Solid fencing is a standard garden fencing option. It isn’t the cheapest, it isn’t the most expensive but it is the most popular solution. It’s a tried and tested fencing type that provides great privacy with a solid, dependable look.

Solid fencing is characterised by a gap free barrier for your garden. There are no fancy curves or angles. It is just an arrangement of solid wood panels without break. They can slot into wooden or concrete posts or they may just be fixed horizontally by rails at the back.

The individual fence pieces are from single bits of timber. The sections can overlap or simply be up against one another forming a smooth surface.

The thickness of the wood provides a very strong barrier. Solid fencing is good against the rain, ageing and strong winds if fitted and maintained correctly.

Gravel boards sit below the fence and provide a barrier between the moist ground and your fence. Here is an example.

With gravel boards in place there is no chance of water and moisture on the ground sucking up into the porous wooden panels. Gravel boards can be made of concrete or wood. Concrete gravel boards will outlast the fence but do not have the premium look of wooden gravel boards. 

Gravel boards are not 100% necessary but for a relatively small upfront initial cost you are extending the life of the fence by quite a large margin.

If the fence is dropping down onto a flower bed, such as in the photo, a gravel board is highly recommended. Flower bed’s are watered and, as such, will be wetter than other areas of the garden. The same goes if you have a wild area of the garden or maybe if you are growing vegetables or fruit. More water = more fence damage without a gravel board.

We understand that sometimes people just need a shorter term, more cost effective option. There are many reasons that a better, longer lasting and more attractive product just isn’t the right tool for the job. Money might be tight, the property might just rented out or maybe you just need a short term fix. We can certainly still get the fence to fit the bill.

Overlap or lap fence panels are wooden framework panels in which slats are slid into. At the most cost effective end the slats are pretty thin lengths of wood but as you spend more the slats get more substantial. The finished article is a solid barrier that blocks sight and offers privacy. 

On the cheaper end the slats are more sleight than a solid fence panel they do generally need more maintenance. Strong winds can potentially detach or crack them. We will try to aid you in picking the right panels for your garden and budget. We will inform you of the care required after we leave and or potential pitfalls. 

Lap fence panels come in a variety of colours and can be treated and stained afterwards. The slats can be different width due to how they are cut so these panels lack the uniform look of solid panels.

Tell us that you are looking for some extra style or flourish in your garden and we can suggest some options. Add something a bit different to your look, a talking point, or something to lessen the heavy feeling of a broad solid fence panel. Here’s just a few of the options we can supply:

Woven Fencing

A pretty new style of fencing and one that’s proving popular. Strong pressure treated timber slats are pliable enough to be woven between vertical battens. The look is a very unique one and visible from both sides of the fence equally. 

The woven fence provides good privacy as the gaps do not provide a view through to the other side. The gaps do however allow wind to pass through to some extent. This pass-through is a useful side-effect as it means high winds are less likely to degrade or damage the panels.

Trellis

Trellis is criss-cross battens of wood that have a sizeable gap between them. This creates a square hole look. They can be used merely as a way to extend the barrier while keep an area feel light. Also, as a whole panel trellis is a popular way to encourage climbing plants to go skywards.

Hit And Miss

Hit and miss fence panels are a type of solid fencing panel. They are horizontal or vertical slats of wood that are placed alternately to block sight but allow a gap through the fence. 

It’s a unique, modern look that helps wind flow through. 

Capping Rails

Capping rails are nice final touch on a fencing install. A rail goes on top of the run of fence to really finish the upper part of the fence. It’s a pleasing aesthetic and packages the panels up in nice individual sections. A really tidy look to match a tidy garden.

We get asked this question a lot but it’s very difficult to give a helpful answer, sorry! I know someone saying “how long is a bit of string” is often infuriating but the answer is relevant in this case.

To give you some idea of the factors in play when pricing a fence installation I’ll go through some things come into the calculation. Firstly there is the most obvious factor, what fence product will be used. Higher fence panels will be of greater cost. And different styles can vary hugely in price. Some gardens have different styles within the same garden and if a customer wants artisan or decoration elements the cost will rise. Panels can be constructed using a variety of different wood too, again this will alter the cost.

Alongside the actual type of fence panels goes your choice of fence post. The factors at play here are simple. Wood posts are cheaper, easier to install and last less time but look nicer ( each to his/her own though! ). Extras that can be chosen at this point include kickboards and post caps. Kickboards ( gravel boards ) finish off the look of the bottom of panels and give it some protection against rising damp. Post caps look great and can also deter potential intruders.