Close Board Fencing in Teignmouth
Close board fencing for Teignmouth homes
Teignmouth packs a lot of variety into a small town. There are Victorian terraces squeezed between the seafront and the station, long thin gardens climbing the hill behind the town centre, bungalows looking out over the estuary and newer estates spreading up the valley. A close board fence, built one feather edge board at a time, can be shaped to fit almost any of them, which is why it’s the fence we’re asked for most around here.
Building on Teignmouth’s hills
Plenty of streets above the town rise steeply, and the gardens behind them rise with them. Ready made panels on a slope end up as a staircase of steps with triangles of daylight underneath. With close board we set the posts to the ground, run the rails at the angle the garden needs and cut each board to length, so the fence sits snug to the soil and the top line looks deliberate rather than patched together.
Estuary air and river views
- Gardens along the Teign and facing Shaldon catch damp, salty air off the water most of the year, so we fit pressure treated timber and corrosion resistant nails and brackets as standard
- Where a fence would block a view of the river, we can drop the height towards the water or add a trellis section at the top so it screens without closing the garden in
- Gravel boards keep the bottom of the boards clear of wet ground, and a capping rail along the top sheds the rain that blows in off the estuary
- Corner posts on exposed plots go in deeper, with braces where the run turns into the wind
Getting the fence in
Lots of Teignmouth terraces have no side gate and a back lane too narrow for a van, and some gardens are reached up a flight of steps. Close board arrives as separate posts, rails and boards rather than wide panels, so everything can be carried through the house or up the steps in manageable pieces. We bring dust sheets for hallways and clear every offcut away when we leave.
Settle these before the old fence comes down
- Whose boundary is it? Title plans sometimes show a small T on the side responsible for that stretch. Plenty of older plots show nothing useful at all, and then a friendly chat over the fence is the normal way to sort it out.
- Which face do you look at? No law says the smooth face must point at next door. It’s a custom, and the choice rests with whoever owns the fence, though it’s kinder to mention it before the rails appear on their side.
- Timber or concrete posts? Concrete won’t rot at ground level but it’s heavy to carry up steps and looks more utilitarian. Timber is lighter on an awkward site and suits a softer garden.
- Same height all the way? Full height beside a patio gives you privacy where you sit. Further down a long plot, a lower run may keep the light and any glimpse of the water.
Long plots with more than one neighbour
Up on the slopes around Coombe Vale and Higher Brimley, a single back garden can share its boundary with two or three other homes, and the ground may change along the way. That turns one fence into a small piece of planning. Each neighbour may feel differently about height, about losing a tired hedge, or about clearing whatever’s been piled against the old boards for twenty years. It’s far easier to have those talks before a start date is fixed than with the posts half in.
A long run also doesn’t have to be finished all at once. If money or time is tight, the stretch nearest the house is usually the one to do first, with the far end following when you’re ready. Tell us if you’re thinking that way, because it decides where a sensible stopping point falls, and the join stays neat when the rest catches up.
How to tell a close board fence has been built well
Stand at one end and look along the top. The line should run true or follow the ground in a smooth sweep, with no sudden kinks. The boards should lap each other by a steady amount, each fixed at every rail, and the posts should stand upright when you check them against a door frame or a spirit level. At the bottom, the base board should take the wet rather than the feather edge boards. If you’ve got an old fence that fails most of these, it often explains why it’s struggling.
Close board fencing in Teignmouth: questions
Our old fence leans towards the neighbour’s garden. Can you keep their side tidy?
Yes. We agree with you which side the rails face, take the old fence down from your side where we can, and leave the neighbour’s border as we found it. If the boundary line is in doubt, it’s worth a quick word with them before we start.
Can you put close board on top of a low garden wall?
Often, yes. Many Teignmouth gardens have an old stone or brick wall along one side. Depending on its condition we can set posts just behind it, or fix a lighter fence to it. We’ll look at the wall on the visit and tell you honestly if it isn’t up to it.
Will a close board fence stand up to winter gales on the seafront side?
A well built one will. The strength comes from the posts, so we dig proper holes, use enough concrete for the exposure and keep the bays shorter on the windiest runs. Because the boards overlap rather than lock together, a single damaged board can be replaced without taking the bay down.
Do I need permission for a fence in Teignmouth?
A back garden fence up to two metres high usually needs no planning permission. Front boundaries next to a road, listed buildings and homes in Teignmouth’s conservation areas can be different, so if that applies to you, check with Teignbridge District Council first.
Can my old concrete posts be used again?
It depends on the type. Morticed posts have holes for the rails, so they suit close board well if they’re straight and sound. Slotted posts are made for panels, so rails need brackets or another way of being fixed. A photo of one post, taken close up, usually tells us which you’ve got.
Does next door have to agree?
Where you own the fence and it stands on your side, you generally don’t need anyone’s permission to replace it. You will need a yes from them if the work means reaching over from their garden or standing in it, and a shared fence should be decided together. If there’s a dispute about where the line runs, get that settled first.
How long should a new one last?
That depends on the timber, the ground and how much weather it takes, so we won’t give you a single number. What shortens a fence’s life most is usually wet soil against the boards and posts set too shallow, and soil heaped against the bottom is something you can keep clear yourself.
Fencing a garden in Teignmouth, Bishopsteignton, Shaldon or up towards Haldon? Send us your enquiry with the length of the boundary and a photo or two, and we’ll arrange to come and look at it. You can also read about close board fencing across Devon, compare it with fence panels, or go back to our Teignmouth fencing page.
Not set on close board? Around Teignmouth we also put up panel fences, hit and miss runs that ease the wind load off the estuary, and contemporary slatted screens.