Wooden Garden Fencing
Introduction
Attractive garden fences have been made for generations from locally grown timber. Increasingly many 'traditional' garden fence products are being imported, typically not making that fact clearly known! At the same time the full range of 'British' fencing products are more available than ever before. This leaflet describes the commoner traditional garden fence products available. Companion notes describe how to use them in the garden.
Wattle Hurdle Fencing
The classic rustic fence made from either hazel or willow. Excellent as a windbreak and screen. Well cared for they will last for ten years especially where the rustic charms of a gracefully ageing panel are appropriate. Sold in standard 6 foot wide panels of varying height. Some suppliers can arrange for fences to be woven insitu. Buy direct from the woodmen.
Sawn Panels
Thin strips of sawn wood are woven or nailed to form standard 6-foot panels of varying form and height. Quick and easy to erect and a popular choice in many gardens where a solid affordable boundary screen is required. Strong, durable supporting posts are essential to help the fence withstand the wind with particularly windy locations best avoided. Widely available from local sawmill's.
Chestnut Fencing
Sweet chestnut is naturally durable and is the low maintenance long lasting fencing option that does not require the use of any harmful chemicals to stop it rotting. Common fencing options include cleft post and rail, suitable for fencing paddocks and fields, chestnut paling, a functional barrier of limited use in the garden, and standard sawn and round fencing products. Widely available in the South East of England.
Treated Softwood Fencing
A wide range of fencing products are relatively cheaply available made from softwood (conifer) timber, post and rail or wire, picket and trellis fences. Typically they have been treated with chemicals to reduce the rate of decay and benefit from regular retreatment with an appropriate preservative to ensure their longevity. Exterior wood stains or paint offer exciting possibilities to experiment with colour!
Oak fencing
The heartwood or inner part of oak trees is naturally durable and widely used for gates and fences. Relatively expensive it provides a naturally durable alternative to sawn softwood fences and in some areas attractive rustic cleft oak pale fences can be obtained.
Hedges
The most sustainable and long-lasting animal and child proof fence is a hedge of native shrubs. Trimming two or three times a year will keep it in good shape. In more spacious areas it can be periodically allowed to grow on for a few years and then laid used hazel stakes and rods to bind it tightly
THINGS TO REMEMBER
The law: In most situations planning permission will be required for any fence over 2m high or 1m high when adjacent to a highway. Other legal obligations can also commonly apply and should be checked.
Extras: Remember to include the cost of any extra bits you require when erecting a fence; these are often large in number and expensive. Sawn panels cost less than a wattle panel but the costs are about the same or even more when you include the extras required for the sawn panel.
Wind: On windy sites only use panels that allow some wind to pass through. This greatly reduces the chance of the fence being blow down or damaged by wind.
FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
The FSC is a world-wide non-profit organisation promoting the conservation of the worlds forests. They run an independent certification scheme to help consumers identify wood products from well managed sources. When you can not get a locally sourced product the FSC logo is the best guarantee of the environmental quality of the wood product you buy.
The Local Woodland Products Initiative is working to increase the use of sustainable woodland products in the garden. For more details contact Geoff Sinclair (Tel 01473 327 720) or Karen Kenny (Tel 01473 718874)