Medium sized front gardens, especially on wider properties like this one, are often underused. Vehicles have to be considered, a clear walking path, and some planters and beds to soften the look and feel.Bikes, scooters, prams, and Recycling Bins.

Most houses now have 3-5 recycling bins. As collections moved from 1 week to 2 weeks, recycling bins had to become larger. They now dominate a section of the front garden and as important as recycling bins are, they are ugly. Recycling bins destroy designed garden schemes, stand well above beautiful plants ensuring they are visible, and are unfortunately a variety of colours and sizes.

Pram wheels get dirty, unpacking them completely seems a bit pointless, and having them dominate the front entrance to a home also raises its own interior design questions.

Bikes and Scooters are never clean. Never. But always required for every journey.

The idea behind this project was to make use of an area of the garden which was completely unused, tidy up the property boundary in an attractive, modern design style. The fencing was designed to suit both the client and their neighbors and afford both of them some privacy.

The multiuse Bin Store and Shed solved the rest of the issues.

For the fencing, due to the 1.5mt difference in elevation between the two properties, we had to utilise 3.9mt fence posts. Naturally we used Jacksons Fencing posts as they come with a 25 year Jakcure Service Life Guarantee. These posts are the main support structure for the entire project and are the last thing you want to replace. Each fence post also has adjustable Stainless Steel Resin Bolts, with washers and nuts on both sides of the post, attaching them to the wall, as well as being concreted into the ground. Having the posts 15cm from the wall, with washers and nuts on either side of the posts, allows for minor adjustments to be made over time if required. Easy, one tool maintenance, with only a spanner required.

The contemporary screen fence is made of 20x44mm Chamfered and Planed Smooth Redwood Slats from Champion Timber. These slats are smooth to the touch amd are treated to Use Class 4 against insect attack and wood rot, the highest level used in residential environments (Use Class 5 is used primarily in Marine environments). The slats are attached with Stainless Steel nails to avoid the unsightly rust lines that will form over time when Carbon Steel nails are used, regardless if they are Painted, Coated, or Galvanised.

The bin store has 5 bays with top and front opening doors. To secure the front and divider sections of the bin store over time, we sunk a 50x125mm Composite Joist in the ground with Composite Posts. Composite Materials are ideal for underground uses like this as they will never rot. We attached the front sections of our bin store to this buried Composite Bearer to prevent movement over time to keep the doors in good working order. Again, if adjustments are required the fixings are accessible.

The Storage Shed at the end of the bin store was built slightly differently. We had to keep the same Slatted appearance, but it’s function was slightly more important. The top of the Shed has a Waterproof Polycarbonate Sheet which keeps everything dry inside. On top of the Polycarbonate sheet we have a Slat Panel to keep the appearance consistent.

The door to the Bin Store was larger and a slightly odd shape compared to the Bin Store Doors, so it was constructed out of light weight, rust free alumimium.

For the hardware, we used Stainless Steel Parliament Hinges for all doors, 22 hinges in total, with stainless steel screws. This again prevents rust from damaging the appearance. Aluminium is one of the few metals which does not cause Galvanic Corrossion when it is in direct contact with Stainless Steel.

We used small tube handles on the Bin Store Doors to keep their appearance minimal, and a Stainless Steel switch deadbolt latch for the Shed.

This was a bespoke project to meet the specific needs of this property and clients. The main obstacle to this project was the elevation change at ground level. It slopes in 2 different directions towards the front door of the house. The front of the bin store is taller than the back of the bin store, hence the angle on the shed door.

The advantage of bespoke is that everything is made to suit the specific space and no space is wasted. The disadvantage of bespoke is usually the cost when compared to factory made products, however it is not a like for like comparison as one is unique to the space it resides, and the other is a fast-built box which has to fit into the space.

If you like the idea of a solidly constructed Bin Store, but have a level ground surface already, take a look at Jacksons Fencing Bin Stores which also come with a 25 Year Guarantee and are straightforward to assemble significantly reducing the cost.

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The previous fencing had begun to rot and the old double gates had dropped and fallen out of alignment with eachother making it impossible to close them securely. The clients regularly use the side gate, as the weekly tradesmen entrance for the gardening team. The brick piers were in various states, with some having failed mortar which required resetting and one to the left of the double gates being completely out of level. This post was deemed to be outside the scope of this project,

As always, we recommended Jacksons Fencing products for their quality, detail, and 25 Year Jakcure Service Life Guarantee. All materials had to be customised on site to fit the area. The bays between the brick piers on this bespoke fencing project in Wimbledon SW19 were all different heights and widths so standard products would not work. If you are familiar with SW19 post code, this property is at the top of a steep hill leading from Ridgeway and Wimbledon Village down to Wimbledon town centre, so to offset the varying height changes on the street, It was decided the top line would be consistent on either side of the entry for consistency.

The double gates are hung on galvanised steel posts which have been clad with matching timber to the gates. The gates themselves have a galvanised steel frame within the body of the doors to prevent them from dropping over their lifespan. They have also been factory fitted with a Jacksons Fencing J Lock which is keyed on both sides. They also have drop bolts for both gates to make it east to secure the property. The posts and centre drop bolts have been cleaned up with freshly laid tarmac to provide an easy to clean and maintain area.

The clients also had an old Oak Pedestrian side gate which we refinished taking off decades of stains and greyed wood fibres bring it back to its former glory,

Visit Oilcanfinish Outdoor Livings main Fencing Page for more details on our fencing options.

Visit Jacksons Fencing to view their product lines in more detail at https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

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Visit Jacksons Fencing to view this specific double gate in more detail at https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

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The goal was to expand the upper area to provide a more functional outdoor seating area for this foodie family. It quickly grew arms and legs with a vastly superior staircase, glass and stainless steel ballustrade, refinishing their exterior Larch cladding, doors, and windows, installing Jacksons Fencing in the front garden fencing, and that’s just from us. Another great group of landscapers redid the rest of the lower garden with a new path, rotivating and returfing, a new shed, and more.

Decking Frame & Bearers

We extended the existing decking outwards into the garden. This Yellow Balau Hardwood Decking Installation required adding new joists, bearers, and a new run of posts to support the leading edge. For this job we used 6 Millboard Composite Posts and Jacksons Fencing Decking Joists and Bearers.

Hardwood Decking and Staircase Installation

We used smooth Yellow Balau Hardwood Decking to match the existing decking. In a short amount of time the colours of the old and the new will match perfectly. We created a herringbone pattern where the old and the new decking boards met to make the transition a feature versus trying to hide the joint.

The Staircase was custom built with three bespoke stringers made on site. The previous staircase was running parallel to the rear of the house, we extended it directly out into the side of the garden.

Glass Ballustrade Installation with Stainless Steel Posts and Handrail

The Glass Ballustrade and Stainless Steel posts and Handrail are from Q-Railing, supplied by oue good friends at Arbordeck. The Glass Ballustrade is the main feature of this deck project now as it provides a continuous view from the Kitchen and Dining Area out to the rear of this garden. It no longer feels like several separate areas, which was always the goal. More information on Arbordeck Railings is available here https://www.arbordeck.co.uk/railing/

Get in touch

Please email enquiry@oilcanfinish.com to schedule a visit to discuss your project.

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British Standard 476: Fire Tests on Building Materials and Structures

Construction products have one of the following 3 labels. The three labels relate to a products mandatory reaction to fire classification in the UK. This can be achieved through the National classes, using the BS 476 suite of tests resulting in one of the following 3 labels:

• A1 / non-combustible
• A2 / of limited-combustibility
• B-F / combustible

BS EN 13501-1: Fire Classification of Construction Products

BS EN 13501-1 is the standard fire classification assigned to construction products that enable products to be CE Marked, as required by The Construction Products Regulation (EU) No 305/2011

To CE Mark products, they must be classed through the Euroclass system. The Euroclass system has 7 levels/ratings. This is the first measurement of BS EN 13501-1 classification:

• A1 – Non-combustible
• A2 – Limited combustibility
• B – Combustable
• C – Minor contribution to fire
• D – Medium contribution to fire
• E – High contribution to fire
• F – Easily Flamable

The second measurement of BS EN 13501-1 classification is smoke emission during combustion:

• S1 Quantity/speed of emission absent or weak
• S2 Quantity/speed of emission of average intensity
• S3 Quantity/speed of emission of high intensity

The third measurement of BS EN 13501-1 classification is the level of production of flaming droplets/particles during combustion:

• D0 No dripping
• D1 Low dripping
• D2 High dripping

So, now we have our definitions, let’s look at how this applies in a practical application for your project. When you select any construction products, look for the 6 digit code which should be alongside the classification EN 13501. Note you may also wish to look into EN 12467 to check durability and strength classifications at the same time.

Choose Cladding with a Euroclass Fire Rating

• As a homeowner, the safest method of cladding selection is do not use products which do not have a Euroclass fire rating, specifically for cladding. These cladding products have not been submitted for approval for a reason. It may be because they are not required for approval across multiple geographic regions which use the Euroclass system, however there is no shartage of options for products which do have a rating. We would not recommend products which do not have a clear Euroclass rating, regardless of the manufacturers reasoning for not getting their products tested.
• Products should be clearly CE Marked, have the classification EN 13501, and have a 6 digit code which includes all 3 ratings.
• In most cases you will need to find the Declaration of Performance or Product Data Sheet on the manufacturers website as most retailers do not display this information on their websites.

For example, we had a recent project including a Garden Building where the fire rating was classed from day 1 as important to both us and the end customer (and their children most importantly). We used Cedral Weatherboard Fibre Cement Cladding which is rated A2-s1, d0. To break that down that is:

• A2 – Limited combustibility
• s1 – Quantity/speed of smoke emission absent or weak
• d0 – No dripping of flaming droplets during combustion

Building regulations and fire proof materials for Garden Buildings:

The text below is directly taken from the UK government Planning Portal. One key element to note is at the very bottom in bold. if you are building your garden building within 1 mt of your property boundary your garden building must be constructed substantially of non-combustible materials. If you don’t, you can be asked to amend it, or remove it, at your expense. Best to do it properly the first time.

From the Planning Portal:

If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.

This section provides you with general information to help you comply with the Building Regulations when constructing a new outbuilding within the boundaries of an existing property, such as:

• garage or carport
• summerhouse or shed
• greenhouse

Building a new garage attached to an existing home would normally need building regulations approval.

Building a new attached carport (open on at least two sides) would not normally require building regulations approval if it is less than 30 square metres in floor area.

Building a detached garage of less than 30 square metres floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:

• the floor area of the detached garage is less than 15 square metres.
• the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.

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As a consumer, one of the main issues is a lack of information of which product to use combined with a lack of clarity on product packaging regarding levels of corrosion resistance, suitable installation use, and usable life.

Issues using incorrect fixings

Corredere (latin) Corrosion, for Fixings the oxidisation of iron causes rusting.

These are the 4 main types you will need to be aware of when planning your garden construction, whether it is a Garden Building, Decking, Pergola, Fencing, Seating or Garden Furniture, or whatever else it is you are building.

1. Armosperic Corrosion, the main causes are when the iron in metal is exposed to too much moisture (water) or oxygen Metal corrodes when it reacts with another substance such as oxygen, hydrogen, an electrical current or even dirt and bacteria.
2. Chemical (Dry) Corrosion occurs on a location where a given metal is under stress or isolated from air circulation. It occurs whenever a gas or liquid chemically attacks an exposed surface, often a metal, and is accelerated by warm temperatures and by acids and salts. This includes Galvanic (Bimettalic) Corrosion, when 2 dissimilar metals are immersed in conductive solution together. Avoid by separating materials, use the same materials, coating both materials, installing a sacrificial anode.
3. Contact corrosion, metals of different types are in contact with eachother (A2 and Galvanised for example)
4. Extranneous Rust comes when objects that rust coming into contact with stainless steel. This includes using tools which have previously been used with Carbon Steel which are then used on stainless steel leaving some carbon behind (such as Impact Driver Bits), sparks when using an angle grinder, or water containing rust dripping onto stainless steel.

So, what products are out there? Which products should you buy?

Stainless Steel A2 and A4

• A2 304 Stainless Steel – interior and exterior uses, kitchens and bathrooms, humid areas, high chrome content
• A4 316 Stainless Steel, marine grade, – interior and exterior use near salt water in coastal areas, high chrome content
• Recommendation: There are very situations where A4 is required, unless you live near the sea (or near a chemical factory)

Hot Dipped Galvanised vs Electroplated Galvanised

• Galvanised via Hot Dipped treatment (zinc with galvanised coating) exterior use
• Galvanised via electeoplating (bright, shiny, zinc yellow passivated) bad for Redwoods, Spruce, Treated Timber leaving black marks around screw head leading to rust. These are recommended for interior use, not in bathrooms or kitchens.
• Recommendation: Do not use Electroplated screws for exterior installations. They will rust very quickly.

Ruspert/Silverised vs Painted/Plastic Coated

• Ruspert (trademarked brand), Silverised exterior use
• Painted or Plastic Coated Carbon Steel (!) Carbon steel does not have enough chromium to form a chromium oxide layer. This allows oxygen to bond with the iron in carbon, resulting in iron oxide, or rust.
  • The impact driver bit you use to install them will scratch off the exterior paint or plastic coating and the carbon will be exposed seconds after install them… Just don’t use them. 
  • You will find boxes of 2500 Coated Carbon Steel Decking Screws for £20.00, keep shopping. Note this is a popular screw choice due to its price, it results in lower decking installation quotes. The rust formed on these screws will increase the breakdown of the wood at the cut ends, we see this weekly. Generally the screws are Green or Brown. When removed the entire thread is covered in rust which destroyed the wood around it, specifically Redwood Decking.
• Recommendation: For tasks such as wood to wood structural fixings look for treatments such as Ruspert, Silverised, C2 (Timco), or Wirox (Spax).

Applications & Head Types: Choosing the correct screws for decking and outdoor projects

Here are the screws we use for Cladding & Fencing & Decking projects:

• Nails
  • Cladding & Slat Fencing – Lost head nails
  • Featheredge Fencing – Clipped head or Round head nails
    • The issue with lost head is also its advantage. Lost heads are tapped down so they are almost invisible while clipped or round head have a small round circle which is visible. The round head pulls the cladding towards the support batten, the lost head does not. Style-wise the increased demand for hidden fixings does slightly reduce the force holding the cladding in place
  • Nail Shank – ring shank for added holding ability, less nail movement
  • Nail Material – stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised, we use stainless steel wherever possible

• Screws
  • Cladding – Spax Stainless Steel Fassade installed with a Wera Stainless Steel driver bit
  • Fencing – Jacksons Fencing Screws for Timber Fencing
  • Decking projects – Trex Decking and Millboard decking have their own screws which we use. We also use these screws for Hardwood Decking Projects

Here are the screws we use for Structural Projects such as Pergolas, Carports, Decking Projects:

This is where load bearing is the most important aspect for safety and durability reasons. We use Spax High Force Washer Head or TIMco A4 Stainless Index Screws depending on how exposed the screw head will be to water (TIMco A4 for high, direct exposure, Spax for indirect exposure). We find the Spax screws visibly pull the materials together.

Installation Notes

• SS is Non-hardened so easier to strip the heads, go slow, do it once, then leave it. Especially with Pan Head screws.  Removing and reinstalling the screws is a mistake.
• Don’t use impact drivers unless on very low vibration settings with brand new, clean bits which are made of the same materials being installed. High vibration tools make small cuts in the  protective coating on the screw or bolt right at the head which is especially damaging on applications which are horizontal (decking) where the screw head will “catch and hold” water.
• Extranneous Rust – We use Stainless Steel driver bits to prevent extranneous rust getting onto our Screws. This is when a small amount of rust on the bit gets onto the screw when installed. It also comes from wrenches, pliers, sockets, and spanners. Use stainless tools for stainless fixings.

Other Treatments to be aware of:

Re-galvanising Spray 

If you are cutting galvanised brackets, door latches, etc… First remember this gives off poisonous fumes so wear the correct mask, do it outdoors, and use a hand saw vs an angle grinder or cut off saw. Second, file down the burrs and then respray the cut end with re-galvanising spray. You can get this is a small spray can from most tool and material suppliers, I got mine from Screwfix. Watch your overspray and let it dry before installing.

Lithium Grease

Spraying exterior metal with a Lithium Grease, such as WD-40 White Lithium Grease will not only keep moving parts lubricated but also protect it against rust. Handy for garden tools as well. Again, a small spray can with nozzle from Screwfix will last you a long time.

Powdercoating

This is something you cant do at home. Powdercoating is a method of painting which results in a consistent, strong, protective finish to metal. You often find this used as a finish for Car Parts  or in our case, Exterior Brackets for Fencing, Pergolas, Sleeper Beds and it provides an additional layer of protection to the Galvanised product underneath. You can find specialist companies which will Powder Coat your steel products. Powdercoating is not an alternative to galvanising, but an enhancement to it.

Painting

There are several paints which are specifically designed for steel. Zinnser, Andura, and Hammerite being some examples. Automotive and Marine Grade paints are ideal. These do not last as long as they used to, probably with the removal of hardful ingredients we used to all ignore. Ensure what you are painting is as clean as it can be, free of any flakes or peeling. Use a sander/polisher to fully clean out any pitted areas and paint your object in a clean dry area free from dust. Remember the work area has to remain clean, dry, and free of dust until the paint has set. Car Bodyshops used to spray water on the floor prior to painting to keep dust down, not sure if they still do, but thats what I do.

Resources and Links

British Stainless Steel Association https://bssa.org.uk/

Exterior Screws, Bolts, and Nails

Spax https://www.spax.com/uk/

Timco https://timco.co.uk/

Jacksons Fencing https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

Stainless Steel Tools & Exterior Brackets

Wera https://www-de.wera.de/en/

S3i https://www.s3i.co.uk/

Simpson Strong Tie https://www.strongtie.co.uk/

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For more details on the Timbabuild Epoxy Wood Repair System please visit their website at Timbabuild

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