FEATURE FENCING & PANELS
Fencing tips and traits Timber has proved to be a particularly suitable material for a wide range of domestic and commercial fencing applications throughout the UK. Here, TRADA shares an extract from its 2019 Wood Information Sheet on timber fencing.
E
asily worked and readily available in a variety of types,
and is prone to splits (shakes), cracks (checks), knots, twisting, bowing,
shapes and sizes, timber can last longer and perform
bending etc. When machine sawn, it can also exhibit saw marks, rough
better than many alternative materials – either in its
edges (with some splintering) and minor dimensional discrepancies.
natural form or with wood preservative treatment.
Timber fencing is diverse in its use and style, and performance
However, timber has several general characteristics that contribute to its suitability as a material for fencing (Table 1):
requirements can vary considerably. Examples include:
Specifying a fence • Domestic – garden fencing, boundary fencing
There are several considerations worth taking when constructing a
• Boundary and perimeter – barriers against intruders, protecting
new or replacing an existing fence, including resistance to the elements,
hazardous areas (such as electricity pylons, power plants),
desired service life and ease of maintenance. In particular, specification
agricultural fencing for containment of livestock
may require a fence incorporating timber to comply with the relevant
• Noise barriers – motorway/road fencing, railway fencing
part(s) of BS 1722. Road noise barriers are subject to even more stringent
• Health and safety – hill top/cliff edge fencing, playground fencing.
requirements laid down by the Department of Transport.
Fencing accounts for a significant proportion of the UK’s annual softwood
Table 1: Characteristics of timber contributing to its suitability for fencing applications
consumption – approximately 14% in 2016. British softwoods are frequently specified,
Versatility
It is an easily workable material, available in a range of sizes and lengths, readily formed into a range of product shapes and sizes.
mainly lower strength species such as pine and spruce. Often these are faster grown than imported species from northern Europe.
Strength
Hardwood species are also used – namely oak and sweet chestnut, with 30,000 green tonnes
Sustainability
Appropriate species selection, with additional protection where necessary, can withstand structural damage caused by, for example, animals or wind load. A renewable material, timber is available in a wide variety of sustainably sourced certified species.
of UK material being used in 2016. Timber is a natural product that does not benefit from exact dimensional or compositional consistency. It expands and
Together with the appropriate timber species selection, and relevant Durability
preservative treatment for the use and desired service life, timber can outlast and out-perform many other alternatives.
contracts due to changing climactic conditions
Timber Trader UK Magazine
Autumn 2020
30
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