Buying Guide To Timber Fencing

Do you want to restyle your garden design, or do you have a new house with a new garden that needs fencing? Then we have a solution for you. Has your fence been blown down in the wind?

Or has your fence started to rot and is falling apart? Then we have a solution for you.

All of these are excellent reasons to build a fence and buy new fence panels for your garden.

Our Fence Panels Buying Guide includes all the information you need to know before you buy fencing for your garden. From dimensions to different types, accessories to pricing, we have everything you need in one place.

If you're new to the fence buying process you may seem confused: What are the differences between treating and stains? Do you want traditional fencing or decorative fence panels? Or should I be buying fencing for my neighbours?

Below are the different topics we will cover in this article to help you with the buying process.

Fence Panel Sizes

Traditional or European Fencing

Our Other Types of Garden Fencing

Composite Fencing

Treatment & Stains

Garden Gates

Posts and Accessories

Installing a Fence / Delivery of the Fencing

Fence Panel Sizes

Fence panels come in a range of sizes, but at Hillsborough Fencing, we will make panels in standard heights. This includes 4ft, 5ft, and 6ft. Most panels will then come at 6ft wide as this is the only standard option for fence panel width, also allowing for easy replacement.

It’s likely in a fence run, that one or two panels will need to be shorter in length. The most cost-effective way to reduce the width of a panel is to get in touch with us and let us know the size you need your fence panels to be, therefore we can cut them down easily to size saving you time and money.

There are limitations on how high your fence can be. The general rule of thumb is that in your garden, fence panels can be a maximum of 2m high or 6.5ft. When considering front garden fences, bear in mind that a fence adjacent to a driveway may not be higher than one metre, or three feet.

Traditional or European Fencing

Our traditional garden fencing includes wooden Heavy Lap fence panels and weather lap fencing. These are one of our most popular fencing panels and it’s clear to see why.

If you are thinking of traditional fence panels. Our traditional garden fencing is the “standard” option in most UK gardens and provides a combination of durability, privacy, and security.

People choose traditional fence panels for their versatility as they blend in with most garden styles.

Our European Fence panelsare modern and simplistic straight lines combined with integrated diamond detail on the trellis making it ideal for a contemporary garden. Please note that all euro panels are made with green pressure-treatedtanalised FSC timber.

Our European fence panels are sold all year round as they are built to withstand the strongest elements the UK has to offer.

Our Other Types of Garden Fencing

At Hillsborough Fencing, we have more than just 2 types of garden fences. We offer a wide range of fence panels to suit your home and garden. Browse all our Fencing online or check out some of our favourites below.

Border & Deck Panels

The Cross Top is an attractive feature and perfect for any border within the garden. This versatile product is also ideal for raised decking projects to act as a balustrade. The gorgeous criss-cross detailing combined with the classic design makes it visually pleasing.

Contemporary Fence Panels

The Contemporary slat range of panels is made using redwood PSE timber. It gives modern gardens sleek straight lines with a simple look that has maximum impact without the fuss.

The Double sided panel provides privacy to seated areas or to screen areas of the garden off. It also works well as a boundary fence. They can be used in conjunction with the Single slat panels to give maximum impact.

 Composite Fencing

Our HillFence Contemporary Composite Fencing is an incredibly bold selection to choose for your garden fencing project. Striking and attention-grabbing, black composite fencing will never go out of style.

Using this timeless tone for the border of either your home garden or commercial space can help to create a sense of sleek, stylish sophistication.

We offer HillFence WPC Wood Plastic Composite fencing which is available in either Stone Grey or Black. The Kits consist of either a 2.7m concrete in post or a 1.9m long bolt-down post.

The fencing is a modular system, with each post being able to accept up to 3 panels, so allowing for straight runs, 90-degree angles or a T-section.

The additional post inserts or post strengtheners can be slotted into the modular post and cover unused slots if required and add additional strength for exposed or wind-affected areas.

Treatment & Stains

What is Dip Treatment?

The majority of dip-treated fence panels will offer a 10-year guarantee if supported by annual retreatment. Fence panels that have undergone dip treatment are identifiable by their distinct orange or amber hue.

This treatment involves immersing the wood in a preservative, offering a surface-level coating. While this method is fast and cost-effective, it doesn't offer the same durability as pressure treatment, necessitating yearly preservative reapplications for sustained protection.

What is Pressure Treatment?

Pressure treatment of fence panels involves forcing the preservative deep into the wood's grain under intense pressure. You can identify these fence panels by their lighter, sometimes green, or bluish-green hue, a temporary effect of the preservative residue.

This method effectively integrates the preservative with the wood, offering prolonged life and rot resistance, often warrantied for up to 15 years, thus saving on the need for regular reapplications. This is why all of our fence pannes are pressure-treated to preserve them for a long time.

Which treatment should I choose?

A dip-treated fence panel will cost less initially as the process is not as costly for the manufacturer. However, you will end up spending more money on tubs of treatment, brushes etc., and spend time reapplying each year.

Dip-treated fencing also requires a gravel board to distance it from the ground and protect it from the damp.

A pressure-treated fence panel will cost a little more at first, but you can just put it up and leave it, knowing it will resist the weather without more treatments for another decade and a half. This will save time and money.

Garden Gates

Installing garden gates offers many benefits to your home, making them a great addition to your garden. Not only do they provide extra privacy and security, but they also define the entrance to your garden.. We offer a variety of gates, including pre-made gates and Composite Gates to suit every budget and style.

To enhance the security of your gate, consider adding features like bolts and latches. The right garden gate can bring instant character and charm to your garden, with numerous unique styles that complement your existing garden.

Whether you prefer a modern, simple design or something fancier, our selection has you covered. Garden gates are perfect for keeping animals and small children safe while providing easy access for adults. Choose between fence-style, full-height gates for maximum privacy, or slatted waist-height gates for a more open feel.

Our wooden gates can be easily painted or varnished for a distinctive look and added protection. We also offer a wide range of outdoor wood paints and varnishes in our online store to help you achieve the perfect finish.

Posts and Accessories

We provide concrete or wooden fence posts to help you finish building a strong garden fence. Our pressure-treated wooden fence posts help create a sturdy garden border. We have a wide range of garden posts available for any of your garden projects. All our Graden posts are built to last.

We also currently stock DuraPost. Made of galvanised steel, the new DuraPost® complements the beauty of wood with the strength of steel to create durable fencing that’s quick to install, because it’s stronger, lighter and faster to install. Some of the benefits include. Strong: Our galvanised steel posts are guaranteed for up to 25 years* Stormproof fencing: wind-tested and can withstand wind speeds of 70mph.

Installing a Fence / Delivery of the Fencing

The difficulty of installing a fence will depend on the condition of your current fence panels and the type of garden. If you’re replacing a fence on flat ground with a straight, marked boundary, the job will be much easier. If you need to define the boundary yourself or you’re installing the fence on uneven ground, it can be much more difficult.

Generally, planning permission isn't required for a fence less than 2 metres (m) high. However, it will be necessary if the boundary line meets a highway or the footpath of a highway and you wish to erect a fence under 2m or add to a fence that's over 1m in height.

To be on the safe side, we recommend checking in with your local authority to find out if you need planning permission.

What is standard delivery?

We offer an in-house delivery service for the majority of our products. These products are available for delivery within 3-5 working days, depending on the time you order and subject to availability. THIS CAN INCREASE DURING OUR BUSY PERIOD, SO PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST ON 0114 234 3924.

When will you deliver?

Standard delivery times and dates are dependent upon when your order is received. YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL ONCE YOUR ORDER HAS BEEN PROCESSED WITH A DELIVERY DATE.

Can you deliver on Saturdays?

Subject to availability. Please contact us at 0114 234 3924 BEFORE ORDERING TO CHECK AVAILABILITY.

How much will my delivery cost?

We have a range of different pricing options for delivery; the price is dependent on the location of delivery.

Sheffield Zone 1 Courier:

£20.00

Sheffield Zone 2 Courier:

£35.00

For areas outside zone 2, please contact us, and we can often provide a quote for delivery.