Fence Blogs

Now is the time when we look outside and think that winter has arrived! At least with cold weather, we are free from shark attacks around the UK coastline! However, the cold, blustery weather means it is a good idea to make sure all your Garden Fencing is in the best position to get through the blustery winter period.

If you feel that your garden fence needs repairing, AVS Fencing supplies offers a fantastic Garden Fencing repair range. This  includes our concrete repair spurs and repair brackets which are perfect for adding extra sturdiness to your garden fence!

So act now before it’s too late, by either visiting our website, calling us or popping into one of our seven branches and talking directly to one of our knowledgeable branch advisors, who will be more than happy to help.

When you shop with AVS Garden Supplies, you can be sure that your garden fences will be 'jaw' droppingly fantastic!

According to our friends UK Net guide “Taking good care of a garden is key to enjoying it and a bit of do-it-yourself (DIY) is enough to keep it in tip top form”. So we are calling upon gardeners and householders to make preparations for the cold spell and get their gardens 'winter fit' to keep them in good shape over the cold months!

So do you want to keep your garden fence, decking or furniture protected this winter? Well if you do, come and see our fantastic ranges of Timber Stains which includes; Protek Safe and natural, Protek Wood Protector and Creosotes which are all perfect wood treatments.

So what are you waiting for? Come and see our fantastic wood treatments that enhance and protect your fence, decking or garden furniture to ensure it is in top condition, ready for next spring!

Unfortunately, the time has come during the year when plants start to disappear, so according to Shropshire star it has become quite evident “that it is a good time to replace, repair or erect your garden fencing”.

AVS Fencing Supplies understand how hard it has become to choose the correct fence at an affordable price. Well this is where we come in as we have a broad range of Closeboard Fence Panels, Lap Fence Panels and Decorative Fence Panels which are available in different colours and sizes. With this endless stock range of garden fence panels, we are confident that we will stock the perfect fence panel for your garden.

So what are you waiting for? Come and see our fantastic promotions and extensive ranges of Garden Fence Panels, which are of high quality timber, all at an affordable price! Do it now before the weather gets really cold – apparently this winter is looking like it's going to be another cold one. If you are not sure what to do, and how to do it – we have a team of experts at hand who are ready to help you. Click here to find out more.

AVS Fencing Supplies is proud to announce that we are having a Garden Fence Panel promotion running through the winter months.

Our fantastic promotion consists of our Closeboard Panel promotion which includes our 6x6 Closeboard Panel Pressure Treated (Green) and our 6x6 Closeboard Panel Dipped (Brown). Additionally our promotion includes our Lap Panel promotion on 6x6 Lap Panel Dipped (Brown & Gold) and Our 6x6 Lap Panel Pressure Treated (Green).

This isn’t all, as we have special offers on our Concrete post and Gravel board ranges which will go perfectly with your Closeboard or Lap Panel purchases.  

So what are you waiting for? Act now as this is a limited offer which will save you £££….. Get out there and enjoy the last of the sunshine rays!

Gardeners who wish to keep pests away from into their gardens and outdoor areas should consider embarking on a garden fencing project.

It has been suggested by Richard Poffenbauh, who writes for the Mansfield News Journal that wild animals are one of the main culprits for spoiling your prized crop of vegetables and your flower beds.

To overcome this problem, Richard advised purchasing Garden Fencing, which can either be electric fencing to keep the pests out with an intermittent shock, or traditional garden fencing, such as Lap Panels which can be used as a barrier.

Does your garden fall victim to wild animal behaviour?

Well if it does, now’s the time to buy garden fencing from AVS Fencing Supplies, as we have a fantastic range of Garden Fencing products including; Timber Fencing, Metal Fencing and Electric Fencing! If you've already got a garden fence – remember to protect it against our wild weather! We have a range of stains and creosotes to make sure your fencing is tough enough to stand up to anything!

With all the UK's wild weather and wild animals – it's lucky AVS Fencing is only a click away. So don’t wait, take a look at our range of fences and start geting that garden fence erected now!

It's official! House prices are still rising according to the latest monthly survey from the Nationwide building society.

Therefore, you may think that now is a good time to sell your house. And this means that you should present your home in its best possible light, because you only get one chance to make a first impression. Don't forget that the outside of your house is as important as the inside – it's all about kerb appeal!

How is your front garden looking? Is your palisade fencing looking a little worse for wear? Or perhaps your front garden gate?

If your back garden is looking untidy, why not make it look slick by installing some of our low cost fence panels and trellis. Remember you have to spend money to make money!

With the Easter weekend fast approaching now a is a great time to start planning the improvements that you can make to your garden over this extended weekend!
 
Does your garden fencing need an update or is it time to replace your old garden gate with a new one?
 
Or are you feeling really adventurous? Perhaps its time to introduce some raised garden beds for your plants or perhaps its time for a new decking area to help you relax through the summer?
 
What ever project you have mind now is a great time to purchase your materials from AVS Fencing Supplies.  We offer a massive product range of fence panels, fence posts, gates, decking boards and railway sleepers and what's more we currently have some fabulous special offers on concrete fence posts and Canterbury decking.
 
Please feel free to browse our website to find out more!

Happy Easter from AVS Fencing!

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.

What is a Panel Fence

A pre-made timber panel, of differing styles and qualities, that are fixed between two posts.

Types of Panel

Panels are available in 3 different colours, a light beige (pressure treated), gold (orange/brown) and dark brown which are dipped. Check stocks for the range at your branch.

The styles can be broken down into:

Lap Panels - A waney edged board, overlapped and fixed horizontally within a batten frame, described as fully framed – meaning they have timber around the outside edge. They also have vertical battens fixed across the face and back of the panel to strengthen the laps.

Close board Panels - A feather edge board, overlapped and fixed vertically on a heavier duty batten formation. Stronger than the lap panel, but not as strong as true closeboarding.

'The above are sold in 6ft widths, starting at 3ft high in 1ft increments, up to 6ft high.'

Continental Panels - A decorative panel, with different designs of infill and tops, with a limited range of heights.

'The above are sold in 1.8m widths and varying heights, these are all in the light beige colour only, fully pressure treated.'

Posts

All panels can either be put on timber posts or concrete slotted posts; it is purely the customer’s personal choice.

On softwood timber posts the options would be: 75 x 75mm 100 x 75mm 100 x 100mm

The panels would be fitted to these via met clips, a U shape bracket, or nails/screws fixed through the side batten, pre drilling is advised. The timber posts can either be concreted into the ground or met posts could be used. If they are being concreted in, the post should go into the ground a minimum of 600mm; if met posts are being used the post will be shorter.

The concrete post has a slot that runs down the complete length of the post, which allows the panel to slot into the post. This is fine on installation, but remember that if a panel needs replacing later on, the panel has to be lifted above the posts and slotted down, e.g. a 6ft high panel would need lifting 6ft in the air to replace.

The options available for slotted posts are: Intermediates Ends Corners

The corners and ends are not handed as the slot is central to the post.

The panels are not actually fixed to the concrete so just sit in the slot; this does mean that they can move around if the panel is thinner than the slot.

Wall Fixing

If the fence is adjoining any walls then a wall plate can be used, either a 100x 47mm or a 75 x 47mm, which is bolted to the wall using suitable fixings, such as thunderbolts, hammer fixings or coach screws; then the panel fixed to this.

Post Tops

The tops of the posts can be left flat, machined or a post cap with or without a finial can be fitted. The finials are commonly acorns or balls, but others are available, these are fitted via a double threaded screw.

Sloping Ground

Remember that if the ground is sloping with the fence line, longer posts will be required to allow for the extra height caused by the panel sitting off the ground. As the panel should always sit level and should never be buried at the high side.

Close Board fencing remains the most cost effective way to build a solid boundary that will stand the test of time. Close board can also be incorrectly described as ship lap or feather board fencing, but essentially these descriptions refer to the same type of construction.

Due to the versatile nature of the product it is important to bare in mind what size fence you would like to erect and whether you will require planning permission. Generally you can erect a fence of up to 1.95M high without planning permission, except where your fence is adjacent to a public highway. In this instance the fence can only be up to 1M high, before planning permission is required. (We recommend you seek advice from your local council before commencing work)

Whether you are using cant rails, arris rails, timber or concrete posts the basic erection process remains the same.

Installation

Close board fencing is a simple construction of posts, rails, gravel boards and featheredge. Posts should be a minimum of 100x100mm (4 x 4) section and concreted into the ground at a depth of approx 760mm (for taller fence variations) and the distance between the post centres should ideally not exceed 3.0M (10Ft). Rails are then fixed horizontally across the face of the posts; usually two rails are needed on 1.2M (4Ft) high featheredge and below, with three rails used on higher boundaries.

It is recommended but not essential to fit a gravel board at ground level between the posts. This serves to keep the featheredge from making contact with the ground, which will reduce future maintenance costs, because it is cheaper and easier to replace one gravel board rather than a large quantity of featheredge. The featheredge is then fitted vertically on to the front of the rails with a minimum of 25mm (1 inch) overlap.

Tip: To increase the life span of this fence you can erect it using concrete posts and gravel boards. Due to the long life expectancy of these products future costs of replacing the timber components will be considerably lower, because only the rails and featheredge will need replacing.

Versatility & Benefits

Because this particular style of fencing is constructed with individual pieces it is very versatile and offers many benefits.
1. Close board is ideal for constructing a fence on sloping ground because gravel boards and rails can be fixed at an angle and then the featheredge can follow this level as required
2. Close board has the benefit of being easy to repair. Should any featheredge start to show the ravishes of time, it is a quick and inexpensive process to replace the boards
3. All materials that go into making this type of perimeter fencing are pressure treated, so that the longevity of the timber is at an absolute maximum
4. If constructed correctly it is strong and long lasting
5. Close board is commonly found in both green and brown as standard, making it far more versatile than most boundary options
6. Close board can be used to make a fence of virtually any height
7. Close board is suitable for front and back gardens, as well as commercial use

Maintenance

Timber is a living product and given enough time it will degrade. To get the best possible life span from the product it is recommend that the timber is treated every 2 – 3 years. This is best undertaken with a solvent based treatment during the summer months, so that it can soak into the dry wood.

Help & Advice

If you are interested in erecting close board fencing at your property, please get in touch with your local branch. Our specialists will be happy to offer help and advice and can provide you with a free quote for supply of all relevant materials.

Gravel Boards

These are not only used for their ability to increase the height of the fence, but they are also used to prevent the panel from coming into contact with the ground; thus helping prolong the life of the panel.

They can also be used to fill the gaps beneath panels caused by steeping and inconsistencies in the ground level.

Timber Gravel Boards

Timber gravel boards are fixed to the timber post using cleats, which means it is unnecessary to use any fixings between the panels and gravel boards. Remember that if continental panels are used, then the standard 6ft gravel board is going to be too long and must be cut prior to installation.

Concrete Gravel Boards

In the instance of concrete gravel boards they can be used to retain light soil, as they are stronger and will not rot like timber; these slot into the concrete post. They are available in both 150mm and 300mm high. If these boards are used with continental panels, fillets would need to be used to increase the width of the panel.

Cutting Panels

As most gardens will not be exactly divisible by the panel width, it may be necessary to cut a panel to fit. It is easily achievable on lap and close board panels, but not so with continental panels, as the framing is jointed in the corners.

To cut a lap panel down, the battens are removed from one end of the panel and fixed into a similar position at the required width; so the cutting of horizontal battens is required. Once fitted the excess laps can be cut off.

Installing Panelled Fence Using Concrete

If concreting in, set the first post and measure out for your second hole and excavate. Once at the desired depth, fix the panel in place and fix the second post to it, checking for level and line. Once happy with the position concrete the second post in and then carry on the process until the fence is complete. Remember depending on the method of concreting used, it may be necessary to put temporary props on the fence to allow the concrete to set.

Note: If the fence is on a slope it is easier to start at the top of the slope, to ensure you get the height of the posts correct.

Help & Advice

For further help & advice please feel free to phone our fencing specialists at your local branch. They will be happy to answer your questions & provide you with a free quote for your materials.