Choosing a fence for your home: when do metal pickets suit the site?

Along the street you may want a screened entrance and easy vehicle access. On the garden boundary a view of planting and room for air to pass may matter more. The infill can vary from one stretch to the next. A common colour and similar proportions help the sections look consistent.

Check sight lines at the driveway exit and pedestrian gate before deciding how closely to space the pickets. Allow room for bins, an intercom and service or letter boxes. Setting these out early makes it easier to route cables and avoids cutting into finished fence bays later.

A metal picket is an individual strip formed from thin sheet. Its ribs and folded edges contribute to its stiffness. Individual strips make the gaps easy to set and a damaged piece easy to replace. The permitted length still depends on the rails and fixings supporting it.

Coated steel has a different maintenance routine from timber treated with preservative. Clean it and inspect the coating for damage. A continuous sheet gives more screening, but also changes how wind pressure acts on the posts. Select the infill together with its supports.

Measure the clear width between the posts for each bay. Allow for picket width, intermediate gaps and clearance at the posts. A figure per linear metre is only a first estimate. Lay out whole pieces in the measured opening and record each bay separately. An extra picket in every bay can make a substantial difference to the order.

In a 2,000 mm opening, 16 pickets at 100 mm occupy 1,600 mm. The 15 gaps between them at 25 mm add 375 mm. That uses 1,975 mm and leaves 12.5 mm at each post if the infill is centred. These example dimensions illustrate the calculation. Choose actual spacing for the selected system and the appearance you want.

Inspect both faces of a sample. A finish applied on one side only may look quite different from the garden, and opening a gate brings both sides into view. A physical sample shows the reverse finish more reliably than a photograph of the front.

Graphite can tie in with roofing and window frames, but gloss and matt reflect light differently even in similar shades. Inspect woodgrain finishes up close. Durability depends on the steel, metallic protection, organic coating and site exposure. Damage from cutting or fixing can shorten the life of the finish.

The posts, foundations and rails carry the loads from each bay. Closer spacing changes the area exposed to wind. Before fitting new infill to existing posts, check for corrosion, plumb and secure anchorage. Pay particular attention to the supports at the gate.

On sloping ground decide whether to step the bays or follow the slope. Leave suitable clearance beneath the pickets for mowing and keep their ends out of wet soil. Follow the requirements of the selected system for fixings, rail count and post spacing.

A free quote should include pickets, posts, rails, fixings, end caps and labour. Check whether pickets are priced per piece or per linear metre. For a 1.5 m picket, multiply the metre rate by 1.5 before comparing it with a per-piece price. Include delivery, foundations and any removal of the old fence.

Confirm the boundary line and local requirements before buying. Base finished bay dimensions on the actual post positions. Keep installation photographs and the colour reference to help source matching parts for a future extension. Compare the cost of the complete fence against how you intend to use the property.