Building a 6ft fence in the garden

[maplegardenservices1]

This summer I will be replacing the concrete slotted posts at the back of my house which have spalled and crumbled. Some have tilted so that the laps blow out in high winds.

They last a lifetime. Who posted that... a hamster?

Masonry paint FTW!!!8)

Stops the water from soaking in that causes spalling and crumbling and makes the posts look cool if you get the right color.

 

[bludger]

As an alternative, construct a trellis fence to about four feet and plant quickgrowing shrubs along it. I used Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) for just this purpose three years ago and the tallest plants are already 6 feet high. In five years you could have the screen you need.

I used treated, round 3" poles for uprights and roof lathing, at 8" square spacing, for the trellis itself . The lathing is pretreated. The fence is windproof for obvious reasons. I found this to be the cheapest way of getting what I wanted.

I have a fence exactly as I have desribed elsewhere in the garden and it's been there for over ten years. It's still sound but if the poles do rot off it won't create gaps. Screw the laths to the posts and to each other for easy changeability in the future.

 

[Arthur2shedsJackson]

Oh and no matter what way you choose remember to use gravel boards.

Could I just ask please why always use gravel boards whatever the method ? do they strengthen up the structure ?

Kreighammer - I have used tanalised wooden post, 100 x 100 on my back garden fence and they have been in for 14 years now without problem ( touch wood ), although I have painted them 2 or 3 times. The fence to the left of my back garden is constructed exactly the same and is now 23 years old as it was installed by the house builders and it is also still in good condition.
That one belongs to my neighbour and has never seen a coat of treatment in all that time, so I have no problem with wooden posts.

 

[maplegardenservices1]

Oh and no matter what way you choose remember to use gravel boards.

Could I just ask please why always use gravel boards whatever the method ? do they strengthen up the structure ?

The parts of a fence that always rot first and rot extremely fast are the parts touching the ground and just below the surface because they stay wet a lot longer etc, its the same reason why timber posts always rot and eventually snap at the bottom if you think about it..

So even a 6 inch timber gravel board touching the ground instead of your fence panel or FE boards means when it rots you just pull it off and replace it with another for at most about £1.00 per meter instead of £15-£25 to replace a entire panel or FE boards because the bottom of them are rotted to hell.

It is also quick and easy to do compared to replacing the panels or boards and you only have a few boards to get rid of instead of a load of half rotted panels.

Even 6 inch concrete gravel boards are only around £6 each and they are 6ft long and slide into slotted posts, you can use them with timber posts but you will need fencing brackets on timber.