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01 Nov 2024
The Met Office has already issued its first major storm warning of the season ahead of Storm Ashley, which inflicted strong winds, heavy rain and flooding across the country. Alongside quite a chilly, wet summer, 2024 has also been windier than normal, with higher than average wind speeds across a number of months. With Q1 and Q4 traditionally seeing the highest wind speeds across the UK, and January in particular tending to be the windiest month in the UK as storms come in from the Atlantic, now is the time to prepare your timber stocks for the inevitable demand for replacement fence panels and posts.
Traditional timber fencing continues to be popular as replacement products, usually consisting of vertical posts providing support for manufactured infill panels or supporting fence rails to which boards, slats or pickets are attached.
But modern alternatives are now available that can help further protect against strong winds. Acoustic fencing also exists that is designed to reduce noise levels from busy roads and surrounding areas.
Agricultural fencing is also an important market for merchants, usually based on round posts with wooden rails or wire infill, either as single strands or in a variety of different chain link and wire mesh configurations.
Use the right treated timber
When you’re ordering new stock, make sure it has been treated for the intended use – and that it’s correctly labelled. You should no longer offer ‘green treated’ or ‘brown treated’ products, as this label doesn’t give your customers enough information to make an informed purchase. Instead, help them understand the different timber Use Classes.
Preservative-treated softwoods that are in contact with the ground must be treated to Use Class 4 standards. Anything less will compromise the timber’s service life and structural safety.
Guidance notes from TDUK and the Wood Protection Association explain the different Use Classes and timber treatments to help you choose the right products, and you can also visit our Wood Products Database on the TDUK website to learn more about the most common types of fencing.