If you are replacing a garden fence in Whitehaven or anywhere along the West Cumbrian coast, the choice usually comes down to closeboard or panels. Both can look smart on day one, but they behave very differently once the westerly gales arrive off the Irish Sea. Here is an honest comparison so you can pick the right one for your garden and budget.
Closeboard fencing (sometimes called featheredge) is built on site. Vertical featheredge boards are nailed individually to horizontal rails, which are fixed between posts set in the ground. Because it is constructed piece by piece, it can follow slopes, step around awkward corners and be built to almost any height.
Panel fencing uses factory-made panels, typically 6ft wide, slotted between posts. Common types are waney edge (overlap) panels at the budget end and heavier closeboard-style or slatted panels further up. Panels are quicker to install, which keeps labour costs down, but the panel itself is only as strong as its frame and fixings.
This is where the two really part company. Whitehaven, Workington and the villages along the Solway coast take a battering from south-westerly winds, and a solid fence acts like a sail. Closeboard fencing generally copes far better because every board is fixed to substantial rails and the whole run works as one structure. When a board does get damaged, you replace that single board rather than a whole section.
Lightweight overlap panels are the most common storm casualty we see. In an exposed coastal garden they can fail within a few winters, often popping out of concrete slots or splitting along the frame. If your garden faces the prevailing wind with nothing sheltering it, that alone is a strong argument for closeboard, or at least for a heavy-duty framed panel rather than a basic overlap one.
Panels are usually cheaper upfront. As a rough guide, a supplied and fitted run with concrete posts and gravel boards might work out around 90 to 130 pounds per 6ft bay for standard overlap panels, and roughly 130 to 180 pounds per bay for closeboard, though access, ground conditions and old fence removal all move the numbers. Treat those as ballpark ranges rather than quotes.
Lifespan is where closeboard claws the money back. Well-built closeboard on concrete posts with gravel boards commonly lasts 20 years or more with occasional treatment. Budget overlap panels in an exposed spot might manage 8 to 12 years, sometimes less, and each storm-damaged panel is a call-out. Over two decades the cheaper option is often the dearer one.
Repairs favour closeboard: individual boards, rails and capping can all be swapped without disturbing the rest of the run. With panels, a damaged section usually means a whole new panel, and matching the weathered colour of the rest of the fence takes a year or two.
On looks, it is largely personal taste. Closeboard has a clean, traditional appearance and looks the same from both sides at the top edge, while panels offer more decorative options such as slatted or lattice-topped styles. Both should sit on gravel boards to keep the timber out of wet ground, which matters in Cumbria where the ground stays damp for much of the year. Whichever you choose, pressure-treated timber and concrete posts are worth the extra in this climate.
If your garden is exposed to the coastal weather, on a slope, or you want a fence you will not think about for 20 years, closeboard is usually the better buy despite the higher initial cost. If your garden is sheltered, your budget is tight, or you want a decorative style, good-quality framed panels on concrete posts are a perfectly sensible choice.
The honest answer is that it depends on your plot. A fencer who has seen how gardens in your street weather a winter can tell you quickly which way to go, so it is worth getting someone to look before you commit.
Generally not, provided the fence is no more than 2 metres high, or 1 metre where it borders a highway. Listed buildings and conservation areas have extra rules, so check with Cumberland Council if you are unsure.
In West Cumbria, usually yes. Timber posts most often fail by rotting at ground level, and concrete posts remove that weak point, typically adding a modest amount per post for a much longer-lasting fence.
Spring to early autumn is easiest, as the ground is workable and the weather kinder for concreting posts. If a storm has taken your fence down in winter, though, it can still be replaced; it just needs a dry-enough window for the post work.
Ring us, WhatsApp a photo of the job, or use the form and we will get back to you quickly.