You are confusing a party wall with a *boundary* structure.
A boundary wall or fence must not cross the boundary *above* ground, including any overhanging coping stones, but the foundations may cross the boundary.
Party walls may or may not cross the boundary.
Or pay twice the price for the same product.
I agree that there can be a variation in the quality of panels. I have panel fencing both sides of the garden. One fence (fitted) was paid for by me and the other side by the neighbour, and around a year apart. I know the costs to be very similar but I would say that the quality of the panels used is much better on one side than the other.
Certainly my "cheap" slot-in fence panels don't last long - whereas most of my parents panels are as good as new, after 40 years!
I built my own feather edge fence at the bottom of the garden 30 years ago and that shows no sign of rot however it was treated with a real creosote and old engine oil mix, and quite a lot of it. It hasn't had any maintenance since.
Built from scratch with concrete godfather post holding wooden posts and feather edge boards from the sheds. Concrete gravel boards. Both ends of the posts spent a week or more standing in a bucket of creosote/oil. The planks and rails spent some time in a makeshift trough made of plastic sheet, with the trough containing the preservative.
I do remember after constructing the fence I had to burn all the old clothes I was wearing and it took a few baths to get rid of the smell :)
The difference in longevity may be the kind of treatments that may have been used 40 years ago but now are banned. Cut some treated wood these days and you may find whatever they have dipped it in for 30 seconds hasn't penetrated beyond a millimetre.
A data point.
Farmer-grade panels, uprights are 48mm wide, pressure treated DIY shed grade panels, uprights are 33mm wide, dip treated
Guess which one is going to go first.
Theo
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