Affordable fencing solution

Guybrush Threepwood

We're lucky enough to have bought a house with a big garden (1.3 acre), but we need to get a fence in place around the boundary to keep our dogs in safe (we've fields to all sides so I don't want them bothering livestock!). But all the initial quotes I've gotten from companies to instal fencing have been crazy crazy high!

Could anyone advise a cost effective solution to fencing the place. I don't mind how it looks as I plan to plant hedges around the edges in time.

Should we try buy the timber ourselves, and ask someone to instal? Is there somewhere better than Woodies to buy this stuff from?

Is post and rail the cheapest route (with some kind of chicken wire?).

Any recommendations are welcome, I'm totally new to all this stuff, and totally clueless, after renting for 15 years!!

We're in Wexford if that helps?

The Continental Op

For timber you need to go to a proper timber yard just forget B7Q, Woodies etc their prices are OTT.

There are a few in Wexford but can't remember any names, long time since I was there. I'm in Waterford and I'd use somewhere like http://trihysawmills.ie. A quick google and if I was in Wexford still I'd get some prices from http://www.redmondtimber.ie, http://www.tommy-williamson.com/product/treated-timber/ as well as all the Builders Merchants who will stock most if not all of what you need, add Glambia to the list and any farmers suppliers in the area.

What you want is a farm fence (sheep fence except its for dogs) so check out Farm Relief services https://frsfarmreliefservices.ie/frs-fencing/ who might do a more sensibly priced farm type fence. Sheep wire plus a single strand is all you need but maybe have the single strand insulated so you can put an electric fencer on it if you really need to. Or if you don't need the electric fence no harm putting using single strand of barbed wire. If you have small dogs you can easily add chicken wire to a sheep fence.

looksee

As The Continental Op says, when you are living out rural get used to shopping in farmers' co-ops and sawmills. DIY stores are just not affordable or feasible for the kind of timber you will be looking for. You might get advice on who could help you with it - you will probably need to find a local digger-man and if you can find one that has or can hire a post driver that will be a good long term contact. Ask in the local co-op or any of the neighbours you might have made contact with if there is anyone with a digger locally.

Would you not consider putting in a secure run for the dogs though? That's a big area to make entirely dog-proof, especially if there are sheep around.

scarepanda

Do you have a hedge/ditch already around the garden? What size dogs do you have?

We have an old ditch down one side of our garden that has/had gaps lower down and two husky x dogs. We put in a series of posts and fixed sheep wire to it. Definitely the easiest and cheapest way to fence it off, but it's only really viable if you have larger dogs and have a ditch the other side. The sheep wire we used is only 3ft, so definitely jumpable if there's nothing the other side of it. But the gaps in the hedge were definitely large enough that the dogs would have gotten through without the wire.

For a timber fence you can get a rough price off some of the online hardware store retailers like brookstimber, but most will give you a better price over the phone/in person if your buying a decent quantity. But to be honest a good secure, long life fence is definitely worth investing in at the beginning when you have dogs so maybe look at some options that are long term but more expensive initially, timber would not fall into this category for me because it will have to be replaced in a few years and is not necessarily the cheap option anymore.

ttnov77

Wooden posts and chicken wire fence, cheap

Firblog

Radio fence / couple of zaps and they won't cross it again

elperello

You really don't need to fence 1.3 acres unless you have a lot of dogs.

Better plan is to fence a smaller area to dog proof standard and let them out for supervised exercise on the rest of the land.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283000/affordable-fencing-solution

When you say "crazy high", what sort of price are you talking?

shane b

I cant comment on current prices but I got a post and rail (4 rails) fencing erected in August 22 and it was 35 euro a meter all in. That also included string of wire along the bottom 2 rows. The previous owner had already 4 rail and post fencing in place and we were joining on to the end of it so anything else would look a bit out of place. That 35 euro a metre was a cash price too.

Round posts and sheep wire would be a lot cheaper but it wouldn't have looked the same on our property.

Calahonda52

Long-Life Creosote farm fencing posts or better, anything else in timber will rot in a few years and even with the hedges you will need it dog proof.

They don't need a 1.3 acres space, they need to be confined, 1.3 areas is a lot to looking for dogs**t

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120308906#Comment_120308906

Not sure you can get "Long-Life Creosote farm fencing posts" local Co-op had a bail of them with a sign saying they were the last ones.

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120308989#Comment_120308989

I live close to Arrabawn in nenagh and I can smell the stuff when they get a fresh load, I will check to see if thats the case still and revert

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120309182#Comment_120309182

You'd need to git it sharpish then;

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/news/sale-of-creosote-in-ireland-banned-from-spring-2023-41945437.html

The substitute stuff smells like creosote, Creocote I think it's called

Calahonda52

Thanks

Game over :( at retail level

Manta400r

I put up post and rail fence myself. Bought all the treated timber in laois sawmills, its an easy enough DIY job to do.

I rented out an auger to basically drill holes in the soil where the posts were needed and then bet them down with the sledge. Concreted them in place level with a product called post fix and then a day later when it was all set I fixed the rails to the posts using screws. Everything bought from the sawmills and if I remember it was about €750 for everything

Site is approx an acre and fence is only along the rear and 1 side of the site. Hope this helps

ttnov77

Other option is bare root hawthorn and blackthorn hedge, stockproof and great for wildlife

niallb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120331296#Comment_120331296

How long does that take to be stockproof?

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120331518#Comment_120331518

About the same length of time it takes the blackthorn to sucker up in your lawn and flower beds. Hawthorn is fine but blackthorn is a weed thats best left to farm hedges.

ttnov77

Depends how big saplings you get and how close you plant them. Double row of 5 plants per meter can be stockproof in 3-4 years?

Yes blackthorm sucker so suitable on farms and larger areas like OPs 1.3 acre, wouldn’t plant it in small garden setting for which whitethorn is better option.

ttnov77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120331518#Comment_120331518

Depends how big saplings you get and how close you plant them. Double row of 5 plants per meter can be stockproof in 3-4 years? 

Yes blackthorm sucker so suitable on farms and larger areas like OPs 1.3 acre, wouldn’t plant it in small garden setting for which whitethorn is better option.