An A-Z of Garden Fencing Terms, Words, Jargon, Vocabulary & Gate Related Phrases

A

Acoustic garden fences and matching alley gates are designed to reduce noise coming into your garden and escaping into the wider vicinity. Acoustic fencing reflects sound waves. While no fencing can entirely eliminate noise, a well-designed acoustic fence that incorporates an alley gate can significantly reduce noise pollution by as much as 30 decibels.

Arris rails are structural supporting components of a fence, usually made of wood and set in a triangular cross-section to each panel.

Accordion fencing, also known as Jaktop fencing, looks like a trellis, but each cross panel meets to create a ‘V’ top, making it perfect for dividing spaces while keeping out unwanted guests.

B

Balustrades are often used around decking or patios to create the feeling of a designated space for entertaining. While balustrades are a finished product that might include fence post caps or fence rails, you need compacted ballast to help create a stable base for your decking or garden room. You can use ballast with cement to install fence posts.

Bird-break fencing does not hurt birds, but it does make landing and settling on your fence more difficult. The structure is like diamond fencing or Jaktop fencing, as noted above. Check out more fence panel styles here.

C

Closed board fencing (more commonly known as closeboard fencing and also known as feather board fence panels), enters the garden fencing words list as one of the best-known fencing products. Closeboard fencing is constructed with vertical wooden planks that partially overlap each other and are fixed to arris rails. It offers enhanced garden security and privacy.

Capping rails are often used on larger expanses of fencing to protect it from heavy weathering and for decorative purposes, making capping rails a useful product to know about and a handy addition to garden fencing vocabulary.

Courtyard gates are known as driveway gates in the UK, as lovely as it would be to have a courtyard to put a gate over, it is more likely you need a driveway gate. Choose the best driveway gate for you by clicking here.

D

No garden fencing words list would be complete without decking and decking kits, and every garden would be complete with decking. For any easy way to install decking, read this blog called ‘Garden Decking Designs for You.’

Decorative fencing refers to traditional or classic fence choices as well as more ornate styles, which give the installer a chance to stamp their mark on the garden. Decorative fencing is usually made of pressure treated wood and is a best seller on our site.

E

Entrance gates are self-explanatory, but did you know you can get electric gate accessories that open and close the gate remotely? Yes, it is a fact.

End grain preservation, you might think, is not garden fencing jargon, and you would be correct. However, if you do not preserve your end grain on fence posts or balustrades, you could eventually end up with rot. This leads me to fence caps; see below.

F

All the fence paraphernalia you need to install your fence posts and protect them from rot and pests. Both timber fence posts and concrete posts are options.

The difference between fence supports and spikes lies in their application:

• Fence caps - preserve the fence post end grain and promote the longevity of fence posts while looking attractive
• Fence supports - also known as post anchors or post bases, are typically used to secure and attach fence posts to a concrete base or slabbed patio area
• Fence spikes - act like fence post shoes and support the dirt end of the fence post. They are driven into the ground with the fence post inserted into the box

G

You cannot have a gate without gate posts, and you cannot have a complete fencing word roll call without gravel boards. These are essential in extending the lifespan of your fence in wet or waterlogged soil. There are two kinds of gravel boards:

• Concrete gravel boards
• Wooden gravel boards

Galvanisation is a term you do not hear every day; it refers to the process of coating metal with zinc to protect it from moisture, making galvanised nails and screws an essential part of your fencing tool kit.

H

Along with gloves, hats or safety helmets are a must for safety reasons, and let us face it, to keep out the cold and wet that greet us on most winter days in the UK.

Hit-and-miss fencing is not at all hit-and-miss. It refers to wooden fence panels constructed from two layers of wooden boards offset from each other. Hit-and-miss fencing is used in windy locations as the gaps between the panels reduce wind resistance.

I

Intermediate posts are the fence posts that are placed between the main corner fence post and the end post in a boundary line, to provide additional support and strengthen the overall stability of your fence.
 
Interwoven fencing (Interwoven Fence Panels) is often craft fencing made from willow or similar. Creating interwoven fencing is an art that has almost died out. To stop these old skills from becoming part of ancient history consider Integrated Design, integrating your old design with something new like brick and wooden fence panels or metal and concrete. For more design ideas click here.

J

Let us face it, installing a fence can be a daunting task. To make life easier, ask a neighbour or family member to help. The jokes are not compulsorily, but two pairs of hands are better than one.

Jamb posts are one of our garden fencing phrases, referring to vertical posts that flank a gate or door into your garden, just like gate posts.

K

Kissing Gates have nothing to do with Christmas or mistletoe and more to do with cattle. A gate that is designed to allow ramblers in knitwear to walk through without allowing the cows to escape.

Kickboards in garden fencing vocabulary refer to gravel boards and can be found here.

L

Lap fencing is a traditional fencing design that uses overlapping panels, also known as overlap fencing.

Lattice fence screens are used to create sectioned areas within a garden and encourage climbing plants to climb and grow on the open lattice design. Lattice fencing is great for vertical or small gardens that need to make the most of their vertical space.

Love seats (like this Forest 6’x2’ Harvington Wooden Garden Love Seat are garden seats or garden furniture designed for two people who want to sit side by side. They became popular in the UK in the 1930s and remain a garden feature today.

M

These might seem like odd garden fencing jargon, but they are positive additions to your fencing journey. Magnetic latches are a game changer if you have a gate that will not stay closed.

A mortice joint is the term for the square hole that receives the tenon joist that makes up fencing panels.

Completing your boundary fence and securing your property gives you a sense of attachment, which is fantastic for your mental health. All that fresh air and manual work are everything you need to ground yourself and help you become content with your lot!

N

Acoustic fencing is another name for noise barriers and is essential to your garden's sanctuary.

Nails are always vital to any fencing project—see our A-Z tool list.

Notching refers to cutting notches or grooves into a fence post or jamb post to allow for fixing arris rails and other components to fence posts.

O

Overlap fence panels (also called lap panels as we mentioned earlier) are a staple fencing item. They are designed to be affordable and easy to install. They have horizontal slats secured to a sturdy frame and provide stable and secure boundary fencing materials suitable for urban or rural gardens or allotments.

We do not sell orange fence stain, but we do sell fence sealant and preservatives.

Overhang is not a hangover; it is a fencing term for an area of a shed roof that overhangs to protect it from the rain.

P

Picket fencing is suitable for front gardens because it does not block out the view of the street. It can also be used to section off areas in gardens, creating a vegetable patch defining delicate flower boards.

Wooden planters are a must in small patio gardens that lack soil for shrubs and plants.

Finally, postcrete is less glamorous than a picket fence or planters but is equally important. Postcrete is the quick-set concrete mix used to install fence posts.

Q,R,S,T

A queen-size gate is generally considered to be 3'x4', while a ranch gate is large, either a double gate, or a driveway gate.

Our side gates are available in a large range of sizes and designs check the details here.

Trellis panels are also known as lattice panels; see the comments on lattice panels noted above.

U,W & Z

A uni-gate or universal gate can be hung left or right-handed and is agricultural; however, it is suitable for driveways.

Wire and mesh fencing is a practical fence offering that we do not sell but covers the 'W' for garden fencing words.

Zones are areas in your garden laid out for other purposes, encompassing all the benefits of outdoor living.

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