Closed board fencing is a solid timber fence system of which is made up of components rather than using traditional fence panels and posts making for a stronger garden fence. A popular choice for the modern garden and cost effective robust fence to stand against strong winds.
Below you will find a step by step guide to install your own closed board fence. You will find links to products we can supply or complete fence kits for peace of mind when deciding what to order. A list of useful tools provided which will help make the job easier.
5 Required Fence Components to Install a Feather Edge Fence
- Fence Posts 100mm x 100mm
- Fence Rails 3.0m x 88mm x 38mm
- Gravel Boards 3.0m x 150mm x 22mm
- Capping Rails 3.0m x 55mm x 22mm
- Feather Edge Boards 150mm x 22mm (tapered)
Fencing Tools Required
A selection of tools used for fencing which make life much easier however if you are installing a new garden fence for the first and last time, you can get by with some general garden tools.
- Digging Tools – (DIY – Post Hole Digger) (Professional – Fencers Graft & Double Shovels)
- Shovel
- Tape Measure
- Post Level or Spirit Level
- Hammer
Step 1 – Clearing Garden Fence Line
Firstly, clear the line of where your fence will be installed. Trim away any hedges, stumps etc that might interfere with your fence line. Identify the two end points of where your garden fence starts and finishes. Dig down a depth of 600mm ready for your first and last fence post. Decide which way your fence is facing (in or out) allow 50mm space for the finished thickness of your fence. See fig 1. below
Step 2 – Concrete Starting & Finishing Fence Post
Using post-mix or concrete secure posts into the ground. Assuming you have chosen a 1.8m high fence, you should mark 1.8m down from the top of your fence post. The mark should be roughly ground level with the post in the ground. If the posts supplied are longer, you can cut the excess of. See fig 2
Step 3 – String Line End Posts, Dig out Fence Post Holes
Now you are ready to string line your end post to find the centre point of each post for digging out and the height of each post to make a perfect straight fence line. Pull a string tight on the front or back of post (dependent of which side is easier to dig from). This will indicate where your fence post will sit to keep a straight fence line afterwards, lay out some 3.0m fence rails working from one side only, keeping each rail butted up to one another. This tells you where the centre of the hole should be dug. Allow for an 8″x8″ square whole for adjustment and space for concrete. You can now use this method to dig all fence post holes. A minimum of 600mm depth hole should be dug for a fence post.
Step 4 – Concrete Fence Posts into Ground
Once holes are dug you can now add a string line to the top of each end post which will guide posts in between for a straight fence height line. Fence posts can be placed and concreted, using a spirit level and string lines to govern position. Remember to make sure those rails meet in the centre of each fence post. If one hole is of slightly you must dig a little further to the side to make sure those fence rails sit in the centre of the fence post.
Step 5 – Fix Fence Rails, Gravel boards & Capping
Now the easy bit. See our closed board fencing spec sheets to show spacing measurements for fence rails, gravel boards and capping rail placement. Measurements are dependent of height fence ordered. https://diy-fence.co.uk/help-guides/
Step 6 – Nail Feather Edge Boards to Complete Your New Fence
Now you are ready to fix the feather edge boards onto the frame. Use a 25-30mm overlap and nail with 50mm nails, one into each rail. The boards should overlap the gravel board slightly. Only fix every 5th board to the gravel board. This prevents the gravel boards from bowing inwards.
You have now installed a perfectly straight closed board fence. Good Job!
Any of our closed board DIY kits can be ordered by clicking the below image. All components available from the above navigation menu.
Great post, some good solid information here, thanks