Where do you start when you are thinking of creating a new fence for your garden? Of course, timber fences are made up of many pieces of wood so you could build one completely from scratch if you had the time, expertise and budget.
The solution to creating a fence that looks great and is easy to install is to use premade fence panels. Fence panels come in a variety of sizes and styles so that you can choose whether you want a fence that is practical, robust and most cost effective, or a stunning feature for your garden. With a bit of creativity, you can combine styles to use decorative panels where they show and plainer ones where they are likely to be hidden by planting or other garden structures.
What size are fence panels?
Before you plan your fence, it’s a good idea to think about the size of the panels. Often there are neighbours with fences that you may be able to visit to see how it feels in their garden.
If your garden slopes up or down, this will affect your perception of the fence when you are close to the house.
Fences of only 1ft – 4ft are really boundary or decorative fences. They mark your territory and look nice but are not designed for security or privacy. When choosing a short fence, there are many ways of varying the height including installing onto a dwarf wall.
If you want privacy around the front door or patio, you can use a high fence and then a transition panel to meet a lower fence. This can give the best of both worlds.
Most fence posts and panels can be thought of in feet. 1ft, 2ft, 3ft, 4ft, 5 ft and 6ft. This translates as roughly 1830mm, 1520mm, 1220mm, 910mm, 600mm, 300mm. Where exact size is critical always check. You can call us if you’re in the planning phase and we will check for you.
Some of the decorative fence posts are 1800 wide so you would need a batton if you were using a standard 1830 cement gravel board.
The highest standard panel height is 6ft because planning permission is usually required for fences over 2 metres high. This will allow for a 1.83m fence and a gravel board without need of permission.
Remember that if standard sizes don’t work for you, we also manufacture bespoke sizes. Pop in and see us at our Garden Fence and Landscaping Centre near Asda in Gosport or give us a call on 02392 50 30 10
What are the cheapest fence panels?
For a cost effective fence that will last a long time, choose a lap panel board with concrete posts and concrete gravel boards. Although these could arguably be called the plainest of fences, timber has a beauty of it’s own. Create feature areas with planting. Timber fences can also be painted or stained. Left alone over time the colours change and fade depending on the wood and the treatment. This variation alone can be quite attractive.
Lap panel fencing is the most common form of fencing in the UK, but economy doesn’t mean a reduction in quality. Our Superlap panels are one of the most robust on the market, and Lap panels remain the industry standard on new housing developments. It is the most popular traditional flat top fence panel and can be used in any location, offering complete privacy screening. The nature of its construction makes this panel excellent value for money. Adding a trellis on top adds a decorative touch too.
The image shown here has concrete posts and gravel boards but you can choose timber if you prefer.
Decorative fence panels.
The images below are for some our most popular fence panels. Now that you have started to think about fences, you will start noticing them as you go about your normal day. Take photos of any that appeal to you. You may also like our article – Decorative Fence Panels.
How are fence panels fixed?
Once you’ve chosen your fence panel, you will decide on the type of post. This is likely to be concrete or timber. Concrete posts have slots in them for the panel to fit in to. Wooden posts require a fence panel bracket. When you order your fencing materials, we can advise to make sure you choose the right height post. You need to consider, the height of the panel,the gravel board, any additional trellis that adds to the height of the fence and how much of the post goes below ground.
Choosing a gravel board.
If the bottom of your fence does not sit on concrete or any type of wal, you will need something to protect it from the wetness of the soil. Some people install fences and fix them with a gap above the ground but for many reasons, it is better to use a gravel board. A gap reduces the sound insulation that a fence gives and of course means that small aniumals and children can get in and out under the fence.
The most popular choices are concrete or timber. In this image, you can see that two gravel boards are used. This has been done to increase the height for privacy on a housing estate. You wouldn’t need to to use two gravel boards for protection.
Most gravel boards will be hidden by planting but if yours will be on display, you may wish to choose more decorative gravel boards.
At Solent Fencing, we have a wealth of experience that we are happy to share with our trade and retail customers. Pop in and see us at our Gosport Fencing and Aggregates Centre near Asda.
