Plastic Fence Panels ??

I have concrete posts and wooden fencing. Can anyone telll me if I can replace the wood for plastic fencing keeping the concrete posts as the panels are in need of replacing and the upkeep of the panels is difficult as there are so many.

 

Sorry this isn't going to answer your question, it's just an opinion on fences.

The problem with plastic is that with many types the colours fade (unevenly) and some are made brittle by the actions of the sun.
Wooden panels over recent years have got more and more expensive (they blame the Chinese demand for them now) and some are of dubious quality.
When replacing panels it's best to select some of good quality and give them a coat of preserver like Cuprinol on both sides before installing them. I'm very suspicious of the words "pressure treated" I often think it's little more than "a good coat of looking at."
It is also advisable not to bang any nails or put any hooks in the panels to support planting. This practice shortens the life of fence panels due to the combination of weight, damp from overgrown foliage and strong winds on planting and panels.
On mine, I drilled the concrete posts, fitted "hook eyes" and strung four rows of strong green garden wire between them and all our planting close to the fence which requires support is attached to those. I have an agreement with a neighbour with whom I shared the cost of the fence, who does the same. It's also a good idea when replacing panels to save the "best bits" of the old ones, for use in any future repair. With care, wooden panels should last twenty years.

Each to their own, but I think plastic fence panels would look naff and wouldn't "age" or blend in with the garden over time. So I would never entertain them.

 

I'd agree with what's been said already. Rather than the more traditional overlap fence panels, my neighbour and my husband collaborated on making a close-boarded fence using tanalised posts, arris rails and feather edge boards which they fixed using 'blued' (annealed) screws - should one of the boards become damaged, it's quick, easy and inexpensive to replace.

 

A word on replacing damaged panels. If you've a six-foot fence, even with two people they are hard to change. You have to get a heavy panel into the verticle position to slide it in.

I solved this by screwing an eye to the middle of the side of the top rail of the new panel and a hook to the end of a 7' length of 3"X2" and connecting them. Then with two of us offering up the bottom of the panel to the sockets at the top of the concrete posts, the "prop" dangling down supported the panel in a horizontal position. Then as one of us held the panel ends in the slots, the other pushed the panel into a verticle position using the prop whilst the other guided it down the channels. No danger of the panel falling into next-door's garden!

"Simples."

 

Again, I agree re: replacing a full 6' panel - the beauty of our fence is that each vertical piece of featherboard is only about 4" wide - even Mr. F'smum can manage that on his own!

 

I replaced my fence panels that run down the length of my garden last year.

I find most, off the shelf, fence panels a bit floppy and cant take much in the way of a hammering, neighbours kids basically wrecked the last lot playing football.

So i already had the 6ft high recessed concrete posts.

I bought metre run of tanalised 4x2 which I cut three to each section, I then cut two sections of 4x2 to go in the recess, in other words, bottom rail, upright at each end, middle rail, another upright each end then a top rail.

Angled a few 4in screws to hold it all in place between the post recesses, then nailed feather edge boards on the neighbours side.

It turned out a bit cheaper than buying panels and a darn sight stronger.

I think using an arris rail you would really need morticed posts.

 

Hi,

Did you screw the 4X2 into the concrete posts are are they just holding there?

 

No screws required to go into the posts, once its tight into the recessed posts, it cant go anywhere.

I should add that concrete gravel boards were already there with the posts

 

I recently replaced some panels. I used heavy duty waneylap ones from this company. They actually make their own. They were £16 each. They are really well made, not like the flimsy ones sold by B & Q.

http://www.welslot.co.uk/

They also sell all the rails and capping etc., so it's possible to repair other panels with the "good bits" of any that are being replaced.

 

Discolouration's been mentioned. Just thought I'd reinforce that fact. I'll take a photo of a client's garden if I pop in soon. He's got approximately 200 metres of plastic panels which started life as a true white colour. They can now only be described as mottled cream and look terrible. I think they're about two years old.

I'll find out the supplier if I can as I'm sure they won't all be as bad.

 

Just digressing here... But still on the subject of fence panels...

If you've the odd few panels that rattle in the wind making an irritating noise, there's a quick cure to fix them all (for some of us).
Wine corks pressed between the side rail of the panel and the concrete post are an instant and invisible cure.

 

Hi Axl. the reason why your neighbour's Plastic Fencing is losing it's original Bright white appearance is due to the reduction of pigmentation over the years in the produce of Plastic, especially the colour White.
to manufacture white plastic from basic resin and lubrication, it takes a heavy Base colour of White pigment per batch to manufacture the colour. over the years some companies have been cutting costs in manufacturing ,reducing the base white batch formulation and also cutting back on a Material called Uvitex.
in taking this route the plastic will Discolour it will go yellow very quick with the Sun/Rain/Winds etc.
Also it will have a weakness in the tensile Strength by the reduction in pigmentation. in reducing batch weight of Pigment, the batch has to be made to a mixing level for the mixing procedure to process
this means more resin, which will yellow under the process with less Pigment. a lot of companies purchase a 2nd or 3rd grade plastic (OFF SHADE) and it is all processed together hence the mottled cream
effect, some full batch formulation/some less .:( music .