• Check with your local council for the height regulations in your area.

• Most local councils and the court authorities accept that a paling fence is the minimum standard fence whereby an agreed price between neighbours can be worked out.

• Usually 1.8m high is the maximum height that posts have been pre cut for, so if you need longer posts then check with your supplier well before the job.

• Paling fences provide both security and privacy especially when the fence is 1.8m high.

• The choice of which side one gets usually lies with owners that are negotiating with the contractors, or the owners that are building the fence themselves. Although this isnt a law, it is accepted amongst fencing contractors that for side fences, the person they are dealing with, will have the front facing them.

• Being treated, you do not have the concern of white ants eating your fence away, or it rotting. However the materials are dearer than hardwood so be prepared.

• Usually the treated timber is Pine, this timber is a softwood which means that its an open grain timber, which means that the timber will tend to twist. So when the fence is higher than 1.2m it is standard practice to have three rails instead of two, which will help prevent the problem.

• Normally for a 1.8m high fence, the posts are 2.4m long, that allows 600mm in the ground. The rails are usually 75 x 50mm and the palings are 90 - 100mm wide. The posts are usually fully cemented in. You have the choice of purchasing the posts already morticed depending on the style of the fence you want to build.

• You are still able to paint or stain this fence if you do not like the colour.

• All fixings must be galvanised or nickel coated. The mild steel nails will be eaten away by the CCA treatment.

Maintenance

Its mainly a matter of keeping an eye on the timber for splitting. If you have chosen to stain or paint the fence you will have to do this on a regular basis, approx. every 5-6 yrs.

Hardwood Paling

• The hardwood fence material is cheaper than the treated pine and does provide a different character. The posts will need to have some kind of treatment for the part that is in the ground, usually with creosote or oil.

• Normally the posts are 125 x 50mm except for the ends of the fence where 100 x 100mm posts are used. The rails are 75 x 50mm and the palings are usually 100mm wide.

• The fence can also be stained or painted, in fact its probably a good idea to do so, it will extend the life of the fence.

• Try to keep the fence palings off the ground, this will also help extend the life of the fence.

• Remember the fence is not a wall so keep the soil away from it.

• What does look nice is when the corners of the palings are cut off, so you may consider this as an option.

• Its a good idea to use galvanised or nickel coated fixings as they will not rust and leak onto the timber.

Its mainly a matter of keeping an eye on the timber for splitting. If you have chosen to stain or paint the fence you will have to do this on a regular basis, approx. every 5-6 yrs.

Timber Pickets

• Check with your local council for the height regulations in your area.

• Picket fences can add a lot of character to your property, often adding more value as well.

• Usually 1.8m high is the maximum height that posts have been pre cut for, so if you need longer posts then check with your supplier well before the job.

• The posts are usually all 100 x 100mm and are set fully in concrete. They can come morticed or just left plain for you to mitre them ready to fit the rails.

• The tops of the posts are often fitted with knobs for decoration, these can vary in shape and size.

• Pickets can also vary in shape and size according to your taste.

• The panels need not just be at one level but can rise up as the pickets reach the post, adding more variation and character to the job.

• The spaces between the pickets can vary according to your taste but usually its about 30mm.

• The choice of which side one gets usually lies with owners that are negotiating with the contractors, or the owners that are building the fence themselves. Although this isnt a law, it is accepted amongst fencing contractors that for side fences, the person they are dealing with, will have the front facing them.

• Generally most manufacturers of picket fencing material will be using treated pine.

• Being treated, you do not have the concern of white ants eating your fence away, or rotting. However the materials are dearer than hardwood so be prepared.

• This timber being a softwood means that its an open grain timber, so the timber will tend to twist. If the fence is higher than 1.2m it is standard practice to have three rails instead of two, this will help prevent the problem.

• Normally the posts are cut at 90 x 90mm and will vary in length according to the height of the fence. These posts are usually fully cemented in. The rails are usually 75 x 50mm and the palings are normally 70mm wide.

• You are still able to paint or stain this fence if you do not like the colour.

• All fixings must be galvanised or nickel coated. The mild steel nails will be eaten away by the CCA treatment.

Its mainly a matter of keeping an eye on the timber for splitting. If you have chosen to stain or paint the fence you will have to do this on a regular basis, approx. every 5-6 yrs.

Hardware Pickets

• Although this timber is not as common any more for picket fences it is still an option. The cost is a factor to consider.

• The hardwood fence material is cheaper than the treated pine but does provide a different character. The posts will need to have some kind of treatment for the part that is in the ground, usually with creosote or oil.

• Normally the posts are 100 X 100mm, the rails are 75 x 50mm and the pickets are usually 75mm wide. These can come plain or with shaped tops.

• The fence can also be stained or painted, in fact its probably a good idea to do so, it will extend the life of the fence.

• Try to keep the fence pickets off the ground, this will also help extend the life of the fence.

• Remember the fence is not a wall so keep the soil away from it.

• Its a good idea to use galvanised or nickel coated fixings as they will not rust and leak onto the timber.

Its mainly a matter of keeping an eye on the timber for splitting. If you have chosen to stain or paint the fence you will have to do this on a regular basis, approx. every 5-6 yrs.

Brick Combinations

• Check with your local council for the height and size regulations for brick fences in your area.

• The colour combination between the bricks and the rest of the landscape including the house has to have careful consideration.

• All brickwork will have to have a footing of some kind, whether this is a concrete footing or a brick footing depends on the size of the fence and this is often a cost that is easily forgotten. Also be careful of the levels so the footing is well hidden, usually two courses beneath the ground.

• A double or single brick fence depends on the size required.

• Some brick combinations can look very attractive, but be careful with the colours and style. Usually there is a base run of bricks built like a wall, then pillars will continue to the specified height. These are spaced every 1.8 - 2.4m depending on your taste and what type of panel is going to be fixed in between. This panel can range from a tubular, weldmesh, timber pickets etc. but can provide a variation that is quite pleasing to the eye.

• If a combination is the choice that is made then careful planning with the layout has to be done.

• Fixtures of the gates if any, will have to be anchored properly. It is better if steel plates from inside the pillars are used to support the gates, as there is little chance of them pulling out.

As far as the brickwork is concerned there is usually no maintenance to worry about. If combinations are chosen then the amount of maintenance needed depends on the panel chosen.