Choosing post hole diameter for the post size
A hole cut too close to the post's own width leaves no room for concrete to fully surround it, which weakens the base and gives water a direct channel down alongside the timber rather than a solid seal.
A generally quoted rule is a hole roughly three times the post's width, so a 100mm post wants in the region of a 300mm diameter hole, adjusted upward on poor ground or for taller, more heavily loaded posts such as gate posts.
Oversized holes aren't free either — they use more concrete and take longer to backfill and haunch neatly, so the aim is the right diameter for the post and ground rather than simply digging as wide as convenient.
Wheels and rollers on old sliding gates
Wheels on an older sliding gate wear unevenly over years of use, and a gate that starts to lean or drag to one side as it slides is often down to worn wheels rather than a bent frame.
Replacing worn wheel or roller assemblies is usually straightforward provided the track or guide rail underneath is still true.
Smallholdings
A smallholding often needs several different boundary specifications on one plot — stock fencing for grazing paddocks, a more secure perimeter around poultry runs to keep foxes out, and a conventional garden fence around the house itself.
Movement of livestock between fields is usually managed with gates rather than continuous fence removal, so gate positions need agreeing against the smallholder's actual rotation pattern rather than simply the shortest route.
Because smallholdings often combine agricultural and residential use on the same title, it's worth checking which parts of a boundary project count as agricultural permitted development and which fall under the standard residential rules.
Temporary fencing while a permanent boundary is rebuilt
Removing an old boundary fence before the new one is built leaves a gap that matters for security, for keeping pets or children contained, and for site safety around an open excavation.
A simple temporary screen — netting on stakes, or hurdles wired together — bridges that gap without committing to a full second install, and is worth agreeing with the client if the job will span more than a day.
On a site backing onto a road, path or shared area, a temporary barrier around open post holes overnight is also a basic precaution against someone stepping into an unmarked hole in the dark.
Garden doors set into a masonry wall
A garden door hung within a brick or block opening behaves differently to a gate hung between timber posts, since the fixings go into masonry rather than a post that can be dug out and replaced.
Frame fixings into old or soft mortar joints are a common failure point, and repairs often involve re-fixing into sound brick rather than simply tightening the same holes.
Maintenance intervals by material
Untreated or lightly treated softwood fencing generally needs a re-stain or re-oil every one to two years to keep its protective coating intact, while a well-detailed treated softwood fence left to weather naturally can go much longer between any active maintenance.
Composite and uPVC fencing need little more than an occasional wash down, since the material itself doesn't need a protective coating, though fixings and any timber sub-frame beneath it still age on their own separate schedule.
Metal railings and gates need their finish checked periodically for scratches or corrosion starting points, since a small breach in galvanising or powder coating left untreated will spread under the coating rather than staying contained.
Decking oil versus fence stain maintenance cycles
Decking oil is formulated to cope with foot traffic and standing water in a way that a vertical fence stain isn't, and typically needs reapplying annually on a well-used deck compared with the two-to-three year cycle for a fence.
The horizontal surface of a deck also collects standing water and UV exposure differently to a vertical panel face, wearing unevenly in high-traffic paths compared with less-used corners.
Clients used to a fence's maintenance rhythm sometimes underestimate how much more frequently a deck's finish needs attention, which is worth setting expectations on at the time of installation.
Tongue-and-groove privacy panels
Tongue-and-groove boards interlock edge to edge with no overlap, giving a genuinely solid, gap-free face that's the most private board profile available in timber fencing.
Because the boards key into each other rather than overlapping, the panel needs to be built with a small allowance for seasonal swelling, or the interlocking edges can bind and cup as the timber moves.
It's a heavier, stiffer panel than lap or slatted profiles, so it's usually paired with more substantial posts, and it's a common choice for pool or hot-tub screening where sightlines matter more than airflow.
Certificates of lawfulness for existing boundary structures
A Certificate of Lawfulness of Existing Use or Development can formally confirm that an existing boundary structure was lawfully built, which is useful where there's uncertainty or a dispute about historic permissions.
This is different from planning permission itself — it's a factual confirmation of lawful status, often sought before a property sale to resolve a conveyancing query.
Where a long-standing boundary fence's planning history is unclear, applying for this kind of certificate can settle the question more reliably than relying on assumption.
Protecting known cable and pipe runs during digging
Where a service run is known — marked by the utility company, visible from a meter or duct cover, or noted on a site plan — a physical marker or hand-dug trial pit at that point before general digging starts confirms its exact depth and route.
Once a service is located, leaving a visible marker such as a cane or spray line on the surface stops it being forgotten by whoever digs the next hole along the run, particularly on a multi-day job with different people digging on different days.
Ducted services are generally easier to work around than direct-buried cables since the duct itself gives some protection, but the duct can still be damaged by an auger or breaker if its depth isn't confirmed first.
Checking existing boundary alignment before a like-for-like rebuild
Rebuilding a fence on the line of an existing one assumes that existing line was accurate, which isn't always the case — old fences can have drifted from the true boundary over successive repairs and replacements.
A quick check against any available reference, such as a boundary marker, an adjoining wall, or a neighbour's fence that's known to be accurate, is worth doing before assuming the old line should simply be copied.
Where a discrepancy is found, it's a conversation for the client and neighbour to have before rebuilding, since quietly correcting or quietly perpetuating a boundary error both carry consequences beyond the fencing job itself.
Sheeting plants and borders during fencing works
Established shrubs and borders close to a fence line are easily damaged by dropped tools, spoil heaps or simply being walked over repeatedly during a multi-day job, so temporary boards or breathable sheeting laid over beds reduces incidental damage.
Concrete dust and cement splash can scorch foliage if it settles on leaves and isn't rinsed off promptly, which is worth flagging before mixing starts next to a prized border.
Where a plant genuinely sits in the way of a post position, agreeing with the client in advance whether it's moved, worked around, or the post offset avoids an awkward decision made on the spot mid-dig.
Sports clubs
Sports club boundaries need to withstand impact from balls and players far more than an ornamental garden fence, which usually means heavier-gauge mesh or rebound-rated panel rather than standard closeboard along pitch-facing runs.
Ball-stop netting on posts set back from the fence line is a common addition where a pitch runs close to a public path or road, and post spacing for that netting is tighter than for a standard fence line.
Clubhouse car parks and pitch perimeters are also often used for match-day parking, so access for fencing work needs scheduling around the fixture calendar rather than assumed to be free every weekend.
Using profile boards at corners
Profile boards — a horizontal board fixed between two pegs set back from the actual corner — let a string line be set, removed and reinstated at the exact same point throughout a job without disturbing the corner itself.
They're most useful where a run turns through an angle, since the intersecting lines from two boards mark the true corner point independently of any post already dug.
Leaving the boards in place until the last post is set and checked avoids the common error of the line creeping slightly as pegs get knocked or the string is re-tied.
