Choosing a fence

Fence Panel Types Compared

Most people choose a fence on how it looks in the yard at the merchants. Two winters later the thing that matters is whether it survived the wind and whether the timber is still straight.

This is how the common panel types actually compare once they are up on an Essex boundary.

Cheapest: Lap panel, waney edge
Best value long term: Close board on concrete posts
Best in wind: Slatted or hit and miss
Lowest maintenance: Composite

Lap and waney edge

The standard orange panel seen on most estates. Cheap, quick to fit and easy to replace, but thin overlapping boards in a light frame flex in wind and the panels are the first thing down in a February gale. Fine for a sheltered internal boundary, a false economy on an exposed one.

Feather edge and close board

Built rather than bought: vertical feather edge boards nailed onto arris rails between posts, usually with a gravel board at the base. Considerably stronger and longer lived than lap, repairable board by board, and it can follow a slope neatly by stepping or raking. This is what we fit most often where a boundary matters.

Slatted, hit and miss, and wind

Contemporary horizontal slatted fencing and traditional hit and miss both leave gaps for wind to pass through. On an exposed plot, especially near the estuary where the wind comes off the water, that is a genuine engineering advantage rather than a style choice: a solid panel acts like a sail, a gapped one does not.

Picket and composite

Picket suits front gardens and cottage frontages where you want a boundary but not a wall. Composite is the low maintenance option: no painting, no rot, stable colour, and a considerably higher upfront price that buys back the weekends you would otherwise spend treating timber. We fit composite fencing alongside composite decking, and all of it carries our ten year guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Which fence panel is strongest in wind?

Slatted or hit and miss panels, because wind passes through the gaps instead of pushing on a solid face. Close board on concrete posts is the strongest solid option.

What is the difference between feather edge and close board?

They describe the same style of built on site fence: feather edge is the tapered board, close board is the finished construction of those boards fixed to arris rails.

Is composite fencing worth it?

If you dislike maintenance, yes. It costs considerably more upfront and then needs nothing but an occasional wash, whereas timber wants treating every few years to reach its full life.

How long do lap panels last?

Often ten to fifteen years on concrete posts and gravel boards in a sheltered position, much less on an exposed boundary with timber posts sitting in wet soil.

Can a fence follow a sloping garden?

Yes. Close board can be raked to follow the slope, or panels can be stepped down with the gaps closed by taller gravel boards. We set out the bays on site before fixing anything.

More on fencing

Fencing in Essex Fence Prices in Essex, Per Panel and Per Metre Fence Posts, Heights and the Rules

Gates and Fencing service page

Not sure which fence you need?

We will look at the exposure, the ground and the boundary line, then recommend the panel and post combination that actually suits it.

Ask about panel types Call 07535 661664