Choosing the right fence

Do you need planning permission for a fence?

Before we get into the fun stuff of choosing the right fencing for you, there are one or two less interesting but important things to consider. Do you need planning permission and is the fence you want to build actually your responsibility? Both of these questions are normally easy to answer.

In the UK, you do not need planning permission for a fence that is less than 2m (6ft 6in) high. This means that most of our fence panels can be put up without planning permission. If you choose one of our 1.838m (6Ft) fence panels with a 300mm Concrete Gravel Board it will push your fence over the 2m height limit. So you may need to consider planning permission or a smaller fence panel.

The question of who is responsible for the fence between your property and the next is not something that we can answer for you. You might be able to find out in the title plans for your house. Along each boundary, there should be a T mark on one side of the boundary. That T indicates which property is responsible for the fence along the boundary. In some cases, it may not be marked but either way, it is always best for neighbourly relations if you discuss it with your neighbours before going ahead. We are sure once they know it is a Walford Timber fence they will be thrilled.

What is your fence for?

The answer to this question might seem obvious to you, but there is more to a fence than separating your property from your neighbours or keeping livestock in or out. When thinking about your fence there are a few things to consider. Is it for protection, to make your space look better, is it there to keep animals in or out or to provide a safety barrier around a pond or swimming pool?

Protection

Your fence can protect you from intruders, prying eyes, sun or wind. When choosing a fence for protection, you should probably consider the height of the fence. Make sure that it completely stops people from being able to look into your property. We recommend our Closeboard Panels, our Tongue and Groove Flat Top Panel and our Lap Panel. The Lap Panel is the most popular fence panel in the UK. All of these fence panels can be fitted with either timber or concrete fence posts so that you can get the desired look.

Another option for security is Closeboard fencing. Made out of posts, rails and feather edged boards, Closeboard fencing looks very similar to Closeboard Panels. The main difference is that on one side it provides an unbroken run of fencing as the posts are hidden behind the feather edged boards. On the other side, you can normally see the rails, although some people choose to apply feather edged boards to both sides for neatness. Note, if you are going to do this, choose flat rails, not Arris rails.

Great looking fencing

We think that all of our fences are beautiful in their own way, but you should consider what sort of look you are trying to achieve with your fence. Are you trying to hide something unsightly (possibly your next-door neighbours, you know the ones who like to sunbathe naked), or should it enhance the view whilst also defining the boundary of your property.

If your aim is to provide privacy or hide something unsightly, we recommend Closeboard, Lap, Interwoven, Square Horizontal, or Tongue and Groove Flat Top Panels. Each one will provide a complete barrier and all look subtly different to enable you to create the look you want. You could also consider Closeboard Fencing which is also great if your fence needs to be an awkward shape or length of fence. These options are great if you also want to provide some shade in a sunny garden.

We have a few great options if you wanted to provide a division between properties without blocking the view. Trellis panels are a great way to provide some separation without blocking the view and have the added benefit of letting a lot of light through. Post and rail, stake and rail or Palisade fencing are also good options.

Palisade fencing, also known as picket or cottage fencing, comes both as panels and as individual pales which can be applied to a post and rail fence. The pales are available as round top, pointed top or flat top. Remember, all of our fencing comes pressure treated and guaranteed for ten years so you can be confident that they will continue to look great for years to come.

Livestock

Keeping livestock and wild animals where they are meant to be is an important role of a fence. If you are trying to keep livestock in or out of your property, we recommend post and rail, stake and rail or a post and wire option which could be barbed wire or stock fencing.

Our most popular post and rail options are pressure treated but we also offer creosoted posts, stakes and rails if that is better for your needs. Barbed wire can be good as a temporary fence, above stock fencing or to supplement a post and rail fence. It is a cost-effective way to provide large areas of fencing.

Keeping wildlife out of your garden can also be important depending on where you live. To keep deer out of your lettuces whilst not causing too much shade, we recommend posts and two runs of stock fencing one on top of the other to give you a 1.6m high fence that will keep even the most athletic deer out.

Securing ponds and swimming pools

Picket fencing is both attractive and versatile, we recommend it to secure a pond or swimming pool. It will also ensure that access to your pond or swimming pool is restricted to people who can open or even unlock the gate.

Other considerations

Gates

When planning your new fence, don’t forget to think about where your gate will go, and what sort of gate you would like. We have a large range of wooden gates which offer solutions for all types of fence. We have field gates for post and rail fences, pedestrian gates, and gates that complement all of our fence panels. If you do not need a gate, but want to completely hide something, why not use several offset fence panels to restrict view but without the need for a gate.

Gravel Boards

We’d advise that all of our fence panels are at least 50mm above the ground to ensure that they last well past their ten-year guarantee. We recommend using a gravel board under the panel to maintain security, and keep your fence looking great. We have both treated timber gravel boards and concrete gravel boards. Note: concrete gravel boards can only be used with concrete posts.

Finishing off your fence

As you would expect from Walford Timber, we have everything you need from postcrete to gate hardware and fittings. If you want that extra touch of style, don’t forget our post caps and finials that really finish your fence off beautifully and help protect it from the elements.

There you have it, everything you need to know about choosing the right fencing. Don’t want to fit it yourself? Our Installer Network can help. Get in touch and we’ll put you in contact with one of our experts.