Practical points for boundary work in Bricket Wood
Arris rails and rail counts by height
Arris rails are the triangular-section horizontal timbers that run between posts and carry the vertical boards in a closeboard fence, and how many are used per bay is set by the finished height rather than fixed at two everywhere.
A fence up to around 1.2m typically runs on two rails, but anything taller — particularly 1.8m closeboard — needs a third rail roughly at mid-height to stop the boards bowing outward under wind pressure.
Morticing the rail ends into the post rather than merely nailing them on gives a stiffer, longer-lived joint, which matters more as the number of rails and the height of the fence both increase.
Temporary bracing while concrete cures
A freshly-concreted post has no strength to resist knocks or wind until the concrete has gone off, so it needs temporary raking struts or timber braces fixed to hold it plumb and in line while curing.
Braces are best left in place for at least the manufacturer's stated initial cure time, and longer in cold weather, rather than removed as soon as the concrete looks solid on the surface.
A post nudged out of true during this window is much harder to correct afterwards than one checked and adjusted while the mix is still workable, so the check-and-brace step is worth the extra few minutes per post.
Rights of way crossing a boundary line
A right of way recorded on a title can allow a third party — a neighbour, or sometimes the public — to cross land that would otherwise be private, which affects where a continuous fence line can practically go.
Fencing across a recognised right of way without providing for continued access can itself become a legal problem, regardless of who owns the underlying land.
Checking the title register for registered rights of way before finalising a fence layout is worthwhile wherever a path, gate or informal shortcut already crosses the plot.
Stain, oil and paint finishes compared
A stain sits mostly on the surface with some absorption, giving colour and some UV protection while still letting the timber's grain show through, and it typically needs reapplying every couple of years on an exposed fence.
An oil penetrates further into the timber and feeds it rather than just coating it, which suits open-grained hardwood decking and cladding, but it wears off through foot traffic and weathering faster than a stain on a vertical surface.
Paint gives the most complete colour coverage and hides the timber grain entirely, but it also traps moisture behind an intact film if the substrate isn't fully dry, and a failed paint film is harder to recover from than a faded stain, which just needs cleaning and recoating.
Siberian larch as a fencing timber
Siberian larch grows slowly in a cold climate, which produces a dense, tight-grained timber with better natural durability than most fast-grown European softwoods, without needing pressure treatment in many applications.
It's noticeably harder to nail and screw without pre-drilling than typical treated pine, and a nail driven in at the wrong angle is more likely to split the board than sink cleanly.
Left unfinished it weathers to a silvery grey similar to cedar, though its higher density means it holds up somewhat better to knocks and general handling on site.
Slat gap ratios in screening fences
Horizontal slatted or louvre fencing is usually specified by a gap-to-board ratio, such as a 20mm gap between 100mm boards, which balances privacy against wind resistance.
A tighter ratio gives more privacy and blocks more wind, which in turn increases the load transferred to posts and foundations during storms, so a very solid-looking slatted screen needs the same foundation attention as a close-boarded panel.
Wider gaps let more wind through and reduce that structural load, while still breaking sightlines enough for most privacy purposes, which is why many slatted designs favour a wider gap than the boards suggest at first glance.
