The time scale is specific to each job, there are a few factors to take into consideration such as access, ground conditions, size and the style chosen. Typically concrete post fences take longer due to the weight of the posts and ensuring everything is set out correctly. The ground conditions are also a big factor as it is quicker and easier to dig soft soil rather than having to break concrete and stones but unfortunately we don't really know what we will encounter under the surface until we start. Having fence panels can take longer due to the panels typically coming in one set length which is 6ft so we would need to dig old posts out of the ground as well as the concrete around them if we were replacing a fence which was previously fence panels.

Technically you can paint your fence whenever you'd like but it is advised that you wait around 6 months after the install of new fencing or gates so the timber has a chance to settle and dry out from the treatment. The treatment within the timber can react badly with the paint/stain. The treatment in the timber is designed to stop water and moisture from penetrating the timber and therefore giving it a longer life span. What can happen is the paint/stain can react with the treatment and begin having a battle as one product (paint/stain) is trying to penetrate the timber and the other (treatment) is trying to prevent anything penetrating the timber. This can cause the timber to twist,warp and split leaving you with a very unhappy fence or gate.

Fencing heights can vary depending on what your wanting to achieve but the tallest you can go is 6ft 6 inches (2 metres) from ground level without planning permission. If you wish to go taller than 2 metres you will be required to get planning permission from the relevant UK authorities. If you are looking at installing a fence in the front garden of your property and it is on the side of a footpath or main road the legal height is 1 metre high without planning permission.

The lifespan of a fence can differ depending on the materials used. Typically a pressure treated timber fence if well maintained should last between 10 and 20 years. Concrete post fencing lasts longer than timber fencing as the concrete doesn't rot with moisture and doesn't get any garden insects trying to attack the post; concrete posts require minimal maintenance and typically should last 25 plus years. Finally metal posts fences can also last a long time and can last longer than timber if using the correct product if the metal posts are galvanised they should last 20 plus years.

The design of your fence is entirely up to you but there are some things you need to take into consideration such as wind and water build up. If you live in a windy area it will be best to go with a design which allows wind to pass through you fence or gate so for this i would recommend a pailing fence or horizontal slatted fence. If you're worried about gaps in the fence for privacy reasons that's fine as we can also do a hit and miss which is double sided and fills in the gap on the opposite which means you have your privacy but also allows the wind to pass through which will prevent any damage to be caused in any high winds.

In the UK the rule of thumb is if you look out into your back garden the fence on the left hand side is yours but this is not law. If you want to know for sure who is responsible for the fence it is best to check the deeds of the house which should show which fence you are responsible for on your property.

With concrete kick boards it is the customers preference but I would advise that you get them as then hold the timber panel off the ground which prevents any moisture soaking up into the panel which will eventually rot the timber. If you don't like the look of the concrete kick boards you can always dig them in slightly so you don't see as much of them but I would always recommend having them if you go for the concrete posts and this will increase the lifespan of the fence.

We set all our posts the same way. We like to dig down to the depth of around 2 ft depending on the ground conditions and make sure our hole is at least double the width of the post. e.g. if the post is 4inch x 4inch the hole should be a minimum of 8inch x 8inch to ensure the concrete can get all the way around the post which will give it a better fixing and make it more solid. We use a rapid setting concrete called postmix/postcrete which sets in around 10 minutes, we also throw in a few stones that we found while digging out the post hole. This helps the strength of the concrete and gives it more bite to give the posts more stability.

We only fix the timber and metal posts into the property as we don't drill into the concrete. When fixing a post to the house we use thunderbolts. We typically use M10 x 200mm for the 4inch x 4inch timber posts M10 x 150mm for the 3inch x 3inch timber posts. These are super strong and make sure your post is solid. We drill 3 holes in the post using a 10mm stone bit then line and mark the holes on your wall and then fix the thunderbolt through the timber into the stone work using a high powered cordless socket gun.

This is completely up to you but growing things up the fencing can cause issues such as timber rotting as the moisture from the plants when it rains can penetrate the timber. This also adds a lot of weight to the fence and can put unwanted strain on the post and or panels. If you wanted to have climber plants we would recommend that you set some separate posts and put some trellis fencing panels for them to climb up so it prevents any damage being done to the boundary fencing.