Planning a new garden fencing project? The first step is to measure up...
Measure up
Use string in a straight line to mark out where your fence will be erected, marking out where the posts will go with stakes or pegs.
Purchase fencing components
Once you have measured out where your fence will go, then you can work out what materials you’ll need, here is a rough guide...
For continual line feather edge fencing
- Posts. We recommend that you use 100 x 100mm posts and concrete them 600mm into the ground at 1800mm centres.
- Rails. We recommend that you use two rails for fences up to 1200mm high and above that three rails.
- Feather edge boards. Multiply the fence length in metres by ten to find out the amount you need (giving a 25mm overlap)
- Concrete or post supports.
- Fixings. We recommend using 50mm nails for the feather edge and 75mm nails for rails.
Optional
For panel fencing
- Posts. We recommend that you use 75mm posts on fences up to 1200mm and 100mm posts above that, concreted 600mm into the ground at 1800mm centres.
- Panels. Please note some panels are 1800 and some 1830mm wide. To find out how many panels you need divide your fence length by your panel width.
- Concrete or post supports. If using Postcrete, we recommend that you allow at least 1.5 bags per post.
- Fixings. We recommend that you pre-drill and use 75mm nails or as an alternative, panel clips and 50mm nails.
For continual line picket fencing
- Posts. We recommend that you use 75mm posts on fences up to 1200mm and 100mm posts above that, concreted 600mm into the ground at 1800mm centres.
- Rails. We recommend that you use two rails for fences up to 1200mm high and above that three rails.
- Picket pales. If you use a standard gap between pales of 38mm, you can work out how many you will need by dividing the fence length in metres by 0.113.
- Concrete or post supports.
- Fixings. We recommend that you use 50mm nails for the pickets and 75mm nails for the rails.
Finishing touches
- Security features such as Prikka stripes
- Wood preserver
- Gates
Tools and equipment
As well as the components that make up your fencing, you’ll also need...
- Gloves (to protect your hands from splinters)
- Goggles
- Facemask
- String
- Tape measure
- Level
- Hammer
- Sledgehammer/mallet
- Screwdriver
- Saw
- Spade
- Post hole digger
- Drive in tool
- At least one person to help
Somerlap approved installers
If this is starting to sound too much like hard work, then get in touch and we can arrange for one of our approved installers to measure up and erect your fence.