Why 6ft and 3ft Fence Panels are the Most Popular Sizes

Garden fencing can come in all shapes and styles – lap panels, overboards and picket fences to name just a few – and these fencing varieties can be topped off with trellises or supported by gravel boards.

However, there are two sizes which are the most popular – 3ft and 6ft fence panels, both of which we can supply from our base on the edge of Cambridge. Here we explain why these two sizes of fence panels are the ‘go-to’ products for most garden improvement projects.

 

The 6ft High Panel

Six feet roughly equates to 1.8metres in metric terms, and there are a number of reasons why fence panels are often manufactured at this height. One is the UK’s planning laws, which specify that you may need planning permission for anything over 2m tall which is not adjacent to a road or highway.

Something that is 1.8m tall is comfortably under this limit and will also give you the opportunity to add a gravelboard underneath. These can protect the base of the panel from damp soil, will help avoid rotting and dampness, and will prolong the lifespan of your panels.

There’s also the privacy angle – most adults aren’t much taller than 6ft (and certainly children aren’t), so it will protect your garden and property from any prying eyes and give you a bit more security.

At Madingley Mulch, we supply gravelboards and Superior 6ft fence panels. This style of panel is also available in 3ft heights, so you could add a trellis on top. However, to conform to planning regulations, you need to make sure the height of the two combined is still under 2m. Whichever height you opt for, our panels will give you a neutral backdrop for whatever plants you want to put in your beds (or in your lawn) and a clearly defined boundary.

 

The 3ft High Panel

3ft high panels, which we also stock at our base near Cambridge, are very popular for front gardens in particular. Again, there are planning reasons for this height – you aren’t allowed to put up a fence which is more than a metre high if it’s adjacent to a highway or road used by vehicles.

Lower fence panel heights are ideal for marking out where a property starts and ends for demarcation purposes, and don’t present much of an obstacle if you want to climb over them. You may also want to see out of your front window to see what’s going on in the street or keep an eye out for any deliveries.

Often, 3ft high panels in front gardens are picket fences, as these are more picturesque than a lap or overboard panel and look more ‘open’ and attractive from the street. At Madingley Mulch, we supply 1.8m x 0.9m picket fence panels (the 0.9m roughly equates to 3ft) – for more details follow this link.

 

Whose Responsibility Are They?

If the new fence is going up between you and your neighbour’s home, and you are worried about the legal position, then the best course of action is to check your property deeds. If there’s a ‘T’ on one side of the boundary and it’s on your side, then you can put a new fence up – but equally you are responsible for maintaining it too. If the T is on the other side, then it’s down to your neighbour.

If there’s an H on the deeds – effectively a T with an extra stroke – then it’s a shared responsibility; so talk to your neighbour about it if you haven’t already.

 

Other Fencing Products from Madingley Mulch

As well as picket and lap panel fencing, trellises and overboards, we also supply a number of other accessories if you are planning a fencing project. If you visit our online shop you can see we stock fence posts and fence post mix so you can be sure that your panels are securely anchored. You can either buy these in person from our site on the outskirts of Cambridge or you can have them delivered to your home address, provided the order comes to at least £50.

We recently changed our delivery policy to reflect our increased costs – it’s now £2 per-delivery unit if you live between 0-5 miles from our base, up to £16 if you live between 30-40 miles away. More details are available on our delivery page.

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