Fencing

Activity In your groups list the uses of fencing and the types of materials used in fencing.

The Purpose of Fencing Decorative Screening Security (keeping in and out) Privacy Support/ shelter for plants

Post and wire

Activity In your groups list where a post and wire fence would be suitable

Cont..... Suitable for temporary boundary or hidden second fencing to keep pets in garden Cheap and fairly quick to erect over large areas Offers no security, needs maintenance yearly to tighten wires Unattractive  

Post and rail

Activity In your group list where a post and rail fence would be suitable

Cont..... Suitable for a boundary fence Can be decorative Cheap and easy to erect Wind has little effect on it Needs regular preservative application Children will climb on it Offers no security or privacy

Post and panel

Activity In your group list where a post and panel fence would be suitable

Cont..... Good for domestic garden fencing Provide privacy and security Decorative Relatively expensive to erect Poor wind break Shade out plants Can be flimsy if cheap panels are used Preservatives needed to prevent shrinkage of panels

Post and netting/chain link

Activity In your group list where a post and netting fence would be suitable

Cont..... Provides garden security for pets and children Little maintenance apart from tensioning wires Can slump over time Easy to cut through Not attractive  

Differences between fences Post and wire No internal support Intermediate posts do not always need concreting in as they carry lighter load Straining bars Straining posts

Post and Rail Some internal support Rails give vertical rigidity More units to keep at horizontal plane Posts must go in first Must start with the top rail and work down top ensure vertical post trueness is maintained

Post and mesh/chainlink Cannot tension heavy gauge wire by hand Have to use large straining bolts Winding brackets usually supplied with angle iron posts  

Finishing of details for fencing Put caps on all posts to give some protection from water penetration and to add a decorative finish Cut down panels for remaining gaps Remove string lines Reinstate levels Remove any soil spill from the holes. Good soil can be spread on borders

Hazards with fencing Underground cables Service ducts in line of fence Boggy ground Pylons/poles in the way of fence Service ducts straddling fence when building boundary fence Precautions Ensure thorough site inspection Alter or avoid service covers e.g. build recess manhole covers Incorporate design to fit in with obstacles, identify problems to clients and explain costing

Problems when fencing No hard landscaping can ever be guaranteed to go trouble free. Some common fencing problems are: Unexpected solids underground; often including old foundations or old fence post backfills. These need to be excavated and back filled in the normal; manner. Tree roots; try and work around tree roots, if not possible, cut away the soil and see if it is possible to squeeze past. If it is not possible to get past the root without damaging it, either move the fence or more practical and more likely cut the root out.

Cont...... Boggy ground; digging post holes in a wet ground takes longer and makes a mess of the surrounding area, A dry mix should be used for the backfill to give it a better chance of going off. The post may fall over time and additional support props could be used to achieve greater stability. Loose or over cultivated ground; if it is likely that the soil is going to be loose and crumbly, a whacker plate could be used to compact it but this is unlikely to really work. Digging larger holes and backfilling more cement will give greater stability to the fence.

Fence repairs

Dangerous fences: Splinters Broken kick boards Loose parts Broken loose wire

Insecure fences Holes or gaps Panels not fixed Broken rails Signs of rotting or splitting

Unattractive fences Signs of algae or moss Structurally unstable (tilting posts and panels ) ‘botched repairs’

Activity In your group from the site visit. Identify the type of fencing Assess the repairs needed Estimate what materials are required to complete the repairs Schedule the timings for the proposed works.