Replacing garden fence and posts

[Merlin5]

Hi guys. Before I hire a rotivator to turn the soil and get a new lawn down, I need to repair most of my fence. The posts are leaning, cracked, and two fences went down in the storms a while back.

It's too difficult and time consuming for me to attempt, I'd balls it up frankly. My builder (who did a load of work for me in 2012 so he's quite good) just came round and quoted me £500 labour, plus it'll be £290 for 4 new 5'x 6' fence panels, 7 slotted concrete posts and cement. So that's about £800 all told. More than I realised it would cost tbh.



Shall I go ahead with that quote? I just rang a handyman who reckons £500 is a good price, so should I not expect to find anyone to do it cheaper, and if I do, that they may do a bad job?

 

[Bangers123]

Thats two days work max. So £500 isnt far off assuming he takes the old fence away with him.

 

[Merlin5]

Thats two days work max. So £500 isnt far off assuming he takes the old fence away with him.

Yeah, he'll be taking all the old stuff away, posts and panels.

Would it look a bit rubbish not replacing all the panels? There's actually 10 in total, only 6 and a bit in view in my photo. The posts not in view are in decent condition and don't need replacing. So if I were to buy 6 more panels, (another £120 bringing me up to £910) I should be able to just slide the old ones up and out and slide the new ones in, right?

 

[Bangers123]

Personaly id replace the lot, if money was no object.

But as you say the new panels should be the same width and slot into the posts.

 

[Andyc84]

Fully agree with Bangers,

But this will raise the labour cost. If there are 10 pannels, I assume this equates to 11 posts.

You clearly know the cost of the pannels and posts, that will tell you the cost for the concrete, and you can now see the chaps daily rate, which seems reasonable to me. for what is a fairly labour intensive job, shifting those old posts and replacing with new is hard work.

You also have experience of his workmanship and have said he is good, is that not worth the cost?

 

[Andyc84]

I would also suggest that if your existing posts are leaning like they are, then they were not put deep enough into the ground in the first place.

make sure your new ones are at the very least 25% in the ground, i.e. a 6 foot fence will have 2 foot in the ground.

 

[Merlin5]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the tips, and you're right, they obviously weren't put deep enough into the ground.

Yep, I'm happy to use my builder. I have just one further question for now.

Some people have told me to get a fence professional, not a builder. Now that will definitely push the cost through the roof. I know a fence professional will do a lovely job, but since I'm intending to sell this flat within a year or so, do I really need to get a fence professional or shall I just stick with my builder? I'm assuming my builder will do a decent enough job if not as perfect as a fencer.

Also, I'm going to buy these panels. I'm aware Wickes don't have the greatest quality, but they should be ok?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Overlap-Fence-Panel-1-8mx1-5m-Autumn-Gold/p/540052

Concrete slotted posts will also be from Wickes.

 

[Andyc84]

I wouldn't worry about using a professional, as long as your builder can measure, use a level, dig a hole and mix concrete then he will be fine.

Wickes don't have the best quality panels, but their posts are sometimes worse, they have a stack of broken ones in my local branch, and its where the concrete has blown clean off like your old ones have done along the slot.

Try a fencing supplier for them, they will cost a bit more but should last a lot longer.

Panels like those don't last that long, which is why they are so cheap, if you are looking for them to still be around in a year though you should be ok.

You want something that will last two years if you are selling on so no need to go overboard with quality.

 

[Merlin5]

Great stuff, thanks. I'll get onto my builder then.

 

[Merlin5]

Job done. Here's a picture log. They did it all in one day. I have to say, for £500 labour, they did a very good job imo. They intentionally alternated each panel (pattern wise). I asked them why and they said they always do it like that, and it also adds strength. Don't know what you guys think. Looks fine to me anyway.

http://postimg.org/gallery/61m9dqku/

Pic 1 and 2 was the old fence and posts. From pic 15, some of the new fences have been slid into existing posts that didn't need replacing.
Before putting a new lawn down, I'm going to jetwash the gravel boards, then paint the panels.

What do you recommend as preservative? I'm thinking of ronseal fencelife one coat?

Would 10 litres cover both sides of each panel (there's 10 panels) and do I need to bother with the neighbours side or shall I just paint my side? But then I suppose if it's meant to protect then I'd be defeating the object perhaps.

I was considering getting a fence paint sprayer, but maybe I should just use a brush, as spraying means masking posts and concrete.

 

[skotl]

Looks good, and cheers for posting the results - the majority of questions asked on here just seem to fizzle out so it's good to see the outcome for other people to search for, in the future.

Also good to see that you're happy with the quote - looks like they worked hard for their £500 and it's amazing how many people think that a price is good before the work is done, and then suddenly decide they were ripped off if the job is finished faster than they had anticipated (when normally, finishing quickly should be a positive ).

Re the Ronseal, it states 6 m2 per litre, which always tends to be a little optimistic - assume 4 m2 per litre.
Screwfix are doing 9L for a tenner so that sould be good for 36m2. Divide your panels into that (remember there are two sides to each panel!) to figure out how much you'll need.


Edit: Just re-read your post and you say your panels are 5ft x 6ft, so a little under 4m2 each side, or 8m2 for a whole panel. So that 9L tub should do around five complete panels.

 

[Merlin5]

Thanks skotl, thats pretty cheap at £10 for 9L. From your estimation, I should buy 2 x 9L buckets.

I'm wondering though if I need to treat them straight away, or in a year from now? Wouldn't they come pre-treated (from Lawsons)? I recall Lawsons saying they need to be treated each year.

Does ronseal fencelife actually preserve wood by repelling water and woodlice, etc in the same way that other wood preservatives like creosote did or is it just for aesthetics?

Spent the afternoon weighing down my poor car making several trips to the tip with heavy bagged and loose rubble from the old fence posts that were removed. There's still half a dozen bits of post left which I'll take on wednesday. Then I spent the rest of the time karate kicking 6 old fence panels in order to get them in the car on wednesday.

http://postimg.org/gallery/a55ujofy/

 

[skotl]

You should definitely treat them with something like that Ronseal.

If they are pressure-treated then that beats off the insects and will offer *some* protection to the weather, but not much. Definitely best to treat them as early in their life as possible.