Fences Fitted By Joiners
Fencing Belfast
A fence fails at the post, always. CSW fits closeboard, panel and post and rail fencing across Belfast, and puts the money where the failure happens.
Fences Fail At The Post
Walk down any Belfast street in February after a westerly blow and count the fences leaning at forty five degrees. Almost none of them failed because the panels were poor. They failed at the post, at ground level, where the timber meets the wet. That is the only part of a fence that really matters and it is the part every cheap quote saves money on.
We are joiners before we are fencers, which changes how we approach it. Post specification, how deep it goes, what it is set in and how the panel is fixed to it are the decisions that decide whether a fence lasts five years or twenty. The panel itself is nearly a commodity. The post is not.
The other thing worth settling before anybody digs is height, because a fence is a means of enclosure in planning terms and the limits are lower than most people expect on a front boundary. Two metres generally, one metre where it adjoins a road or a footpath. That catches a great many Belfast front gardens.
Closeboard Fencing
Feather edge boards on arris rails between posts, built in place rather than bought as panels. Far stronger in wind, repairable board by board, and the sensible choice for an exposed boundary.
Panel Fencing
Lap, waney edge or decorative panels between posts. Quicker and cheaper, easy to replace a damaged panel, and perfectly good on a sheltered garden boundary that is not taking the weather.
Post And Rail, Gates And Screens
Open post and rail for a field or driveway boundary, side gates hung to close properly in ten years, and privacy screens around a patio or a hot tub.
Why CSW For Fencing
Posts Set Properly
Depth to suit the height, concrete where it belongs, and drainage under the post rather than a bucket of water sitting around end grain.
Made By Joiners
Gates hung true, boards cut clean and screens made rather than assembled. It shows most on gates, which are the thing people touch every day.
We Check The Height Rule
One metre where it adjoins a road or footpath, two metres elsewhere. We check which one your run is before quoting.
Levels Handled
Belfast gardens slope. A fence can step down or rake with the ground, and choosing wrongly is what leaves triangular gaps at the bottom.
Old Fence Taken Away
Removal, old post stumps out, and disposal included. Concrete stumps left in the ground are the reason the next fence is in the wrong place.
Landscaping Alongside
Because we also do walls, paving and turf, a fence can be part of finishing the garden rather than the only thing that changes.
Fence Heights, Boundaries And Hedges
Fencing law in Northern Ireland is short and worth knowing, because it is easier to check than to undo. This is general guidance rather than advice about your boundary, and your district council and your deeds are the authorities on your own case.
Two Metres, Or One By A Road
Under the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, a gate, fence, wall or other means of enclosure is permitted up to two metres in height, except where it adjoins a road or a footpath, where the limit is one metre.
That is the rule behind almost every fencing question we get asked. It is also why replacing a two metre hedge along a front footpath with a two metre fence is not the like for like swap people assume: a hedge is not a means of enclosure in the same sense, a fence is.
- Height is measured from ground level, which changes along a sloping run.
- Trellis added on top of a fence counts towards the height.
- Open plan and shared surface estates commonly have these rights restricted altogether, so ask the council first.
No Party Wall Act, So The Deeds Decide
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 does not extend to Northern Ireland, so there is no statutory notice to serve before working on a boundary and no award procedure if it goes wrong. What governs a boundary here is the deeds and whatever you and the neighbour agree.
For fencing that matters in a very practical way. Fences drift. A boundary that has been fenced and refenced three times over forty years may not be where the deeds say it is, and once new posts are concreted in, unpicking it is expensive and unpleasant.
- Check the deeds for who owns which boundary before taking anything down.
- Photograph the existing line, dated, before the old fence goes.
- Where a fence is genuinely shared, agree it in writing even between friendly neighbours.
Replacing A Hedge With A Fence
A common request, and there are two things to know. The height limits above apply to the fence but did not apply to the hedge, so you may not be able to replace like with like on a front boundary.
Second, if the hedge is coming out during the bird nesting season, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 makes it an offence to disturb a wild bird while it is building a nest or while it is in, on or near a nest containing eggs or young. The nesting season is taken as 1 March to 31 August.
- Hedge removal is a September to February job unless the hedge is genuinely dead.
- A neighbour's high hedge is a separate matter under the High Hedges Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, and a council notice cannot take a hedge below two metres.
- Old hedge roots and stumps have to come out properly or the new fence line will be compromised.
What Makes A Fence Last
The Post Is The Whole Job
A fence post fails at ground level, where oxygen, water and timber meet. Everything above it and below it usually survives. So the specification of the post, the depth it goes to and what it is set in are worth more than any amount spent on decorative panels.
Depth scales with height. A one metre fence and a two metre fence are not the same job with different timber, they are different foundations. On an exposed Belfast boundary catching a westerly, the wind load on a two metre closeboard fence is considerable, and the post is the only thing resisting it.
Concrete Posts Or Timber
Concrete posts with a timber panel between them are unarguably longer lasting and are what we would suggest on an exposed boundary or where the ground stays wet. They are less attractive and they are much harder to alter later.
Timber posts look better, take a gate properly and can be replaced individually. Properly specified, set at depth and detailed so water is not held around the base, timber will last a long time. Poorly set, it will not see out five winters. We will give you an honest view for your particular run rather than a default.
Closeboard Versus Panels
Closeboard is built in place: posts, arris rails, then feather edge boards nailed on with an overlap. It is stronger in wind because it is not one big sail hung on two points, and when a board splits you replace a board.
Panels are quicker and cheaper and perfectly sensible on a sheltered garden boundary. Where they struggle is exposure, because the whole panel loads the posts at once. If your boundary faces the prevailing wind we would rather build closeboard and have the conversation about cost than fit panels and be back.
Slopes, Gates And Gaps
Belfast gardens rarely run level, and a fence on a slope either steps down in stages or rakes with the ground. Stepping looks tidier and leaves triangular gaps under each bay unless the gravel board is scribed. Raking follows the ground but only works with closeboard.
Gates are where joinery shows. A gate that is square, braced the right way round and hung on hardware sized for its weight will still close in ten years. Most gates that drop were braced upside down, which is a mistake you can see from the street once you know to look for it.
How A Fencing Job Runs
Walk The Line
We walk the run with you, look at the levels, the exposure, what the old fence is doing and where the boundary actually is according to the deeds.
Settle Height And Type
One metre or two depending on whether the run adjoins a road or footpath, then closeboard or panel depending on exposure. Both decisions before quoting, not after.
Clear The Old Line
Old fence out, old post stumps and concrete out with it. Leaving stumps in is why so many replacement fences end up on a slightly different line each time.
Set The Posts
Dug to a depth that suits the height, set and left to go off properly before anything is hung on them. This is the step there is no shortcut for.
Rails, Boards Or Panels
Closeboard built in place with gravel boards, or panels fitted between set posts. Capping and any gates hung and adjusted to swing and latch cleanly.
Clear And Check
Arisings taken away, ground made good along the line, and a walk down the finished run with you before we leave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How high can I put a fence up in Northern Ireland?
Two metres generally, but only one metre where it adjoins a road or a footpath, under the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015. That single rule accounts for most fencing questions we get. Trellis added on top counts towards the height, and open plan estates often have the right restricted altogether.
Can I replace my front hedge with a fence the same height?
Often not, and it surprises people. A hedge is not a means of enclosure in the planning sense, a fence is, so a two metre hedge on a front boundary adjoining a footpath cannot simply become a two metre fence. Check with the council before ordering, because the answer changes what you buy.
Why do fences always blow over here?
They fail at the post, at ground level, where timber meets wet. The panels are almost never the problem. Post specification, the depth it is set to and how water drains away from the base are what decide whether a fence survives a westerly. That is where a good fence costs more and where a cheap one saves.
Concrete posts or timber posts?
Concrete lasts longer, particularly on an exposed boundary or in ground that stays wet, but it looks less good and is harder to alter later. Timber looks better, takes a gate properly and can be replaced one post at a time. We will give you a view for your specific run rather than a default answer.
What is the difference between closeboard and panel fencing?
Closeboard is built in place from posts, arris rails and feather edge boards, so it is stronger in wind and you can replace a single split board. A panel is one large unit hung between two posts, which loads them all at once. On a sheltered boundary panels are fine. On an exposed one, closeboard is worth the difference.
Whose fence is it?
The deeds, not the fence itself and not what the neighbour says. Northern Ireland has no Party Wall Act, so there is no statutory process to sort out a boundary dispute afterwards. Checking the paperwork before the old fence comes down costs nothing and prevents the most common neighbour argument we hear about.
Can you fence a sloping garden?
Yes, and there are two ways. Stepping the fence down in bays looks tidier but leaves triangular gaps under each one unless the gravel board is scribed to the ground. Raking the fence with the slope follows the ground cleanly but only works with closeboard construction. We will show you both on the day.
Do you take the old fence away?
Yes, and the old post stumps and concrete with it. Leaving concrete stumps in the ground is why replacement fences drift off the line a few inches at a time over the decades. It takes longer to dig them out and it is the right thing to do.
When can you take a hedge out to put a fence in?
Generally September to February. The Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 makes it an offence to disturb a wild bird while it is building a nest or while it is in, on or near a nest containing eggs or young, and the nesting season is taken as 1 March to 31 August. Roots and stumps also need removing properly.
Why do gates always drop?
Usually because they were braced the wrong way round. A gate brace has to run from the bottom hinge corner upwards, so it works in compression. Braced the other way it works in tension through the joints and the gate sags within a season. It is a joinery detail, which is why we make gates rather than buy them.
More Joinery & Carpentry From CSW
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Tell us the length of the run, roughly how exposed it is and whether any of it faces a road or footpath. That is usually enough for a sensible first conversation. No charge for the visit and no obligation.
- Call us: 07703 433214
- Email: Cswbuild@gmail.com
- Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland