Close Board Fencing Guide: How To Install Close Board Fences
Close board fencing is probably the strongest and most secure type of wooden fence available on the UK market. It is most certainly one of the best types of fence that you can put up.
This is because of the heavy duty materials that are used in the construction and the way the boards are attached to the posts. It is a fence that is built to last, and offers great privacy and security to your garden and home.
We should point out that this is not a cheap option, and is mainly used for security and privacy. It also looks really well and ideally should be erected by professionals.
If however, you are good at DIY, then this type of fencing is easy enough to erect, but does require quite a bit of work and some know how.
Advantages of Close Board Fencing
Security
These fences are probably one of the most secure types of fence you can get. They will cordon off any area very well and can be made to any height without a problem.
The robust structure of them means that they are very hard to break and as you can’t easily see through them your property will be safer from prying eyes.
Privacy
You can make your garden area totally private with a closed board fence. There are no gaps whatsoever in this type of fence so no one can see through.
Also a 6 or 8 foot fence in this style is very common so no one will be able to see over the fence either. The height does of course depend on your own preference.
There may however be height restrictions imposed by UK local councils so you should check those out before buying any boards or posts.
Strength
As I have said, these closed board fences are about as strong as you can get. You won’t have to worry about strong winds or severe weather as these fences are built to withstand whatever is thrown at them.
They are also good at keeping children and animals inside the fenced area and both will find it hard to damage this type of fence in any way.
Tips for Buying Close Board Fencing
The number one thing you need to look at when buying one of these types of fence is the warranty given with it. I would suggest you go for as long a warranty as possible.
We have seen 25 year guarantees available and if this is within you budget at all, I would suggest you go for this. It will mean that you should not get any rot at all.
Even though you may get a long warranty, this type of fence will still require regular maintenance so you need to be prepared to treat, stain or varnish every couple of years to keep the fence looking at its best.
There are some good 5 year products on the market so I suggest you should use one of them. All in all I would say that this type of close board fencing is the most popular and the best and I would recommend it for virtually any use.
How To Install Close Board Fencing?
Close Board Posts and Positioning
Posts are usually 100 mm x 100 mm, can be wood or concrete and are set at 2 metre – 3 metre intervals to a depth of at least 500 mm. They are normally concreted in to position to give a really strong base and additional support spurs can be used to strengthen the posts if required.
Quick drying mortar is the best option for doing this type of work.
In most cases spurs are not needed. I would also recommend using quick drying concrete to set the posts and always make sure they are aligned and check this with a long spirit level.
Horizontal Rails
Horizontal rails are then attached to the posts. Two or three rails are used normally and this aids the strength of the fence.
How To Construct Close Board Fences
This construction style provides an extremely strong frame which will withstand strong winds and bad weather.
You can then attach single boards to this frame or full panels which can easily be bought in any style you want.
I prefer the single boards but many people are happy to use the panels, especially if it’s a long fence. The single panels can be tricky to line up but I always think they are a better job. You do however usually find that panels will work out cheaper, especially if you are buying in bulk.
Our recommendation is always to go to somewhere like a timber yard for a few reasons:
- You get much better and more accurate advice
- You get a much wider range of different quality boards and fences
- You almost always get better prices and better delivery options
You will be able to find fences and panels in stores like B&Q, and those are handy for small jobs. They are not a good choice though for doing bigger jobs as stock and delivery are a problem.
Making Your Own Close Board Fences
People often wonder is it better to buy the close board panel fences, or to make your own using boards. By buying the panels it will be faster for sure and most likely more expensive. If you buy the boards and do this yourself, then it will be cheaper but it will take you a great deal longer.
Planning Your Fence
All successful projects will start with a good plan. It really is worth taking your time and getting this right. It will save you time, money and frustration if you plan the fence out.
Take measurements and always measure twice. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Sketch out a plan and ideally make that to scale. You can then work our panel sizes and also figure out how many posts you need, and where you need to position them.
We would also recommend having a look at another fence similar to the one that you would like to have. You can then see how this was constructed and put together. Have a look at how the posts are placed, how they were put into the ground and how the panels have been bolted or screwed on.
