Fence Panels in Dawlish

Fence panels fitted in Dawlish

A lot of the panel fences we replace in Dawlish went up with the house. On the estates towards Dawlish Warren and around the edges of town, the builder’s original lap panels have now had ten or fifteen winters of sea air, the stain has gone grey and the bottom rails have started to soften. Because the posts and the layout are usually still sensible, a straight swap to good new panels is often the simplest and best value answer, and it can normally be done in a day.

Matching the rest of the street

On newer estates the fences tend to look alike from one garden to the next, and a lot of people want to keep it that way. We’ll look at what’s already there, match the height and style where we can, and tell you honestly if a like for like panel isn’t made any more and what the nearest match is. If you’d rather move away from plain lap, square trellis toppers, horizontal slatted panels and tongue and groove styles all fit the same posts.

Concrete or timber posts

Slotted concrete posts with concrete gravel boards last for decades and never rot at the base, which suits gardens that stay damp through the winter
With concrete posts each panel simply lifts out of its slot, so a broken one can be replaced in minutes rather than unpicked
Timber posts look softer and take a stain to match the panels, and we set them in concrete with the top shaped to shed water
On older timber runs we check every post first, because a new panel on a rotten post just fails again at the next gale

Dealing with the wind off the sea

Dawlish knows about storms; the winter of 2014 took out the sea wall under the railway. Gardens near the front and up on the higher roads see strong south easterly gusts, and a solid six foot panel catches the full force. Where a garden is that exposed we may suggest a slightly lower solid panel with trellis on top, or a slatted design that lets some of the wind through, and we keep the gravel boards and posts tight so panels don’t rattle loose over time.

New panels only, or new posts as well?

Panels only: give each post a firm push at shoulder height. If nothing moves and the only damage is split boards or a soft bottom rail, the old posts can probably stay in service.
Posts too: movement at ground level, or timber that crumbles when you dig a finger in around the base, means that bay needs more than a fresh panel.
A size that’s gone: some older runs were built to a width you can’t readily buy today. A panel can sometimes be trimmed to suit, otherwise a post has to move.
No gravel board: where panels sit straight on the soil, adding a board protects them but lifts the top line by a few inches. That matters if yours already stands near two metres, which is normally as tall as a back garden fence can go before planning permission comes into it.

From Cockwood round to Holcombe

Enquiries from around Dawlish cover a real spread of gardens. At Cockwood the weather blows in across the Exe estuary, and low ground near the water can hold its damp into spring, so it’s the foot of the panel that tends to give up first. Holcombe sits high above the coast, where the upper rail and its fixings take the punishment instead, and a panel that looked fine in August can be working loose by February.

Getting the panels there can be the bigger puzzle. A panel is six feet across and it doesn’t bend. On a terrace near the town centre with no side path, each one has to reach the garden some other way, by a back lane, through the house or over a low wall with a neighbour’s blessing. Say how you reach your garden when you first write to us, which lets us work out the carrying.

Four things worth checking before you get in touch

None of this has to be exact, but it helps us give you a useful answer sooner. Count the panels that need replacing and note their height, even if it’s only roughly. Look at whether the posts are concrete or timber, and whether the panels sit in slots or are held on with clips. Take a photo of the whole run from one end, plus a close one of the worst post. Then work out which way the panels would have to come in, and mention anything that blocks it, like a shed, an oil tank or a raised bed sitting right against the fence.

Open-plan frontages and estate covenants

Back gardens are usually simple. Fronts are another matter. Some of the newer roads around Dawlish were laid out with open frontages, and the paperwork from when the house was built may limit what you can put up facing the street, or how high it can go. Rules like that vary from one development to the next, and many owners have never looked. If your plan involves panels at the front or round a corner plot beside the pavement, it’s worth reading your transfer deed or asking your conveyancer before you commit. A corner garden also tends to count as being beside a road for planning purposes, which can make the height allowance lower.

What makes one panel better than another

Treatment: pressure treated timber has preservative driven into the wood, whereas a dipped panel mostly has a coat on the outside and will want re-staining sooner.
Board thickness: thin boards shrink, curl and split more readily. Pick up a corner of a cheap panel and you can often feel it flex.
The frame: a chunkier surround and a solid middle brace help a panel stay square when it’s taking a gust.
Fixings: staples that rust stain the face and let go. Good ones last as long as the timber does.

Getting the dog through fitting day

Once the old panels come out, your garden has a hole in it for several hours. If you’ve got a dog that spends the day outside, or a neighbour’s dog that’s always keen to visit, it helps to plan for that. Keep yours indoors or at a friend’s while the boundary is open, and let next door know so that they can do the same. The bigger risk comes at the end, when the panels are up but a low gap may still remain at the foot of a bay on sloping ground. Before you let the dog back out, walk the line and look for any spot it could squeeze under.

Keeping panels going for longer

One short job each spring goes a long way in coastal air. Brush off moss and dirt rather than blasting with a pressure washer, which can raise the grain and drive water into joints. Keep compost bins, log piles and soil clear of the timber so air gets behind it. When a dip-treated panel starts looking dry and pale, stain it on a dry day, including the top edge that tends to get missed. If your garden catches salt spray, a rinse with a hose now and then does the fixings no harm at all.

Fence panels in Dawlish: questions

A panel blew out in a storm. Can you just replace that one?

Usually, yes. If the posts are sound we fit a new panel to match and leave the rest alone. If the posts either side are loose or rotten, we’ll show you and explain what needs doing so the new panel doesn’t end up on the lawn next winter.

We’re on a new estate. Is the fence ours to change?

Check the plan with your deeds first, as it normally shows which boundaries belong to which house, and have a word with the neighbour if the fence is shared. We’re happy to talk it through on the visit, and we’ll keep to the existing line.

Will the new panels look the same as my neighbour’s?

We aim for that where the same style is still available. New timber is always a little brighter at first and weathers down, and we can stain it to bring it closer straight away if you’d like.

How long does it take?

A typical back garden in Dawlish is a single day: old panels out and taken away, posts checked or replaced, new gravel boards and panels in, and a tidy up before we go.

My panels have gone green. Do they need replacing?

Not because of the colour. Green on the surface is usually just algae, and it’s common in damp, shady gardens. Press a screwdriver gently into the bottom rail: firm timber has plenty left in it, while soft or spongy timber is on its way out.

Will different panels fit my concrete posts?

Often, as long as the new panel is the same width as the bay and thin enough to slide down the slot. Some heavier styles are too thick, so tell us which one you like and we’ll check it against your posts before anything is ordered.

Is winter a bad time to change panels?

Not really. Swapping panels between sound posts barely depends on the season, and wet ground mainly slows down digging for new posts. We won’t lift panels in a strong wind, so a very rough day might mean moving your visit.

Can trellis go on the panels I already have?

You can, if the posts stand tall enough and are sound, because lattice gives the wind more to push on, and those posts weren’t chosen with that in mind. Planning rules look at the combined height, so a two metre panel plus trellis can take you over the normal limit. Check with Teignbridge before adding it.

How are panels fitted on a sloping garden?

Panels can’t be raked like loose boards, so they’re stepped: every panel stays flat and drops below the one before, with a post at each change. The triangle left beneath the panel is usually filled with a gravel board or two. A gentle slope barely shows, while on a steep one the steps become part of the look.

Should I measure the old panels before I enquire?

It’s helpful but not essential. Measure one bay between posts, then its height from the ground, and note whether all the bays match. Older runs often don’t. A rough idea lets us have a more useful first chat, and we measure each bay properly ourselves before anything gets ordered.

Thinking about new panels for a garden in Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Holcombe or Cockwood? Send us your enquiry with a rough length and a couple of photos and we’ll arrange a time to look. You can also read more about fence panels across Devon, see how close board compares in Dawlish, or head back to our Dawlish fencing page.

If panels aren’t quite right for your plot, compare them with boards fixed on alternate sides or a run of horizontal Dawlish slats before you decide.