Fence panels

[NT]

I presume these need preservative painting when new? I've done this in the past, but do I need to?

NT

[John Rumm]

Most will be treated to some extent when new... how much depends on where you get them. Our local supplier for example makes all their own panels, and dips them in a decent preservative when done - so they come well and truly soaked in preservative, and there would be little point in doing it again. A shed special however may benefit.

[The Medway Handyman]

Secondary treatments do help the panel to retain it's colour. Left, they will go a silvery grey fairly quickly.

[NT]

This lot is from Wickes, and I noticed they didnt make any claims about treatment.

Thanks, NT

[Ian Jackson]

I've been doing some repairs on my larch-lap fence, which I put up over

25 years ago. I think I got the panels and posts (plus the Metposts) from what was Texas (now Homebase). There are (I think) panels, and I put them up 'as received', without any additional preservation.

Over the years, apart from literally maybe a couple of quick squirts of preservative along the bottoms an a couple of panels, little in the way of preventative maintenance has been done

The bits that have rotted and disintegrated are (on a few of the panels) the 'top cap' spar, and the two spars that run along each side at the bottom (mainly where they had become in contact with earth, leaves etc). Otherwise, the rest of the wood is still in pretty fair condition. As for the nails, I found that some had rusted away almost to nothing (particularly where they were in the parts of the wood that had rotted away - ie those which were the softest and most spongy) - but most are still OK.