Fencing Buying Buying Guide
As well as providing your home with privacy and security, your fencing is also plays a major part in your home's overall visual appearance. Whether you are looking for fencing for your back garden or your front garden, or something to mark out different areas within a garden, there are many different possibilities.
Fencing comes in a variety of styles, and there are also various height options. The Sheds.co.uk Fencing Buying Guide aims to answer your questions and help you to choose the ideal fencing for your home.
What are the Different Types of Fencing?
The Sheds.co.uk range includes a selection of some of the most popular types of fencing panels, as well as fence posts and gates.
Lap Fencing
This is the UK's most popular type of fencing panel, and it is also known as a waney lap or waney edge fencing. It uses overlapping horizontal timbers to create a panel without gaps or holes. Perfect for use in back gardens.
Picket Fencing
Ideal for front gardens, and available with flat or rounded tops, picket fencing is great as a fence that both marks out a border and welcomes visitors to your home.
Hit & Miss Fencing
With alternating timbers at the front and back, this type of panel makes an interesting alternative to standard lap fencing. Suitable for either front or back gardens, it is available in both horizontal and vertical constructions.
Feather Edge Fencing
Offering an attractive and sleek design, feather edge fencing is a very popular choice with homeowners. Feather edge fencing is made with vertical overlapping timbers and available with flat or curved tops.
Trellis Fencing
This most decorative of fencing panel types is available in diamond lattice patterns and with straight, curved and wavy tops. Excellent for marking out different areas in a garden, such as vegetable patches and patios.
How Many Panels and Posts Do I Need?
In the majority of cases, fencing panels are 6' feet wide (1.8m). To find out how many panels you need, measure the length of the boundary in feet and divide that number by six. So a boundary that is sixty foot long will require ten panels (if you're measuring in metres, divide the total by 1.8 instead). For the posts, make sure you have one more post than there are panels, this way you will enough posts for both ends of the fence.
How High is a Garden Fence?
There is a variety of heights of fencing panels available. The height options for ready made wooden panels for sale at Sheds.co.uk include 3' (91cm), 4' (122cm), 5' (152cm) and 6' (183cm). If your fence is a boundary between two back gardens, and you require any degree of privacy, it is advisable to choose 6' high fencing panels. The smaller panels are an excellent choice for marking out areas within a garden, and for use in front gardens.
Remember, if you are using wooden fence posts, they will need to be longer than the panels are high, as they will be sunk into the ground. So, for panels that are 6' high, you should use 8'-long posts.
What Else Will I Need?
Gravel panels are an excellent way to keep your fencing panels protected from water damage such as splash back and rising damp. They connect to the bottom panel and sit inconspicuously at the foot of the fence. The good thing about gravel panels is that should they become damaged themselves, they are easy and inexpensive to replace.
If you don't want to go through the hassle and expense of laying concrete at the base of your fence posts, there are a number of great products you can use instead, including fence spikes, post drives and post shoes. These will provide your fence with just as much strength, sturdiness and rigidity. If you are using metal spikes as supports, make sure they will not be placed anywhere near water pipes or power cables.
What are the Advantages of Pressure Treated Wood?
Pressure treatment consists of putting the timber through a vacuum and then forcing preservatives deep into the wood. The result is timber that is protected from decay and wood rot for the long term, which means that it won't need to be treated every year. So, if you want to save yourself the time, effort and money of having your entire fence treated each and every year, you are well advised to choose pressure treated wood for your garden fencing.
Who's Responsible for my Fencing?
As a boundary between two properties, it isn't always easy to know which homeowner is responsible for the fencing. The way to find out for sure is to check the property's title deeds (a copy will be available from the Land Registry). On the plan there will be T marks along one side of the fence: this is the property that has the responsibility of providing and maintaining the fence.
Does planning permission apply to garden fencing?
In most cases, planning permission is not required to erect a garden fence. If you want to install a fence that is over two metres tall, or if you are planning a fence over 1 metre tall that will be next to a road, planning permission will be required. There are also restrictions concerning listed buildings and properties on designated land. Check with your local council, or the government's Planning Portal website for more details.