Everyone is looking for good ways to maximize their usable space. The idea of outdoor living is to increase your usable space by making the outdoors part of your daily life and this requires smooth transitions between the different zones, such as from the house to the decking, anf the decking to lawn for example. To achieve this, careful planning is needed. Who will be using the space, and how will they be using it?

Properties and their gardens around London are generally small in comparison to the rest of the country. This limits what you can do compared to houses in the countryside. Most London gardens, especially in terraced houses, would have 2 or maybe 3 zones, or spaces, often made smaller with the additions and kitchen extensions.

Garden Zone 1: Dining

The first zone, or area of your garden, is immediately outside the back doors. If you add 3-4 meters of Flooring, generally installed at the same level as the interior flooring, you have started on your inside/outside living journey. I mention 3-4 meters of Flooring as this permits a dining table and 4 chairs. When planning please remember the chairs do have to be backed up for people to sit at them. If you do not build out a flooring area at least 3-4 meters you are making a path.

Gallery of House to Zone 1 Transitions

Keeping these 2 spaces, the interior and the first garden area, at the same elevation makes it feel comfortable to move between the two spaces. These is especially true for young children, seniors, or those with disabilities. It may come as no surprise that we work with these groups of customers on a regular basis. One thing young families and people with disabilities have in common is that their gardens require careful planning. Making the transition from the inside to the outside as easy as possible, and keeping the elevation the same between the interior and the first area in the garden, encourages everyone to get outside. 

If the interior of the house is higher than the garden lawn area, which is often the case after a kitchen and dining room extention, then Decking makes the best option as opposed to paving. 

Although Natural Stone or Porcelain Paving is incredibly durable, it does require building up the ground level to the interior if you are trying to match the two flooring levels. In some cases this means adding significant amounts of crushed Gravel, or MOT, to ensure the paving does not shift or move and separate over time.

Garden Zone 2: Main garden area

The transition between are 1 and area 2 are where you add your elevation changes such as steps or Ramps. If adding Ramps add a Handrail. If the elevation change is 600mm or more you are required to add a Ballustrade. Getting this section right, including the transition, will assist in your resale value.

Gallery of Staircases and Steps (Zone 1 to 2 Transitions)

How you finish this area is hugely dependent on who is living in the house and using the space, however the best solution is to give this zone to nature in one way or another. A natural lawn and grass is what we always recommend, combined with flower beds and planting, is always ideal to break up the floored zone by the back of the house and the Retreat Zone at the back of the garden. We never recommend artificial turf. 

Natural grass is a lesson in perseverance, the rewards of hard work, keeping something living alive, understanding and learning about nature and eco-systems. Worms and snails and bees and bugs are required. Decomposition is required. If you do have children this is where they learn about how things grow and possibly about how to maintain a garden, and why it is important. There is no point having an electric car out front, recycling every week, and having artificial turf in your garden. The subbase for artificial turf changes the composition of the soil underneath it and also even leads to increased chance of flooding in the neighbors properties. Not to mention artificial turf will spend 10-20 years in a garden and then sits in a landfill for thousands of years once it smells so badly of urine it had to be thrown away, leaving the artificial turf problem for hundreds of future generations to resolve once it has passed its usefulness. We feel this is the wrong way to do gardens which is why after a few installs of the stuff years ago, we stopped recommending and installing it.

So yes, we prefer natural lawns. Flower beds are always good dotted around the property. This is also a good place to run a path to connect the first and third area. If doing this in a straight line it maximises the central space which is good for kids, you may as well run this along the side that doesn’t get much sun and give the sunny side of the garden to the flower beds.

This is probably the area you would probably want to have a bbq and/or a bench, so add a small space For this between the path and the fence.

If you don’t have kids using the garden, you can really make this connecting area more interesting and play with the visuals of your garden to make it appear larger, hiding the back area of the garden by using a winding path, taller trees and planting. 

Other options to separate usable spaces is using partitions such as Trellis Fencing, Arbors, raised Planter Beds, or Hedges. This greatly helps section off areas and provides privacy and reduces visibility. This is key depending on how you wish to use the Back Garden Area, or section 3.

Garden Zone 3: The Retreat area

Maximise your usable space by finishing the end of your garden. This is the area where you can create an office or workshop, a yoga retreat or workout space, a completely separate Dining and Entertaining area, or a games area. In an ideal work you combine two of these. This is certainly where people will go to take a private phone call so it should have some outdoor seating. This is the reading area, the glass of wine area, the private retreat. Your own interests and hobbies grow in this area.

The back of the garden often has completely different natural lighting than the walk out immediately behind your house meaning it is used in a different way because of the difference in daylight.

The main obstacle is often uneven, muddy or unusable ground level . To make it work long term, finish the walls (fencing) first, then add paving or decking depending on your desired elevation and finish. We always recommend Decking, Porcelain, or sealed Natural Stone for this area as it is easiest to clean. You won’t clean this area as frequently as the area immediately adjacent to the house. Composite Decking is by far the easiest material to clean. 

One of the most popular current trends it a combination Shed & Gazebo area. The best solution for bikes, lawn mowers, and all the little bits is off the ground storage for bikes, or in the small shed section, and then the Gazebo area which would have a covered roof would be the separate covered area for Dining or a Workout area.

Keeping the garden tidy

One of the most important parts of keeping your garden tidy is adopting a minimalist attitude and planning for storage. If you aren’t going to use something in the next 12 months for sure, give it away. Managing clutter will make your garden far easier to maintain and keep clean and tidy.

However, don’t leave the storage decisions to the very end once everything is finished as you will then be cutting into your perfect garden and you will also be doing so after your budget has run out. Plan your storage from the start.

One item to mention is that we often see the areas between the Shed and the Fence completely filled in. It should not be. It can be kept clear with weed control Membrane and Gravel. It doesn’t have to be a work of art, however the important thing is not to use this small narrow corridor as a storage area. This area is for air circulation around your shed. If you fill it up, you will remove the air circulation for both your Shed and your Fence and both will rot prematurely. Keep it clear. Use your local recycling centre to get rid of the excess garbage. We often find the Car Roof Rack, bicycles, unused timber offcuts, paving slabs, and sheet materials stored in this area. This is a terrible idea. Get rid of them or store them inside. By the time you try to use them they will be stained beyond repair anyways.

Looking for ideas? Try some of the links below:

Jacksons Fencing Bin Stores, Pergolas, and Retreats

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The alternatives to timber decking frames, such as composite decking frames or aluminium decking frames, will always outlast softwood timber, however composite frames can warp over time in with high temperature fluctuations, and aluminium is expensive.

So let’s say the project you are working on has a Timber Decking Frame budget, but you keep hearing about how they all rot after 10 years, or you have seen this first hand in your own back yard. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can build a Timber Decking Frame which will last over 20 years for a small increase in price, not nearly as much as upgrading the whole decking frame to composite or plastic joists, or aluminium.

The main difference is in the materials which are used and how they are installed. This is also what makes an Oilcanfinish Timber Decking Frames different from others.

If any of the 6 key items listed below are substituted for inferior products, they can result in the entire frame needing to be replaced within 20 years of installation, in some cases within 10 years of installation. If the recommendations we follow in our Best Practice for building Timber Decking Frames is followed, you can greatly extend the life and strength of your decking project.

If some aspect of the decking frame fails, it means the entire cost of the decking has to be paid twice over the course of 20 years (waste removal, installation charges, framing timber, structural screws, and possibly some or all of the decking).

Above example based on a 6mt wide x 3mt deep (18 Square Metre) decking installation onto the back of a Terraced House using 50×150 Decking Joists and Trex Enhance Naturals Decking Boards with hidden fixings) maximising Decking Board usage without complex patterns. Prices correct as of February 2023.

Top 6 Reasons why an Oilcanfinish Timber Decking Frame is better

1. We only use Use Class 4 Timber
2. We tape our Decking Joists
3. We only use Exterior Rated Structural Screws and Bolts and End Grain Preservative.
4. We ensure our Joists off the ground
5. We pour our own concrete post footings and use Post Stand Offs.
6. We use Stainless Steel Wall Bolts with Resin Fixings

Why do we only use Use Class 4 Timber for our Decking Frames?

All timber has a Use Class Rating, from 1-5, as per British Standard EN 355-1:2006 which outlines Durability of wood and wood-based products.

Use Class 1 & Use Class 2: Internal use which is kept dry. Use Class 2 for slight risk of moisture or insect attack.

Use Class 3 : External use which is kept above ground and is coated or uncoated, such as Cladding or Fence Rails

Use Class 4: External use which has direct soil or water contact, such as fence posts or decking which is sunk into the ground.

Use Class 5: External use which will be in regular or constant contact with the ground or water, such as marine piling.

Pressure Treated Timber for sale in most Builders and Timber Merchants is Use Class 3. Use Class 4 Timber is very uncommon. In my area of South West London I have 1 local independent supplier who stocks Use Class 4 Framing Timber, in 1 size (150mm x 50mm x 4.8mt), which is Champion Timber. Our other 2 suppliers of Use Class 4 Timber are based outside of London. This is how rare it is to find it. If the merchant does not know if their Timber is Use Class 3 or 4, always consider it Use Class 3. Use Class 4 Timber is always clearly advertised as it commands a premium price.

Due to the nature of how decking is built, a void is created between the decking and the ground with limited airflow and circulation. Moisture rises from the ground into this void and creates a humid environment, especially in the UK. Oilcanfinish treat the humid void underneath decking as a Use Class 4 environment.

There are a lot of installers who will use Use Class 3 Timber, and that’s fine for them, but not for us. We want your Decking to be protected and last as long as we possibly can and if we can squeeze out an extra 5-7 years usable life span it is a significant cost savings over time.

Note this is completely different from Structural Timber Ratings (C16 or C24 or unrated) and also separate from Durability Ratings, also classed 1-5 confusingly.

Why do we use Decking Joist Tape on our Decking Frames?

Water Beading on Joist Tape

Decking Joist Tape provides 2 main advantages:

1. Water which does not run down the sides of the joists beads on the tape (as in the photo). Then it evaporates naturally. What it doesnt do is absorb into the top of the wood.
2. As the screws go down through the tape into the timber decking joist, the tape seals around the screw preventing water from travelling down the screw thread into the centre of the wood.

The tops of the joists, specifically between the decking boards, and the centre of the joists are two places where most decking frames start to initially rot and deteriorate.

We use Trex Protect Joist Tape or Walther Strong Joist Tape.

Why do we only use Exterior Rated Structural Screws and Bolts on our Decking Frames?

We regularly remove old decking frames prior to starting our work. The points where the old decking has failed are always the same, the timber joists have rotted out in all the same places. Sometimes the frames are so weak we do not even need a pry bar to take them apart, we can pull them apart with our hands.

The Bolts used to assemble your decking frame matter. If they are not rated for exterior use and also classed as structural, several problems can occur.

The screws will break. There is a big difference between structural screws and standard screws, there is also a big difference between nails and screws. Nails will bend but rarely break. Screws will break if they are not fit for purpose. Structural Screws will not break provided they have been installed at the correct frequency and in the correct locations. What you are looking for is screws which conform to BS EN 14592:2008+A1:2012 for fixings intended for load bearing structures and in the UK you can start with Carpenters Mate.

The screws will rust. If the screws rust prematurely, the rust will negatively affect the wood it is supposed to be holding in place and instead weaken the wood around the screw, resulting in the exact opposite result which was intended.

At a minimum, your structural screws should have either a Hex Head or Washer Head to pull the two pieces of timber together. Standard Countersunk screws will not do the job. The structural screws we use are either 6.7mm width or 8mm width.

Why do we ensure our Decking Joists and Frames are off the ground

Elevated Decking Frame to allow Airflow & prevent Wood Rot

There are several reasons why your decking frame needs to be off the ground.

Airflow. Your decking frame will get wet, from both rain and humidity. It does need time to occassionally dry, as much as is possible in the UK. Airflow under the decking and through the frame allows the timber to fully dry. You do not want it turning into a sauna down there as moisture will keep coming out of the ground.

Wood Rot. You want some separation between damp soil and earth and your timber decking frame. Soil is always damp and will cause the timber to rot prematurely, regardless of what Use Class rating the Timber has. Use Class 4 timber will last longer, but will still eventually rot, just not as quickly as other timbers.

Why do we pour our own new Decking Post footings?

When we pour our own footings we know exactly how deep they are, what mix has been used of Cement and Ballast, and what the footing pours are sitting on. We have removed footings which are only a few cm thickness and we have seen posts set into concrete or postcrete. Often these posts are going through the cement and sitting onto the soil or clay underneath meaning they can move over time. We set our posts onto the tops of the footings we pour, using Post Shoes to keep the bottoms of the posts off the ground. Posts in contact with the ground and soil are a weak point in a decking frame.

Posts should always be separated from the ground and should be installed using a Post Stand Off, which is a Galvanised Steel Shoe which keeps the post a few cm off the ground to allow water to run off the post, down the shoe to the ground, preventing water from gathering at the base of your post and causiong premature rot. See Simpson Strong-Tie Post Stand-Off for examples of these.

Why do we only use Stainless Steel Wall Bolts with Resin Fixings for our Decking Frames?

Stainless Steel Wall Bolts do not rust. We combine these with Stainless Steel Washers and Nuts. The alternative materials available, such as BZP Steel or Zinc Passivated, will rust over time in an exterior environment, regardless of what it says on the packaging.

There are numerous types of bolts which are faster to install, or supposedly stronger, such as Concrete Bolts which are threaded and bite into the material they are being installed into. Other options include Wall Plugs, Steel Threaded screws which have a plastic insert and Shield Anchors with steel wall inserts. All of these items require the fixing to expand into the material around it and bite into, or grab into the material. As we are working in the UK, most of the time we are attaching the Decking Wall Plates, or Ledger Boards, onto Brick walls.

We do not want to expand into either soft bricks or into Engineering bricks, as the bricks will, over time, crack and break apart. We use Resin as it forms a bond with the brickwork without the need for anything to bite into the brick work. The Resin also seals around the hole to prevent water ingress through the sides of the screw or anchor into your home.

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Repairing a damaged garden lawn sounds simple, however nature regularly introduces new obstacles to achieving the perfect lawn so it requires regular work.

You may notice it is extremely soggy after a rainfall, or extremely hard when there is no rain. Watering during dry periods will hide the issues for a while, but your lawn should be on a regular maintenance schedule just like any other living thing needs to be. Applying a 4 in 1 mixture to kill off moss and weeds every spring will help hold off some issues for awhile, however that is treating the symptoms versus dealing with the problems.

Not all issues are on the ground. Make sure you look up too as it may be a tree is above you. What type of tree it is makes a difference. Deciduous trees block sunlight and drink a lot of water as well as dropping their leaves in the autumn leading to thatch build up if not raked up. Coniferous trees drop their needles, which are acidic, and change the soil composition when the needles sit on the ground. Walk through a forest and take a good look at the big bare circle under a coniferous tree as almost nothing can grow in that acidic soil mixture caused by those needles. You will find it very difficult to grow grass anywhere under or near a coniferous tree and even if you cut down the tree you will need to gradually change the soil composition where the needles used to be. Get professionals in if this is the issue you are dealing with, both for the tree removal, and the lawn preparation.

Here is how I take care of my lawn. This short list of lawn care techniques were picked up over the 15 years I spent working on golf courses where the quality of our lawns was make or break for our business.

Scarify to remove debris from a lawn

This is the process of removing debris from a lawn. Leaves, dead grass clippings, and dead moss can build up on your lawn. This layer prevents the water and oxygen from getting through to the roots of your grass.

This can be done with a machine which has small thin blades which cut through the thatch, which is the debris build up, and ideally collects it. Your lawn will look awful immediately after a scarification, but it will come back much stronger in a couple weeks. Don’t do it the day before a garden party! You can buy these machines, search for a Lawn Scarifier with a collector bin. You can also hire more robust scarifiers.

This can also be done with a scarifier rake. The incisions won’t be as deep as a machine, however it is a more cost effective way to do it. I picked up a scarifier rake from my local garden centre for £40.00.

Time Required: 90-120 minutes for a lawn between 50-75 SqMs with a machine

Frequency: twice per year (spring and autumn)

Aerate to reduce soil compaction and improve oxygen to root systems

This is completely different from Scarifying. Unfortunately when you google lawn aeration you often get scarifiers as the search results and it is not the same thing. Aerating is the process of using small steel tines (10mm to 20mm steel tines) which punch holes into the lawn. This breaks up soil compaction, softening the lawn, and allows water and oxygen to easily flow through the lawn improving root systems and water drainage.

This is best done with a machine, which can be hired in. Purchasing lawn aerators is extremely expensive so unless you plan to use it every few weeks, which you should not do, hire one in. If using a machine you have the option of solid tines or hollow tines. If you are doing this manually your only option is solid tines.

Hollow tine aeration: There is no really good reason not to use hollow tines if hiring in a machine. Hollow tines actually remove small tubes of soil, or cores, which can then be rakes up. If using hollow tines I do recommend topdressing at the same time.

Solid tine aeration: This is, as it sounds, a row of solid spikes which you poke into the ground. You can hire a machine for this or there are manual systems such as spikes on shoes, rows of spikes attached to a long handle, and some more advanced hand held aerators. I personally stay away from the shoe-version, however note any aeration is better than no aeration.

There is one additional method of aeration which is ideal for rocky areas which I have not mentioned, this is hydro-aeration. This is the process of firing water jets into the soil to break up compaction. The advantage of hydro aeration is the extremely rapid recovery time of the grass, which is generally just a few days. It is not very popular as hiring in the equipment and operators is an expensive process and there are a limited number of companies which do this type of work, almost none which work regularly with residential customers.

Time Required: 8 Hours for 1 person for a lawn between 50-75 SqMs with a machine (half to aerate the lawn, half to clean up the area)

Frequency: once per year, in spring, is enough for a residential garden

Topdress to level your lawn and improve soil conditions

This is the process of adding a thin layer of sand and or a sand/loam mix over the surface of your lawn. This is the most effective way to kill moss. Other benefits of topdressing is that is helps level your lawn as the sand will naturally fill in small pockets which have been created over the years. It also helps break up clay.

I strongly recommend topdressing after aerating, this is how it is done at golf courses. Use horticultural sand and a soft rake or, use a firm smooth edge, like the flat back side of a lawnscaping rake. Just brush the mixture around the soil ensure you are applying it evenly. Once you are done spreading it as evenly as you can with the back of a rake, go over it again with a broom.

Do not apply more than 0.5 to 1m3 of top-dressing for every 100 square metres. The sand will disappear after two weeks time.

Time Required: 8 Hours for 2 people for a lawn between 50-75 SqMs (one person levelling the sand, one person moving the sand from curb side to the garden)

Frequency: once per year is generally sufficient

Overseed to repair patches and blend optimal lawn species in

This is the process of adding additional seed to your lawn.

If you use a lawn fertilizer, weed and moss killer treatment such as a 4 in 1, wait 4 weeks after applying that to overseed your lawn.

Cut your lawn to approximately 25mm. The temperature needs to be about 13 degrees celsius for overseeding to germinate, and will take 7-21 days in that temperature, to grow. Keep the seeds wet during this period, water in the morning and early afternoon.

Time Required: 2 Hours for a lawn between 50-75 SqMs

Frequency: once or twice per year

Garden Lawn Patch Repairs

For small bad patches of bare earth or rock hard sections that look like the surface of the moon, I recommend doing patch repairs. This is a good quick fix if most of the lawn is looking tip top.

Break up the lawn in the area, fully dig out any weeds or whatever it is which is growing in the area which is not grass. Often you will find one large weed has grown with wide leaves which have grown above the grass, killed the lawn in the surrounding area by stealing all the water and blocking the sunlight to the grass shoots. Dig the weed stems out fully, don’t just rip off the top (basically don’t be lazy).

Dig down to a depth of 30-40mm, remove the earth, there may be more weeds, rocks, toy cars, buried treasure, or large roots under the area you couldn’t see from the surface.

Most areas in the UK have fairly healthy soil conditions and a mix of 50% topsoil and 50% loam will be ideal. In some areas of heavy clay, such as where I live, I use 50% horticultural sand and 50% topsoil instead. Mix these in a small bucket with a hand rake. Once this is fully mixed, add in a suitable lawn seed into the mix for the sunlight conditions the area receives. Do these very gently, you do not want to break the seeds.

Now go around your garden and fill in all the potholes you created. Tamp down the areas gently. You want these potholes to be slightly proud of the ground around them as because you disturbed the ground it will compact back down again.

Water the patch daily, the best time is in the morning and the best way to do it is with a watering can or a very very light setting on a garden hose nozzle, you do not want to spray these areas with any pressure. Do not walk on the areas for 3-4 weeks. You should see the first shoots of grass in 7-14 days provided it is over 13 degrees celsius.

Horticultural Sand and Seeds, Scarifying Rakes, a 4 Prong Aerating Tool are all available from your local gardening centre. This work doesn’t need to be expensive.

In terms of what order to do the above,  If you apply a Spring 4 in 1 mixture of Fertilizer, Weed & Moss killer, you need to wait 4 weeks afterwards. Then Scarify, Aerate, Topdress then wait 2-3 weeks and overseed. Wait 3 weeks and from there onwards do Patch Repairs

It is very rewarding seeing the results, especially those first few shoots of grass. Remember to be patient and you won’t be damaging anything permanently, if if it doesn’t grow try to identify the reason why (sunlight, water, oxygen, ground temperature and soil composition are the usual reasons) you can do it all again.

Gardening requires patience, you will not change your lawn overnight and almost everything you do from the above list will take 2-3 weeks to see visible results.

Happy gardening folks, and remember if it all goes south in your garden and all the grass dies and you are down to bare earth, you don’t have to hire a turf cutter anymore as there is no turf to cut! You can just go straight to the rotivator phase of preparing the area for fresh lawn turf or seeding.

Please get in touch if you have any questions. Remember that not all of this advice will assist all gardens.

Looking for information on our Landscaping business, visit https://oilcanfinish.com

The post How to repair a damaged garden lawn appeared first on Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living.

There are a significant number of options to choose from when building a slatted fence or cladding a building. The information below is designed for slat fence planning but is equally relevant for cladding a summerhouse or garden building. Before you proceed or hire someone to install your fence you should consider the following: Height of the fence. Length of the fence. Gap size between slats, Width of the slats. Thickness of the slats. Do you want vertical battens to cover where the slats meet each other? Your installer will be able to advise you on all of these options, however you should do some research first to inform yourself as it is a significant investment in your property. The main consideration we are focusing on for these projects is what type of wood to use to get the most for your money.

The impact of wood selection on costs

The wood you select is the main variable in the cost of your fence or cladding. The labour costs does not change that much unless you decide to look at non-timber products, consider enhanced treatment options such as Shou Sugi Ban (charring the wood prior to installation), or using hardwoods which almost always require pilot holes to be drilled for each screw which means more time and labour. The general rule is that the longer the usable life of the wood, the more expensive the wood will be.

The first thing to be clear on is that cost savings in wood selection means a reduced life span of the installed structure, whether it is a fence, a summerhouse, or another garden structure such as a pergola.

When comparing price, compare apples with apples. Using wood with a shorter usable life such as 15 years softwood versus 50 years cedar or hardwood means paying for the entire project two or three times (labour for removal of old fencing, waste carrier costs, the materials and labour for your second and third fence installation). Choosing a 15 year life span wood does indeed mean over 45 years you will be paying for 3 installations of softwood versus 1 installation of cedar or hardwood. Comparing cedar with other softwoods may appear less expensive in the short term, but it is comparing apples with oranges

The main contributing factors of exterior timber failure are:

1. Moisture
2. Insect Attack
3. Natural Durability of chosen timber
4. Preservative treatment used

We are focusing on Natural Durability and Preservative treatments in this article. We will discuss Moisture and Insect attack elsewhere, however the long and short of those two items is 1. the drier you can keep your fence the longer it will last, specifically where it meets the ground and 2. the less debris, soil, and other rotting wood which is touching your fence, the less insects will be attacking your wood. 

British Standards Use Classes for Timber

Timber Use Classes – BS EN 335-1
UC 1 Internal, dry
UC 2 Internal, risk of wetting
UC 3 Outdoors, above ground
UC 4 Outdoors, Direct soil or fresh water contact
UC 5 Outdoors, Constant contact with the ground or water (underwater)

British Standards set out these Use Classes for timber. This gives a clear guideline on which timber should be used for the environment it will be installed in. For exterior fences and cladding, we are looking at Use Class 3 and 4. Use Class 4 timber is always more expensive than Use Class 3.

The treatment process (for Use Class 3 and 4) generally tints the wood to a light green or brown colour versus untreated timber (Use Class 1-2). Use Class 3 can include both Dip Treated or Pressure Treated. You will notice the price difference between Dip Treated and Pressure Treated if looking at Fence Panels as dip treated is less expensive as it has not penetrated the wood as deeply and acts as an exterior coating. Dip treated products will not last as long as pressure treated products. Pressure Treated wood means the wood has the treatment on and beneath the surface, however it does not go all the way through the wood.

If you are unsure if the timber you are considering is Use Class 3 or 4, ask your timber merchant. If you are not speaking to a dedicated timber merchant, you should be as they are specialists in this specific subject. Generally Use Class 4 is the highest class readily available and as it has an enhanced service life, and this is a unique selling feature which commands a higher price, it should be clearly marked on the merchants website or in store. If it is not marked, and no one can verify it is Use Class 4, consider it Use Class 3.

Use Class 5 is generally reserved for maritime applications such as Ship Building and Dock Pilings.

Varieties of Wood for Slatted Fencing and Cladding

Softwood timber is the entry level for exterior timber in terms of price. These include Spruce, Pine, or Redwood and, if treated correctly, will last between 8-15 years. Any timber installed outside must be pressure treated to a minimum of Use Class 3, and Use Class 4 if in direct contact with the ground. This can be extended by using timbers with enhanced pressure treatment, such as those used by Jackson’s Fencing in their fence panels, posts, and gravel boards. 

Larch, specifically Siberian Larch, is a good upgrade option which has properties which enhance it’s longevity over most Softwoods. Larch also has a more attractive colour palette and stains to nice shades of orange and brown. If choosing Larch, those produced in higher altitudes fare better than UK grown Larch. Larch is fairly consistent in terms of colour and has a service life of 50 years if treated correctly.

Canadian Western Red Cedar is the premium option for slat fencing. It’s longevity stems from Cedar’s natural resistances to fungus, wood boring insects, and rot. It is also more resistant to twisting. One other advantage of cedar is the slight variations of colours with oranges, reds, and browns giving a softer, more natural appearance. Cedar is capable of lasting over 50 years if treated correctly. The house I grew up in was clad in cedar 48 years ago with no signs of needing replacement.

Hardwood exterior timber, if treated correctly, will last over 50 years. Popular hardwoods for slatted fencing generally focus on tropical hardwoods and include Balau, Iroko, Red Grandis, Sapele, Teak, and Meranti. Hardwoods do require slightly more labour than softwoods on installation as pre drilling is always required for hardwoods to prevent the wood from splitting. Hardwoods have very strong natural immunity to rot and insect attacks, specifically tropical hardwoods. They also have the benefit of being less susceptible to warping or twisting, Any of these timbers will last over 50 years if treated correctly.

How should I treat softwood slat fencing? Oil, Paint, and Heat Treatments

Most slat fencing materials will turn silver in colour after 2-3 years of UV rays in sunlight. To retain the existing colour of a wood installed outside you would need to use a UV Resistant Oil which would most likely need to be applied every 12 months. Alternately, you can paint or stain your slat fence which will protect it for 5-10 years. Check the paint or stain manufacturers guidelines on painting and staining. They should have a data sheet available for download which will indicate how long the treatment should last, what temperature it should be applied in. Stick to their guidance, If the datasheet says it will last 10 years, this does not mean ignore your fence for 10 years, conditions vary depending on moisture, sunlight, plants, bird poop, frost, coniferous trees dropping their acidic needles on the timber annually, animals scratching the wood, resting things against the timber for years, too many factors to mention here. Keep it clean and remove these items as soon as possible. 

Our recommendation for staining is to always use a UV Resistant Oil Based product. Water based stains may flake over time requiring the entire surface to be sanded prior to retreatment, which is a tricky project for slat fencing due to the nooks and crannies to be sanded down. Oil based products are more likely to fade versus flaking.

If choosing Cedar or Hardwood, a clear Oil is highly recommended. If applied regularly, it will reduce colour fading. On colour fading, this occurs more rapidly in areas which receive higher UV light from the sun and/or areas which are highly exposed to wind. A good example of this is the top sections of a summerhouse which is located beside a fence. The lower sections of the summerhouse will receive less sunlight throughout the day due to the fence and also are more protected from wind which constantly dries out the wood meaning they will fade less. The areas above the fence receive more daylight and are less protected from the wind meaning they will fade more quickly.

One other option to consider for treatment is heat treatments. Charring the wood prior to installation using a torch is a process known as Shou Sugi Ban and gives the wood a waterproof seal and a blackened appearance. It still can and should be oiled afterwards and regularly to preserve the appearance. If considering this option, you should employ a professional installer. Gas torches used in this manner are extremely dangerous and it is possible to damage the materials, the surrounding area, or yourself and it is highly unlikely your insurance company will be sympathetic in paying for damages you may cause.

There is one other option if considering a heat treatment process for cladding is to purchase wood which has already been heat treated such as Thermowood or Iro Timber.

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