Garden Fencing
Fences are very popular as they are:
- Much cheaper to erect than a brick wall
- Much quicker also!
To make a fence stable, it must be fixed to posting. The most common type of posts are made of timber, concrete and sometimes metal. One way of installing posts is to use metal “skewers” which are hammered into the ground – though this is hard work to get aligned correctly.
I prefer posts to be bedded directly into the ground and then concreted in for stability – obviously, the taller the post, the deeper the concrete footing needs to be to hold it securely in place.
WARNING! Don’t have all the posts cemented in before attaching the panels, because you’ll find the panels won’t fit the gaps precisely. Go fence panel by fence panel!
Fence Panels
Panelled timber fencing comes in all sorts of styles:
- close-board
- larch lap
- picket
- trellis
are just a few!
Other types of fence don’t come “panelised” – these include:
- feathered edge
- bamboo
- rail
Panel-less fences take much longer to build as each piece of timber has to be dealt with separately.
I have also seen fences made out of trees that have been felled. If you watch an episode of River Cottage, you would have seen this being done by Hugh and a friend. This method also enables more light into your property (as you have felled trees to make the fences)…
Installing a Fence
The key requirements of a fence are that it should be vertical and straight. The best way to achieve straightness is by using a laser guide to mark out where you want the fence to run. If you do not have a laser guide, a taut piece of string attached to a ground peg either end will do just fine.
For getting fence panels vertical, you simply need to make sure that you install the fence posts absolutely true. For this, use time, patience and a good spirit level.
After-care
Be sure to treat your fence (assuming it’s wooden!) with a good preservative. You can find these at all garden centres and DIY shops. A good one is Cuprinol, for example.
To help prevent rot, leave a gap between the bottom of your new fence and the ground. The gap need only be an inch or so.
