Fence post material - need advice

AC20

Hi,

We want to get wooden fence panels installed in place of an existing 2 ft wall.

Planning to take down the wall and get 4 ft panels installed. What would be the best fence post material?

1. Concrete or Wooden posts?

2. Any low maintenance alternatives?

3. Do we need gravelboard?

4. What would be an approx cost for 7 6ftx4ft panels installed with post and concrete?

WIAWSNB

Concrete is the strongest, and will last forever. Worth it. They can be painted to look perfectly acceptable.

Composite posts are good too, apparently, but costly I think. 

Yes, you need gravel boards. Again, go concrete for longevity. Fences are pita - do it once. 

The actual panels can then be whatever you want, including timber. Since they'll be kept off the ground, they will - should - last many years. And, they'll be simple and cheap to replace - it's the posts and 'boards that are a pain. 

Cost? No idea - get quotes

Albermarle

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.
At the top of the page there is a sub forum called ‘Is my quote fair’ There are a few threads about fence costs.

Slinky

Albermarle said:

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.

In this case a 4ft post panel isn't much in the way of security, but we had 6ft panels at the bottom of our garden, with gravel boards. The tops of the panels were a bit higher than the posts (which were already in place when we bought the house, but there weren't gravel boards originally), so we fixed some timber across the backs of the panels, above the posts, joining the two panels together. It would have been very difficult to lift the panels out as they were all linked together. As a final security, we added 18 inch trellis across the top as a a continuous run which also spanned the gaps between the panels where the posts were. Nice and wobbly so would have been noisily broken if someone tried to climb over.  We were higher than the 'legal' limit on fences next to a footpath, but noone ever complained.

bjorn_toby_wilde

If I were to do mine again I’d go for composite posts and probably panels too. They are expensive but look great and last a long time

AC20

Slinky said:

Albermarle said:

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.

In this case a 4ft post panel isn't much in the way of security, but we had 6ft panels at the bottom of our garden, with gravel boards. The tops of the panels were a bit higher than the posts (which were already in place when we bought the house, but there weren't gravel boards originally), so we fixed some timber across the backs of the panels, above the posts, joining the two panels together. It would have been very difficult to lift the panels out as they were all linked together. As a final security, we added 18 inch trellis across the top as a a continuous run which also spanned the gaps between the panels where the posts were. Nice and wobbly so would have been noisily broken if someone tried to climb over.  We were higher than the 'legal' limit on fences next to a footpath, but noone ever complained.

thanks, it's front garden so 4ft is max i can go. 

Boohoo

AC20 said:

Slinky said:

Albermarle said:

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.

In this case a 4ft post panel isn't much in the way of security, but we had 6ft panels at the bottom of our garden, with gravel boards. The tops of the panels were a bit higher than the posts (which were already in place when we bought the house, but there weren't gravel boards originally), so we fixed some timber across the backs of the panels, above the posts, joining the two panels together. It would have been very difficult to lift the panels out as they were all linked together. As a final security, we added 18 inch trellis across the top as a a continuous run which also spanned the gaps between the panels where the posts were. Nice and wobbly so would have been noisily broken if someone tried to climb over.  We were higher than the 'legal' limit on fences next to a footpath, but noone ever complained.

thanks, it's front garden so 4ft is max i can go. 

I don't think you mentioned where the fence is going.

Is it between 2 driveways or next to a pavement?

Only saying as if you have a car or neighbours do you will have think about existing the drive safely as 4 foot high fence can obstruct a driver's view when leaving the driveway.

GDB2222

I put in a fence with wooden posts about 10 years ago, as I don’t like the look of concrete posts. Several of the posts have rotted through, and I have simply replaced them with wooden ones again. YMMV.

Section62

Boohoo said:

AC20 said:

Slinky said:

Albermarle said:

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.

In this case a 4ft post panel isn't much in the way of security, but we had 6ft panels at the bottom of our garden, with gravel boards. The tops of the panels were a bit higher than the posts (which were already in place when we bought the house, but there weren't gravel boards originally), so we fixed some timber across the backs of the panels, above the posts, joining the two panels together. It would have been very difficult to lift the panels out as they were all linked together. As a final security, we added 18 inch trellis across the top as a a continuous run which also spanned the gaps between the panels where the posts were. Nice and wobbly so would have been noisily broken if someone tried to climb over.  We were higher than the 'legal' limit on fences next to a footpath, but noone ever complained.

thanks, it's front garden so 4ft is max i can go. 

I don't think you mentioned where the fence is going.

Is it between 2 driveways or next to a pavement?

Only saying as if you have a car or neighbours do you will have think about existing the drive safely as 4 foot high fence can obstruct a driver's view when leaving the driveway.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6637376/can-i-build-a-fence-in-front-garden

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6637377/what-does-dotted-line-on-title-deed-indicate

4' panels on top of concrete gravel boards will be a lot higher than the existing 2' wall.

chrisw

We've got concrete posts and after about 20 years quite a few of them have blown. Water seems to get in and rust the rebar inside which blows the concrete.

GDB2222

Section62 said:

Boohoo said:

AC20 said:

Slinky said:

Albermarle said:

Usually it is said wooden posts will last maybe 10 years and concrete 25 years.
The very cheapest panels are probably best avoided.
Remember with a standard post and panel fence, the panels can be lifted out so no good if you need security.

In this case a 4ft post panel isn't much in the way of security, but we had 6ft panels at the bottom of our garden, with gravel boards. The tops of the panels were a bit higher than the posts (which were already in place when we bought the house, but there weren't gravel boards originally), so we fixed some timber across the backs of the panels, above the posts, joining the two panels together. It would have been very difficult to lift the panels out as they were all linked together. As a final security, we added 18 inch trellis across the top as a a continuous run which also spanned the gaps between the panels where the posts were. Nice and wobbly so would have been noisily broken if someone tried to climb over.  We were higher than the 'legal' limit on fences next to a footpath, but noone ever complained.

thanks, it's front garden so 4ft is max i can go. 

I don't think you mentioned where the fence is going.

Is it between 2 driveways or next to a pavement?

Only saying as if you have a car or neighbours do you will have think about existing the drive safely as 4 foot high fence can obstruct a driver's view when leaving the driveway.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6637376/can-i-build-a-fence-in-front-garden

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6637377/what-does-dotted-line-on-title-deed-indicate

4' panels on top of concrete gravel boards will be a lot higher than the existing 2' wall.

Some of it is next to a highway, so the OP needs planning permission, as it's over 1m.