Pros and Cons of Timber Fencing

Have you been deliberating on the type of fencing you should get for your garden? Think timber is the way to go but don’t know enough? We’ve put together an extensive list of the pros and cons of timber fencing so you can weigh up the options. 

Advantages and disadvantages of Timber fencing

There are many options out there when it comes to garden fencing and each has its benefits and drawbacks. We’ve discussed the possibilities of plastic and metal fencing previously, but today we weight up the pros and cons of timber fencing specifically. 

Pros of Timber Fencing

Timber Fencing is stylish and has a wide range of designs available

Let’s start with the most obvious reason for getting wood fencing, it looks gorgeous! Without a doubt, timber garden fencing has the most appealing look to it no matter the type of wood you choose. Both softwood and hardwood fences have beautiful natural looks and come in a variety of natural colours and grains. We’ve broken down the pros and cons of softwood and hardwood timber further in another article.

Not only does timber itself have a natural variety of styles, but its workability as a material also allows for the greatest range of styles compared to other fencing materials. The colour of the material can easily be adapted to your style with the use of stains, paints or varnishes. There is also a range of fence shapes allowing you to select something to suit your style. Traditional lap fence panels are the most typical but there are more unique options for contemporary garden designs. Single slatted fence panels and double slatted fence panels add a much-needed variety to the English garden landscape.

Easy to Install

Timber fencing is the easiest type of fencing to install. It’s lightweight, can be anchored easily with the use of posts and caps and can be installed by most people. At Contemporary Garden, the majority of our fencing panels come to you in sections. This allows you to build the module with limited assistance and reduces the risk of injury. It also allows for the fact that most gardens are not perfectly level, providing you with the option to have less or more panels to ensure the fence is the right height.

Affordable

Timber is by far the most cost-effective solution for garden fencing. The size of your garden, the extra work required to clear a site and the installation need to be considered when it comes to the cost of a garden. But when it comes to costs on a material basis, wood fences are the most affordable option.

A Sustainable Friendly Option

If you are concerned about your ecological footprint, wood fencing offers the most sustainable option. As long as the timber used is FSC certified or another approved forestry certification, you can feel assured your timber comes from sustainable sources. The FSC, or Forest Stewardship Council, runs a global forest certification system which focuses on forest management and chain of custody. This ensures that from forest to end-user, the products sold are FSC approved. The FSC system allows consumers to recognise that the wood, paper and other forest products they use are made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources. 

Cons of Timber Fencing

Affects of the elements if not treated correctly

The most common problems with timber fencing all come down to the fact that they can be damaged or changed by exposure to the elements. While the majority of these problems can be resolved with adequate treatment to the wood and proper installation, these are the most frequent issues.

• Weather can change the colour over time - the majority of woods will change colour if not treated with a stain or painted but even those that are varnished will change over time. The colour will fade with exposure to both the sun, wind and rain but for the most part the wood retains its beautiful natural look. 
•  Damage by the weather - If not properly installed and secured, a fence can easily be damaged or cause damage to a garden in high winds. This can be rectified by ensuring correct installation but also frequently checking the state of the fence and fixing issues early on. 
• Susceptible to rot and insect attack - If unvarnished or oiled, a garden fence will sit in the rain of the British Summertime and rot. Once rot has set in, it will spread across the timber and damage the integrity of the fence. The same can occur when insects are able to permeate the wood. Both result in damage to the fence and it will eventually crumble. In this case, prevention is by far the best cure. 

Shorter lifespan than other materials

Wood does erode quicker than some materials such as metal or concrete due to the reasons mentioned above and so are unlikely to outlast these hardier alternatives. Even with adequate protection, most fences will only last 15 to 30 years. They won’t last a lifetime but with the average homeowner moving only four times in their life, it will be there till you next move.

Components need to be quality 

Great fencing is not just all about the fence panels. If your posts and caps are not of quality material they will make the decline of your fence occur much quicker. Failure of untreated wooden fence posts can cause fence panels to fall which could lead to damaged property, destroyed gardens and might be a risk to people and pets.

Convinced by the pros of timber fencing?

Now you’ve read the pros and cons of timber fencing, it should be clear what a great option they are for your modern garden. If you are ready to choose your timber fencing panels, head on over to our collection page of fence panels, and don’t forget to check out our other products. Call us on 0114303052 or email us at info@contemporarygarden.co.uk,