.

PalmSHIELD is unique in providing the industries’ widest louver:

  • .1250 thickness
  • 2” x 2.873” tall installed profile

Not only is the PalmSHIELD mechanical equipment louvers a larger profile but is engineered with a with upper and lower vertical edge providing less visibility and better air flow.  We offer a wide arrange of perforated metal, square welded or woven wire mesh and grating infill options too.

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Only PalmSHIELD uses a 3” x 3” x ¼” angle vertical supports for our industrial louver screening and architectural screen fencing and wall. Each louver is welded to the vertical supports.  Our welded wire mesh, grating and perforated metal is fabricated to meet all IBC and UBC codes.  Because of the larger vertical support, PalmSHIELD provides a 2 ¾” weld-able surface to attach louvers to the frame.  We use this same robust frame for our welded wire mesh, perforated metal panels, solid privacy, semi-privacy, vertical planks, staggered and alternating planks, and grating.

What makes PalmSHIELD the very best in architectural screen fencing and wall, louvered mechanical equipment screen, perforated metal, square welded wire mesh and grating fence system is the use of a 3” x 3” x ¼” angle top and bottom cap. Most systems do not provide a rigid top cap.  A top cap is critical in protecting the panel from falling debris, hail, etc. while the bottom cap protects the louvers from foot traffic and mowers. The vertical supports and horizontal caps are welded together to form the industries’ only picture frame design.

PalmSHIELD uses a 2” x 1/8” aluminum flat bar not to exceed 24” apart to support the louvers between the framework. This support prevents intruders from attempting to spread the louvers apart to gain access.

Larger than most mechanical equipment louvered screen systems, PalmSHIELD uses a 4” square x ¼” or 3/8” wall post. The larger and thicker walled posts is suited for high wind and snow loads.  Posts typically do not exceed 60” on center.

All nuts, bolts and fasteners are stainless steel. If gates are incorporated into your system, only our Gorilla Hinges are utilized.

After fabrication is completed, all mechanical screen fencing equipment and architectural screen fencing and wall systems are carefully sweep blasted and powder coated. The most important part to any coating system is the preparation of the materials.  Sweep blasting removes any foreign debris and opens the aluminum up for adhesion.  Custom colors are available.  PalmSHIELD uses polyester powder coating in accordance with material hardness ASTM 3363 2H.

PalmSHIELD is an excellent choice for any mechanical screen fencing equipment, enclosures, rooftop enclosures, trash enclosures, and more!

Direct Visual Screening & Free Area

Direct visual screening is the standard measure for determining the percentage of visibility.  Based on looking straight on at a perfect horizontal plane to a louver that is installed plumb, can you see through the louvers?  Any visibility at this vantage point is a percentage of visibility.

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PalmSHIELD’s standard design uses a ½” overlap of louvers. This guarantees 100% direct visual screening under any circumstances.  We are happy to modify our louvers to provide a lesser percentage of direct visual screening for our customers which would require we space the louvers farther apart. Our 100% direct visual screening is related to our percentage of openness.  The percentage of openness is the actual openness between the louvers over a specific area.  The smallest opening between two louvers is the greatest factor impacting the percentage of openness.  PalmSHIELD mechanical equipment louvers typically louver opening based on 100% direct visual screening is 2 ¼”. 

Example: 4” tall louvers spaced 3 ½” on center, the smallest opening is 2 ¼”.  
Every 3 ½” of travel, there is a 2 ¼” opening. 
This ultimately translates into approximately a 64% free area.

Engineering

Any louvered mechanical equipment screen or architectural screen will increase the wind load on it supporting structure. This has traditionally been an educated guess with a considerable safety factor.  However, most industrial louvered screens are attached to adjoining walls and buildings that must meet an even greater wind load coefficient for solid surfaces.

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Though PalmSHIELD mechanical equipment louvered screening systems and architectural screen systems may be installed as a wall louver where the louvered panels are installed like windows and attached to the building structure, PalmSHIELD louvers has its own independent structure that classifies it as a standalone louvered equipment fence system. It’s this independent structure that carries the load of assuring the overall system meets the latest IBC and UBC codes. PalmSHIELD systems have been designed and engineered to meet these codes. Through measured calculations, PalmSHIELD’s louvered panels with an 80% opening has a horizontal load of 19 psf.  This wind load calculation is based on 100 mph winds which complies with the 30psf load requirement on solid building surfaces.

This load calculation is then used in calculating the design of the structural post system that supports the panels. From this calculation, we can determine post design, material selection and post spacing.  By applying this load to the square footage of the panel size, we can properly estimate these specifications on a per case basis.  It must be stated that these are only estimated loads because loading will vary exponentially based on the height of the panels.  Not all wind loading is equal top to bottom of the louvered panel, especially for rooftop screen fencing.  For actual engineered calculations, each system must be independently engineered by a registered engineer within the jurisdiction it will be installed.  This level of engineering is not included in the standard PalmSHIELD quote.  If local stamped engineering is required for your system, please indicate so at time of quote.  We will contact a local engineer in the respective jurisdiction and work directly with them to provide the necessary calculations.

Click here to learn more about engineering.

It is important to recognize is that PalmSHIELD is not just another mechanical screen fencing equipment or architectural screen system manufacturer. We design each system with the customer in mind. From custom product design to fabrication, to installation, PalmSHIELD will be with you every step of the way.

Where we serve

PalmSHIELD provides nation wide sales and service with brick and mortal locations in the following communities: