When it comes to your fence posts, chances are you’ll find yourself with a choice between two of the most popular options – timber, or concrete fencing posts. Now, we know that it’s not always an easy or straightforward choice to make. There are a lot of different factors to consider, and your own personal tastes and priorities will naturally have a big impact on your decision. So if you’re having trouble settling on a final decision, we’re here to help right here at Welch Fencing.
As a trusted manufacturer of concrete fence posts, we provide a wide range of both types of fencing panels to choose from, and our own in-house fleet means that we can deliver your chosen fence posts right to your door. So, let’s break down the key aspects of each different type of fence post, so you can work out which one’s best for you.
Appearance and aesthetics
The overall feel and atmosphere of your outdoor space is hugely dependent on how it looks, so appearance and aesthetics are obviously a priority for many homeowners.
Concrete fence posts
The characteristic light grey colour of concrete fence posts pretty much stays consistent throughout their entire lifespan. That means you can rely on their clean, modern look to stay essentially unchanged, making them a particularly fitting choice if you’re after a more contemporary feel in your garden. However, they’re equally well suited to a wide range of settings and environments, so they’re still an excellent choice even if you’ve got a more traditional look in mind for your garden!
Timber fence posts
The natural appeal of timber makes it the perfect choice for traditional surroundings or rural areas, as it’s capable of blending seamlessly in with the other aspects of your garden, such as trees, hedgerows and wooden decking. Wooden fence posts tend to have a slight orange or green hue initially, depending on exactly how they’ve been treated, but this will soon settle to a nice ash brown colour. If you’d like, you can even add a bit of visual flair in the form of ornate timber fence caps, infusing your space with extra character and personality.
Strength, durability and maintenance
Concrete fence posts obviously have a good head-start on this one, but that’s no reason to dismiss timber fence posts offhand – they’re equally solid choices which can be easily maintained once you’ve established a good routine.
Concrete fence posts
The strength and durability of concrete fence posts are some of their main draws for most buyers, especially when considered alongside their exceptionally long lifespan. Concrete fence posts can last for up to 25 years, and all with a minimal level of maintenance. They’re immune to rot and insect attack, and all they need is a wash down every so often with warm, soapy water.
And of course, their strength speaks for itself. They can easily withstand even the toughest of elements, standing up easily to even the strongest winds thanks to the steel reinforcement bars in each post.
Timber fence posts
Though timber fence posts might have a shorter lifespan than their concrete counterparts, it’s still pretty impressive. Pressure treated wood won’t need coating in preservative for between 10 to 15 years, whereas untreated timber posts will need to be treated every year or so, depending on what type of timber they’re made from. That’s unlikely to be too much of a hassle, since we tend to recommend making a quick inspection of your fencing on an annual basis anyway. Whatever type of fence posts you end up choosing – timber or concrete – you’ll still need to be re-treating your actual wooden fence panels on a regular basis anyway, so if you opt for timber fence posts then it’s a simple matter to simply treat your posts and your panels all in one go.
Ease of installation
Installing fence posts isn’t the kind of thing you can get done and dusted in a few minutes, whatever material of fence panels you choose. Having said that, the installation process varies slightly between each type of post.
Concrete fence posts
The sheer weight of concrete posts is obviously one of the biggest considerations with installing concrete fence posts, and it’s a job that generally requires at least two or three people – especially if you’ve not got much previous experience.
Like timber fence posts, the bottom of each concrete post will need to be driven two feet into the ground, in order to ensure proper stability and safety. (We supply concrete fence posts in lengths of up to 10 feet here at Welch Fencing, so you can be sure we’ll have posts large enough to suit you!) Concrete posts can also be used to create fencing on a slope – as long as they are evenly spaced and being driven down to an appropriate depth, sloped gardens should pose no problem.
Timber fence posts
Timber fence posts weigh less than even the lightest of concrete posts, which makes them slightly easier to install from the off. In fact, it may even take just one person to do the job, depending on the type of wood and the size of the posts in question. However, if you’re not experienced or not very confident, it’s always best to get a friend to help you out regardless. Here at Welch Fencing, we also supply metal post spikes for timber fence posts, designed to be driven down to the requisite two feet – these provide an alternative to setting fence posts in concrete, and save you from any need to dig.
The cost of timber fence posts vs concrete fence posts
Ah, that eternal question of budget. Now, in some ways the answer might first appear to be obvious – concrete fence posts are the more expensive of the two, with timber fence posts being a popular choice of anyone on a tight budget for their garden project. However, the minimal maintenance and exceptional longevity of concrete fence posts means that many homeowners see them as the more economical choice in the long run. When it comes right down to it, there is no objectively better choice between the two – it all comes down to what your priorities are for your space, and what you’ve got in mind.
Whatever the case, we’re here to help at Welch Fencing, with a wide range of timber fence posts and concrete fence posts for sale right here on our website. We are an established manufacturer of concrete fencing posts, with our own fleet of delivery vehicles at our disposal – so if you’ve ever wondered: where can I get some concrete posts delivered to me, then look no further!
And if you have any questions or you need any more detailed information, feel free to contact us on 01772 336 476, or fire us a quick email on sales@garden-fence-panels.co.uk.
