Services
Services
Gardens, Walls & Fencing Services
Warwickshire, UK
~ ARTICLES & ADVICE ~
Closeboard/Featherboard V Panels
When choosing a fence
type for your garden several considerations are needed
Cost
Looks and Aesthetics
Security
Life of Fence
Overall
Strength
Positioning
After Care & Maintenance
Examples of a
Typical 6 foot (1.8 metre) High Fence
Specifications
for a CloseBoard / Featherboard Fence
Closeboard and featherboard are the same thing, handy to know if you want to research this on the internet.
8 foot V notch posts are set
2 foot into the ground and encased in concrete normally posts are set 10 foot (3
metres) apart; the posts are 5” x 3” in dimension. Fitted to each bay
(a bay is the term for: The
space between one post and the next post)
are 3 supporting Arris rails and at the base a 6” Gravel board, the fence is
completed by a row of overlapping feather boards.
Specifications
for a Panelled Fence:
8 foot posts are set 2 foot
into the ground and encased in concrete normally posts are set 6 foot (1.8
meters) apart; the posts are 3” x 3” in dimension.
6 x6 foot (1.8 x 1.8 metres)
Panels are fitted between posts
Pros and Cons
Cost
Costs are similar, however there is a mis-conception that buying panels from your local diy store and erecting them yourself is highly cost effective.
Panels from these stores are often of a sub-standard quality and grossly over priced for what they are, not to mention fitting panels yourself often ends in disaster. I've lost count of the diy fence jobs i've had to come and sort out, usually resulting in having to buy new panels and all the other costs involved. Suddenly the cheap diy job has become costly!
Materials are more costly for closeboard, however fewer posts, less aggregate and far less digging of post holes tends to balance the cost on a fence run and they have a far longer life span.
Looks and Aesthetics
This
is purely down to
individualistic taste, consideration should be given to the contours of your
land as often a gradient will look more pleasing in Closeboard rather than large
stagers of panels.
Security
Close board is favoured by
Council Authorities and businesses due to a higher provision of security over
panelled fences and will give a higher level of security for your property.
Life of Fence
There are many qualities of panels, the cheap panels will only last around 7 years, IF you look after them, high quality panels may last 15 years or more; on average panels will require replacing every 10 to 12 years.
Closeboard fences are of a better quality with a usual life span of 25 to 30
years; if treated, longer if you look after them.
Overall Strength
Again some panels are far
stronger than others, this will carry a price premium, but on the whole they
tend not to fair well in strong winds. Closeboard is
very strong in construction and will be more resistant to impact damage, high
winds and general abuse.
Positioning
Closeboard fencing is FAR
more versatile than panels. You can follow gradients and contours, stager round
obstacles, set out posts to miss trees etc
After Care & Maintenance
Generally all fencing and fencing materials are pre-treated, so preservation of wood is not normally required after construction. However if a panel is damaged you will need a new panel to replace it and as panel styles often change, a perfect match is not always available!
With
closeboard, specifications in size and style do not
generally change and if a close board fence is damaged, normally this is a quick
fix by replacing one or two strips of board.
To Close..........
Panels can be highly decorative especially to the fronts of properties and if fitted correctly may last approx 7 years, they can be fitted with concrete posts and gravel boards for ease of change at a later date, however this will increase the initial costs.
Close board is a strong
and reliable form of fencing which will last a long time and if any repairs are
ever needed, the costs are lower than with panels.
We hope this
information may have been of some help as a guide line and would be pleased to
help further if we can.
