Get into gardening

Protect your garden and all your hard work by building a fence. They’re easy to put up and make your outside space look really nice and tidy. The colour and style you choose depends on the size of your garden and taste, but here’s a step-by-step guide to help:

1. Choose your style of fence

Before you can build anything you need to decide on what look you’re going for. Fences come in all shapes and sizes – here are some of your choices:

Closeboard fencing. Made up of overlapping vertical boards of timber, this is the strongest and heaviest panel available. It offers complete privacy and is great for boundary fencing.

Overlap fencing. Similar to closebaord except the timber boards overlaps horizontally. It’s an economical choice, but still offers great levels of privacy.

Pallisade. This is a traditional picket style fence that offers a bit of visibility, while still being good for security.

Trellis. This style is really flexible, it can be used on its own as open screen fencing, or as a decorative panel on top of solid fence panels – great for attaching climbing plants to.

2. Choose the right fence posts

Having decided on the fence style you now need to think about the type of fence post to go for. There are two to choose from wood or concrete – wooden post look great but can rot over time, while concrete posts take a bit more work to install, but weather well.

You also need to pick your post supports. Again you can use concrete to set posts in the ground, or you can use metal containers that are dug or fixed into place.

3. Work out the fence post lengths

To work out the length of the posts you need to buy, decide on the finished height of your fence. Once you know this you should use these measurements as a guide:

• For a 6ft fence with wooden posts in concrete buried in the ground – you need 8ft posts for good sturdiness.
• For a 6ft fence with wooden posts using post spikes (metal containers) – you need 6ft posts for lasting strength.

If you use post spikes, don’t forget to check for pipes and electric cables, before you hammer them into the ground. Also for any fences over 6ft use 4in x 4in posts, and any under 6ft use 3in x 3in posts.

4. Work out how many panels to use

Most fence panels are 6ft wide (always check when you buy).

Measure the length of the area that needs to be fenced and divide the length by the width of the panel – so for a 36ft fence, divide 36ft by 6ft = 6 panels. Simple.

Always remember to add one more fence post to the number of fence panels you need, so you have enough posts to support both ends of the fence.

5. Get ready to fence

Before you hit one nail into the posts, you need to clear the area to be fenced – remove weeds and overgrown grass and treat with a weedkiller.

Most fence panels and wooden posts are already pre-treated against rot and insect attack, but it’ always a good idea to treat any sawn end with an all-purpose wood preservative – to protect your hard work.

6. Using metal spikes as supports

Start by making a guide (pilot) hole in the ground using a metal spike, rod or bar. Place a piece of scrap timber into the socket of the metal spike and use a sledge hammer to drive the spike into the pilot hole –until the top of the socket is level with the ground.

Stones and hard ground can make it difficult to hit the post in vertically, so use a spirit level as you hammer it in, to make sure the post stays upright (you’re fence will look better for this).

You’ll need to buy 600mm spikes for 4ft fences and 750mm spikes for anything higher.

7. Using concrete to fix your posts in position

Dig a hole 2ft deep and three times as wide as the post. Then put the post in place and ram some broken brick or stone into the base to support the post. Mix up your concrete or buy Postcrete.

If you use Postcrete, the hole is half filled with water and the powder is poured in on top – but check the instructions on the bag.

The concrete should be just above ground level. You’ll need to trowel the surface smooth, and slope the concrete away from the post to let water run off.

Then check the post is vertical on all sides using a spirit level. Once you’re happy prop it up with one or two timber battens – while the concrete sets for an hour.

Work as quickly as possible at this stage as pre-mixed concrete set in a few minutes. Repeat the process for all the posts – to save you having to life the heavy fence panel between each posts, use a piece of wood cut to 6ft.

8. Attach the fence panels

To stop your panels suffering from rot, either add a gravel board to your panels, or leave a 100m gap between the ground and the bottom of the panel.

Then attach the panels to the posts using two U-shaped post clips (per post) and stainless steel screws to prevent rusting.

To make your fence look even better pop a post cap on the tops of each post.

Top tip:

If your fence is on a sloping site, keep the panels horizontal and fill the angled gap under each panel by cutting a gravel board to fit. This will make sure the fence looks natural and level, especially if it runs along side your house.