AVS Blog Archive for August 2009

The Met Office have not yet predicted the UK weather for autumn/winter 2009, but even if they did – would we believe them after the barbeque summer we were meant to have? The main threat to your fence is the winter storms which normally begin with gales in October - remember 1997? The taller and more exposed your fence is – the more at risk of damage your fence is.

What can happen to my fence? Normally one of three things ... Your fence posts can break usually at ground level this normally affects timber fence posts or become loose in the ground and sometimes the fence panel can be damaged.

To answer the question, we recommend walking the fence line whilst doing the following:

1. First, look for signs of rot at the bottom of the fence posts and try wobbling the fence post backwards and forwards. Beware! Some posts may break, but at least you will not get a sudden surprise on a cold wet winters morning. This will also detect posts that are loose in the ground.
   
   
2. Inspect the Fence Panels for signs of rot of damage or if you have closeboard fencing, check the ends of the rails join firmly with the post specially the top rail.

For further information on fencing, please call our sales team on: 01403 740200.

Whether your fencing is for domestic or commerical purposes, most fence posts require concreting into the ground to prevent the wind loosening the fence post. Ready mix post mix is dry ready mix concrete in a bag. It is really easy to use, just tip it in the hole around the fence post and add water – job done simple as that! No messing around and no need to premix in the wheelbarrow or on a board.

What’s more the post mix is made from rapid hardening cement that goes off faster than conventional concrete meaning your fence is very soon safe and can’t be damaged by the wind during erection.

What is the other option? Buy ballast (a mix of pebbles and sand) and to mix this up firstly with cement powder and secondly with water to produce concrete which is added wet to the fence post hole.

Interesting Fact: Did you know that the Romans invented concrete, which when fused with their engineering expertise, allowed for the creation of villas, temples, towns, baths, walls, roads – the list is endless. So next time you think about Ready Mix Post Mixing your fence post – the Vatican City isn't that far away!

Met Post is the leading brand of metal fence post bases. The most common style used is a spike which is the type we discuss here. The purpose of these fencing accessories is to secure your timber fence post into the ground without having to dig a hole or using concrete to backfill it. Sounds great doesn’t it, so what are the pro’s and con’s?

Pro’s

• Met Posts are easy to install. They are simply bashed into the ground with a large hammer.
• There is no fence post hole to dig

Con’s

• If the ground is to hard or stony, the Met posts are hard to bash in straight and you would possibly need to dig out any obstructions
• If the ground is too soft they give insufficient support to the fence post. Similarly on exposed sites they may not hold the fence post firmly in the ground. Therefore you would need the longer spike.

AVS now stock a direct alternative to the met post called the fencemate. So if you have a new fence to erect, visit our website by clicking here. Don't forget, we also sell a great range of decking, railway sleepers, gates, mesh wire, ironmongery fixings, and fencing aggregates.

What does the colour of your fence say about you? It says that you care about your wallet and the planet, as well as your fashion sense. Remember the good old days of Ground Force? We can't promise you Charlie Dimmock, Tommy Walsh or Alan Titchmarsh! However, we can promise that if you go for a coloured treated fence, you will save money as the fence will last for years longer.

Our fences are dipped (immersed) in treatment producing 2 colours. Brown now most popular – gold less popular now – although fashions do change! Our third treatment option is pressure treating. The side effect of this is an attractive natural light brown wood colour. Very now ...

Closeboard fencing, also known as feather edge fencing) is available in two options: brown or green – both are created as part of the pressure treatment process. Brown is a dark brown and
green is actually a light beige brown with (at times) a slight greenish twinge from the copper used in our special treatment.

Fence posts also come in the same treaments and finishes as closeboard fencing.

TOP TIP: Use Green colour if you want to re-treat or paint a different colour.