The Key Types of Fence Panels

The type of fence panel you install within a garden will have a dramatic impact on its look, its strength, and its weather performance. Within the UK, there is a range of different fence styles that are used, with different material choices and sizes also important to take into account.

The Different Types of Fence Panels Used in the UK

Fencing is used for a variety of reasons, from security to privacy to decoration. Most fences are constructed from panels, made of timber or a different material, and the way these panels are organised will offer some completely different looks.

• Overlap Fencing: Overlap fence panels will be made from horizontal boards that each overlap each other slightly. There will be vertical rails to hold the panels in place, and posts between each section to secure them into the ground. Overlap panels are a standard design that will be available at cost-effective prices while offering great privacy.
• Featheredge Fencing: Sometimes called closeboard fencing, this will be the vertical equivalent of overlap designs, with vertical boards built to overlap each other and horizontal rails holding them together and connecting to the posts. This is again a cost-effective and functional look.
• Picket: An attractive design that can be a great way to divide sections of a public or private garden, these shorter fences are made from spaced-out vertical boards, and as such will offer neither security nor privacy.
• Slatted: A slatted fence will be made from smaller horizontal slats, which are typically installed with small gaps between them. This will mean they don’t offer true privacy in their standard single-width design, but double-slatted fence panels will also be sold, which will offer the same eye-catching look without allowing others to see through them. These are sometimes referred to as hit-and-miss fence panels.
• Lattice: Lattice fence panels are another purely decorative fence panel choice for UK gardens. Sometimes called trellis fencing, these will be made from slats in a crossed pattern. Lattice fencing can either form a full fence or can be used as the upper section of an otherwise solid fence. Many garden designers also choose to combine lattice fence panels with climbing plants.
• Tongue and Groove: Tongue and groove is a style of join that allows boards to be joined together while remaining flat. Tongue and groove fence panels will therefore have a stylish and consistent look and are a popular choice in outdoor spaces.

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Fence Panel Sizes and Material Types

When choosing the ideal style of fence, wood will be the traditional choice in gardens, but there are in fact several different material options available.

• Wood: Wood offers a traditional and natural look in gardens, and all of the designs referenced above will be available in wood. Wood is affordable, light and easy to use, and can be altered, painted, or sanded as needed. The issues with wood come from its long-term performance. Wood is not naturally suited to outdoor use and will need to be consistently cared for to maintain its weather resistance. Even then, it can still have other issues with rotting and insect infestation.
• Composite: Composite fence panels are a newer option, made from a combination of wood fibres and polyethylene and designed to offer great performance over time with little maintenance. Composite panels can be designed to have a convincing wooden appearance, and unlike timber fencing will be available in a range of colours.
• Metal: Both aluminium and steel are also used to make fencing, though this will more typically be used within commercial environments, and as such is designed more around privacy and strength than it is around looks. Metals like aluminium will not corrode, ensuring great performance.

You’ll have the choice of either wooden or concrete fence posts to install your panels between.

Fence panels tend to be sold as specific finished panels to be installed between posts around a garden. The height will typically be around 6ft for a back garden fence, with smaller options like picket fences available. The width of a fence panel can vary more to them to be fitted within different garden sizes.

Fencing Delivered Across the UK 

Building Materials Nationwide offer a range of fence panels for sale through our website, alongside posts and gravel boards. Everything we sell, from our standard building supplies to our range of gardening and landscaping products, can be delivered to you across the UK.

For customers working professionally across the gardening or landscaping industry, we also offer trade accounts unlocking a range of benefits. Our trade account holders gain access to a dedicated account manager, who’ll be able to source whatever products they need, across the various types of fence panels and more, delivering them to their site fast and at a great trade price. 

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