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A garden fence doesn’t just consist of a set of fence panels, it requires certain essential fence accessories too.
Without these fencing accessories, your fence panels will fall down, be prone to rot and, whatever style you choose, be visually unappealing.
One or two of these key fence accessories are obvious, but can you name all seven? Let’s find out…
Top 7 Fence Accessories
1. Fence Posts
Without fence posts, you can’t have a fence run because the posts provide the panels with the necessary structural support to remain upright.
It is absolutely essential to ensure that your fence posts are in A1 condition too, so they withstand windy conditions, as well as the other inevitable strains put on them by day-to-day life.
As part of the fence post goes into the ground, be sure to purchase posts two feet taller than your fence panels.
Your main decision should be whether to opt for concrete or wooden models. This is our advice:
Concrete Fence Posts
Advantages
Concrete fence posts will last a lifetime, so there’s no need to worry about changing them. To maintain, simply wash them down with warm soapy water to remove algae and moss.
Being a very light shade of grey, concrete posts are perfectly suited to a modern garden.
Disadvantages of Concrete Posts
Concrete fence posts are heavy so, when pairing them with 6-foot fence panels, you will need help manoeuvring them into place.
Also, once they are in position, they’re not going anywhere, so it is essential that you get your measurements exactly right first-time round.
Remember, if you buy concrete posts, a drill, fixing plugs, screws, screwdriver and eye protectors will all be required to secure any fixings.
Wooden Fence Posts
Advantages
Wooden fence posts are lighter and easier to handle than concrete ones. Being made from a natural material, they also offer a bit more tweak room if your measurements are a millimetre or two out.
Wood fence posts perfectly complement fence panels and the natural elements of your garden. When new, dip-treated wood sports an orangey-brown hue, while pressure-treated alternatives might show tinges of light green. This is simply down to the respective treatment processes. Over time, they will change to a beautiful shade of ash. What’s more, they are easy to paint in a colour of your choice.
Securing fixings, such as tensioned wires for climbing plants, is easy with no more than screws and a screwdriver required. For heavier items, you might need to plug holes, but it’s still a lot simpler than dealing with concrete.
Disadvantages of Wooden Fence Posts
Even pressure-treated wood is less robust and durable than concrete. That said, it will last for years with little maintenance required.
On the other hand, dip-treated posts require an annual coat of wood preservative to prevent them from rotting. This costs both time and money.
Well, Is It Wood or Concrete Fence Posts?
No pun intended, but we’re going to have to sit on the fence over this one. Both wooden and concrete fence posts enjoy plenty of advantages. One bit of advice we would give you is that if opting for wooden posts, providing your budget allows, buy them pressure treated.
2. Gravel Boards
Gravel boards raise the height of your fence panels and protect them from ground moisture. This prevents rot and fungal decay, prolonging the life of your fence run.
Gravel boards also give fencing greater aesthetic appeal, particularly when made from the same material as the fence posts. Again, the choice is between concrete and wood.
Concrete Gravel Boards
Attractive, modern and exceptionally durable, concrete gravel boards are near maintenance free.
To fit, simply slide them into the grooves of the concrete posts. However, if you need to cut them to size, it is far more difficult than with wooden alternatives.
Wooden Gravel Boards
Due to being in contact with the ground, wooden gravel boards should always be pressure treated to guard against rot.
Like with wood fence posts, wooden gravel boards enjoy the natural charm of being a manmade material and suit a traditional style of garden, accordingly.
3. Fence Toppers
Fence toppers are another great way to increase the height of your fence panels. Usually about one foot tall, they can provide additional privacy, security and aesthetic appeal to any fence run.
Slatted and trellis toppers are particularly popular; the latter giving you the option to train and support climbing plants.
For a more in-depth analysis on the different ways to increase your fence’s height, click here.
To read our exclusive blog about trellis, please click here.
4. Post Support Spikes and Bases
Fence Post Spikes
Fence post spikes are an economical, easy alternative to digging a hole to support a fence post. Simply use a sledgehammer and driving tool to push the post spike into the ground, then check your handywork with a spirit level.
Post spikes come in various sizes to suit different types of fence post. Ours are adjustable to fit multiple options.
Fence Post Bases
Fence post bases are an alternative to post spikes and should be used on drillable surfaces, such as concrete, patios and decking.
Simply fix them to the surface, then secure the fence post using the bolts on the base. Again, our post base supports are fully adjustable, so fit multiple sizes of fence post.
5. Fence Post Caps and Finials
Post caps protect wooden fence posts from the elements, as well as other factors that may lead to rot and fungal decay. This means you should always choose ones made from pressure-treated wood.
As healthy fence posts are essential to any fence run, post caps are a key fencing accessory.
Finials perform the same function but come with more decorative designs.
6. Wood Treatment
For those of you who are buying our pressure-treated fence panels or fence posts, this is a fencing accessory to cross off the list.
If your pressure-treated fence run was purchased from another supplier, or if you choose our dip-treated panels and posts, a high-quality wood preservative is an absolute must.
You should apply it annually, in line with the instructions on the tub or tin. Failure to do so will cause the wood to prematurely rot, giving you the unnecessary expense of buying a replacement fence.
7. Garden Gates
Should a garden gate be classified as a fence accessory? As gates often have fence panels positioned either side of them, we think they should. That is why we stock some beautiful wooden gates to match our fence panels.
Our range of gates includes double slatted, tongue and groove, featheredge and picket designs, to name but a few; in short, we have one to complement almost any style of fence panel.
Most garden gates are roughly three feet (0.9m) wide. Their height will vary between three and six feet (1.8m). Before buying, always check the detailed specification on the gate’s product page, so you can plan your surrounding fence run accordingly.
