Fencing in Ebbw Vale
Close board fencing
Close board on concrete posts is the fence we reach for most in exposed Ebbw Vale gardens, because the boards are fixed individually to strong rails and there are no thin slats to blow out.
Ebbw Vale sits high at the head of the Ebbw Fawr valley, and its gardens feel it. Winter gales come over the tops with nothing to slow them down, rain arrives sideways and the ground stays wet for weeks. A fence that would last happily in a sheltered lowland garden can be flat on the lawn after one bad night up here. Most of the fence failures we see in Ebbw Vale have the same cause: posts that were too light or set too shallow for the load the wind puts on them.
Tony and the team come over from Pontypool to put up fencing and gates designed for that exposure, and to repair runs that have already taken a hit. Quotes and advice are free. Our landscaping page for Ebbw Vale covers drainage, paving and the rest of the garden, or you can ask us to come and look.
The six kinds of fencing work we do, judged by the question that matters most at this altitude: will it still be standing in February?
Close board on concrete posts is the fence we reach for most in exposed Ebbw Vale gardens, because the boards are fixed individually to strong rails and there are no thin slats to blow out.
Panels can work in the more sheltered terraced yards of Ebbw Vale, but we recommend heavy framed panels in slotted concrete posts rather than lightweight overlap, which rarely survives a hilltop winter.
Slatted and hit and miss designs let some of the wind through, so on the most open plots in Ebbw Vale they often outlast a solid fence while still giving a good deal of privacy.
Gates on an exposed Ebbw Vale plot act like a sail on their hinges, so we use heavier posts, strong hinges and a latch that holds the gate shut in a gust rather than letting it bang.
Longer runs on the newer, more open estates higher up need posts at close spacing and careful attention to the line, because a long straight boundary in Ebbw Vale takes wind along its whole length.
After a storm in Ebbw Vale, repairs usually mean replacing snapped posts and refitting blown panels; if the rest of the run is sound, that is often all it needs.
A six-foot solid fence has a large face, and in a strong gust the whole of that face pushes on the posts. The post acts as a lever with the ground as its pivot. If it is short, thin or sitting in soft, wet soil, it rocks a little with every storm until it snaps or leans. That is why the posts matter more than the boards in a town at this height.
We set posts deeper than you might expect, in concrete shaped to shed water, and choose post size and spacing for how exposed the boundary is. On the windiest plots we may suggest a slightly lower fence, a gappy design or a hedge alongside to break the wind. The home guide on which garden fence stands up best to Welsh wind compares the options, and our local guide to fencing that lasts on exposed Ebbw Vale plots goes further.
Ebbw Vale's rain soaks into heavy ground that drains slowly, and a timber post standing in wet soil is where rot starts. Frost adds to it: water in the ground freezes, expands and can lift a shallow footing over a few winters. Shaping the concrete so rain runs away, keeping soil off the gravel boards and dealing with standing water all make a real difference.
Where a boundary sits in a wet patch, it is often worth sorting the drainage at the same time. Drainage for wet gardens in Ebbw Vale explains the usual fixes, and concrete posts or timber posts sets out why concrete is so often chosen on damp upland ground.
We build every fence in town for the worst night of the winter, not the average one.
Post depth, size and spacing chosen for how open your boundary is to the weather, not a one-size-fits-all fit.
If a couple of posts and panels will fix it, we say so. If the whole run is failing, we show you why.
Broken panels, snapped posts and old concrete are taken away, leaving the garden clear.
10 out of 10 on Checkatrade and 4.8 out of 5 on Google. You can read the reviews here.
The older terraced streets of Ebbw Vale have narrow gardens, often sloping, with a bit of shelter from the houses around them. Here fences are shorter runs, frequently stepped down the slope, and materials are usually carried in by hand. The newer estates built higher up tend to have wider, more open gardens, where the fence is the only thing between a patio and the weather.
Both kinds of garden often need more than a fence. We can pair it with a new patio in Ebbw Vale or a sheltered corner for sitting out, and a leaning wall under the fence line may need brickwork in Ebbw Vale first.
Real reviews from homeowners across Ebbw Vale — rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 69 reviews and 10/10 on Checkatrade.
“Had my patio done by the company and could not be happier. Top quality work done and quickly too.”
“I was pleased to find Tony and his lads were absolutely great! Tony responded quickly & was very polite.”
“We were delighted with the work and materials, which were of very high quality. Tony and team helped us.”
Local and practical guides to help you plan the work.
One team for the whole garden, so a single visit can price everything you have in mind.
We cover Ebbw Vale and the towns around it. Choose another area below.
T J Landscapes South Wales
24 Conway Road, Pontypool
Torfaen, NP4 6HL
We cover homes right across South Wales, from Cardiff and the coast up to the valleys and the Brecon Beacons.
Close board on concrete posts, set deep, is hard to beat on an exposed plot. Slatted and hit and miss fences also cope well because some wind passes through them. Lightweight overlap panels on thin posts are the ones we most often find flattened.
If only one or two posts have gone and the rest are sound, yes. If the posts are rotten along the run, the next storm will find the next weak one. Fence repair or replacement lists the signs.
Keep soil, compost and plants off the boards, clear water away from the posts, treat timber every few years and check the fixings after each winter. How to make a garden fence last longer gives a simple routine.
The length and height of the fence, how exposed the site is, the style and the posts, gates, the ground conditions, access and taking the old fence away. We quote for free after seeing the garden.
Tell us how long the boundary is, how exposed the garden feels in winter and whether anything has already blown down.