The many different types of garden fence materials that are available can make choosing the right one rather more complicated than you first thought!
Virtually any material can be to to use as a fence. What is more important is matching the material with the reason for the garden fence, the style and your budget. This article aims to help you understand the different types of gadren fence materials available and which might be best for your garden needs.
Garden Fences – Practical Reasons for Having Them
- privacy for you and your family
- security as the property fronts a busy thoroughfare or seldom used parkland
- to keep pets, particularly dogs, safely enclosed in the garden
- prevent deer and livestock from entering
- as a noise barrier
- as a windbreak
- to improve the look of your garden, perhaps because you want to sell the property
Generally speaking, there are differences in the requirements of an external boundary fence and a fence which subdivides your garden. But there are times when you only need a decorative fence in the front garden or a secure fence in the rear garden to keep rabbits out of the vegetable garden area.
Types of Garden Fence Materials – Timber
All wood used should be FSC certified. The FSC – the Forest Stewardship Council – is a non-profit organisation that sets high standards for forestry practices. The wood with an FSC certified label will have been grown and felled in an environmentally responsible manner. The FSC certification is considered the “gold standard” designation for wood harvested from forests that are responsibly managed, socially beneficial, environmentally conscious and economically viable.
Most softwood timber used for garden fences is either pressure treated or dipped in preservative before selling to the public.
Dip treated fencing is as it sounds. The panels (and it is usually panels) are dipped into a treatment bath. Although a fast way to treat wood, it does mean that the panels are only surface treated.
Pressure treated fencing is a more thorough process as the wood is impregnated with the preservative. This wood comes with a 10-15 year guarantee against rotting. However, cut ends should be treated with preservative.
Tanalised wood is the same as pressure treated; it’s a process or brand name.
Types of Wood and Timber used for Garden Fences
Hardwoods are from broadleaf deciduous trees. Temperate zones provide oak, chestnut, ash, London plane.
Softwoods are mainly sourced from conifers such as pine. Their timber is open grained. These are relatively fast-growing trees, providing an economical source of timber for garden fencing.
Both softwoods and hardwoods can be found as the following types of prepared or waste wood.
Sawn Wood
Softwood and hardwood cut timbers. Plain sawn softwood timber is the material you are most likely to find or be offered as garden fencing. Softwood is commonly used as it can easily be kiln dried.
Planed Wood
As above, but the timber surface has been planed to make it smooth. It may be planed all round, or only one surface. Often thought of as a more sophisticated finish at a reasonable price.
Greenwood aka Unseasoned wood and Seasoned wood
The difference between the two may be obvious. However, what may be less so, is that there are different methods of drying the wood which affect the overall price. Air-drying can take up to 9 months for hardwoods such as oak. Kiln drying of softwoods is a much quicker process and the one used for the mass production of timber for garden fencing.
Willow, Hazel, Bamboo
These are used in various fencing styles, depending, for example, on the diameter of the stem.
Brushwood
Small branches, including the twiggy bits. Used in two ways and seen as both a low-cost solution and an environmentally-friendly one, as it uses waste materials left over from timber felling and woodland management.
Types of Garden Fence Materials – Other Materials
Slate
No, I’m not crazy. In North Wales, around the slate quarries, slate fences are a common site. No reason they couldn’t be used elsewhere (see below for some ideas).
Composite
By composite, I mean material which is a mix of, for example, sawdust and resin. Similar to the composite used for decking. that is used for decking
UPVC, Plastic, Vinyl
These may be more solid, for boundary fencing, or less so, for use internally. Also as mesh for windbreaks.
Concrete
Not the prettiest of materials for a fence, when in its raw state. Generally used as a cheap option due to strength and low maintenance requirements.
Often used for gravel boards and posts even when the rest of the fence is made of wood.
Metal
Wrought iron, aluminium, steel being the main metals in question, although copper may also be used for decorative purposes.
At what point does a metal fence become railings? Tricky question and one with a degree of overlap dependant on the style of fence. Metal fences are also available as ‘look alike’ wooden panels.
Metal wire fences also take different forms. Everything from utilitarian chain-link to chic steel wire and post.
The Different Parts of Garden Fences
A skim through the more salient points. If you need more detailed help, perhaps with queries on a specification from landscapers, then please get in touch.
The particular style of fence and type of material will determine exactly what is needed, but all fences need posts! A weak post will lead to your fence falling over rather sooner than you expected! Think of the post as the supporting skeleton of the fence. The post must be the right size / width for the height and weight of fence. It should also be well secured into the ground. Fence posts are usually secured in the ground by concrete or a metal spike, and wooden fence posts generally have a cap on the top to aid longevity. Some concrete posts have slots down their length in order to slide in fence panels.
Gravel boards are found on certain styles of wooden fences. They protect the main part of the fence from being in contact with the soil. Wood and concrete are most often used, but metal and plastic types can also be found.
Horizontal rails, arris rails perform further structural support. Brackets help secure different parts together as this is stronger than just using nails.
Types of Garden Fence Materials – ongoing Maintenance
It is obvious that the different types of garden fence materials used will require various levels of ongoing maintenance and will have different lifespans. But it isn’t always obvious when you’re choosing between similar materials.
For example: –
- Dip treated wood is best treated straight away with a preservative that will soak in.
- Pressure treated wood does not have to be treated; although doing so prevents external cracking.
- Concrete has a similar life expectancy as pressure treated wood.
- Some plastic and vinyl fences will degrade when exposed to strong sunlight, reducing their usefulness.
It is advisable to check on the upkeep when particular fencing materials take your fancy, so that you’re prepared. Even coloured aluminium fencing, which is low maintenance, will still need checking annually for loose bolts and moving posts!
Hopefully among the different types of garden fence materials above, you’ve found something that is within your budget and meets your maintenance requirements. This has to be general, so if you would like specific help with garden fencing, please drop us an email. Next time, we’ll look at photos of garden fence styles available to find ideas that will work for you.
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