Fence panels, they're weak and rare as hen's teeth

[bainbridge]

I have just spent a day drilling and screwing in 35mm screws into the 16 fence panels in our back garden. Each lapping panel now has a screw where the batten passes over it, and on the ends. Plus on top. 2 panels were bowed out and separated from the top bit, so I ran 4 inch screws down through the top into the battens while holding them in position. They're now back in place.

That's approx 100 screws per panel = 1600 screws in total = £22 and about 6 hours work including lots of cups of tea. I'm also going to make some wooden wedges to stop the panels rattling around in the concrete posts which they're slotted into.

When we viewed this house storm Dennis had flattened 3 panels which were replaced before we completed the sale, but in the week leading up to move in day another got blown down! We took the house as it was to save waiting for the vendor to source another panel and it's taken over a month to get hold of replacements. I ordered 3, one to replace the one that disintegrated and 2 to replace the bowed out ones, but having repaired the bowed ones that leaves 2 spare panels in the garage.

I wonder if they'll hold in the next high winds?

 

[sovietspybob]

Dunno whats happened to fence panels but i need to do a run of fencing in the garden and was about to order it all before the lockdown and now i can't find any decent looking panels anywhere and those that are around seem expensive.

Same goes for sheet materials, it's now £40 for a sheet of 12mm ply at all the local builders merchants and OSB is almost as much!

 

[j.col]

Get closeboard panels (it has vertical slats of wood and NOT horizontal)
Have a look on google for fencing suppliers near you.
these will often be better quality than the ones you buy in a diy superstore.
The closeboard panels are about £35 each and we have never had a problem with them (fitted hundreds over the years)

 

[Danm54]

Dunno whats happened to fence panels but i need to do a run of fencing in the garden and was about to order it all before the lockdown and now i can't find any decent looking panels anywhere and those that are around seem expensive.

Same goes for sheet materials, it's now £40 for a sheet of 12mm ply at all the local builders merchants and OSB is almost as much!

Really? I picked up a couple of sheets of 12mm OSB from Aber last week for ~£12 a sheet.

Plasterboard is scarce though so you may pay more for that.

 

[sovietspybob]

Really? I picked up a couple of sheets of 12mm OSB from Aber last week for ~£12 a sheet.

Plasterboard is scarce though so you may pay more for that.

Huws Gray wanted £39 for a sheet of 18mm OSB!

 

[Buffman]

Theyve all gone up in price since lockdown (everyone hss a lot of time for gardening etc).

Hit and miss/shadowbox fencing would resolve a lot of issues re: high winds blowing it over.

 

[cheesyboy]

THink it's a supply issue rather than a demand one. The timber yards shut down for a while, and everything's now behind.

Fence panels, sheet materials, garden sheds, timber. It's ALL like hen's teeth.

 

[Danm54]

Huws Gray wanted £39 for a sheet of 18mm OSB!

Jeez, I'm surprised they're selling any.

I've not specifically checked Huws Gray for prices but my closest branch is Bow St so they'd have to be a lot cheaper to make the journey worth it.

I've always used Travis Perkins but since Covid they've only allowed online orders and their online prices aren't correct. To be fair even in branch the price of things varies.
Jewson have been open to walk in and collect and they may have a new manager as they're prices have suddenly improved. I now use them without an account.