Mount Lawley Fencing for Character Homes

Repair a fence when the frame is solid and the damage is limited. Replace it when the frame itself is failing.

On an older fence, the frame means the posts and rails. Posts carry the load and sit in damp sandy soil, so the part below ground usually goes first. A fence can look fine from the street and still wobble when you push it.

A fencer confirms the call on site. They push the posts, check the base of each one and look at how far the lean runs along the line. A single bad post is a small job. A whole run that rocks in the wind is a different job.

The quote you get after measure-up shows the work and the cost. It sets the agreed scope, though a rotten post hiding behind a good-looking panel can still change things once the old fence comes apart.

A repair suits a fence with a few isolated faults and posts that stay firm.

Typical examples are a handful of palings or Colorbond sheets knocked out by a storm, a rail that has split, or one post that has rotted while its neighbours are fine. A fencer can cut out the weak section and fit new material to match.

Repairs also suit a gate that drags on the ground. Sagging is often a hinge post that has shifted or a frame that has dropped out of square, and both can be set right without touching the rest of the fence.

The catch is age. If you are fixing a different section every year, the repairs are adding up toward the cost of a new fence without giving you one.

Replace the fence when several posts have rotted, the whole run leans, or the material has reached the end of its life.

An old fibro fence is the clearest case. Cracked fibro sheeting may contain asbestos, so it should not be snapped, drilled or broken up by hand. Removal and replacement is the safer path, and a fencer can take out the old run and build the new one in a single job.

A shared boundary raises a common worry. You do not have to settle everything with the neighbour before you get a price. Having a fencer measure the line and quote it gives you something concrete to talk through.

On a period street, a front fence that suits the house is one of the first things a buyer notices.

The right material depends on the look you want, the budget and how much upkeep you will put up with.

Timber suits a traditional front fence and sits well with a Federation facade. It needs regular treatment to last.

Colorbond steel works well down the side and back, where it is out of sight from the street. It holds up to Perth sun and wind with little upkeep.

Aluminium slat and batten gives privacy and security with a cleaner line, which suits a rear yard or a side boundary that faces a busy road.

Glass and aluminium panels are used for pool fencing, where the barrier has to meet the pool safety standard.

Many owners on older homes pair a lighter, period-style front fence with a more solid rear one. The same fencer can build the gate to match each run, so you are not coordinating two trades.

Mount Lawley's older streets are lined with mature trees. Where one grows beside the boundary, its roots can push against posts and footings, so a fencer looks at what grows near the line before setting posts.

For a Federation or inter-war home, a front fence that suits its era keeps the period facade visible, and a low timber fence leaves the frontage on show.

Near the busy Beaufort Street strip and the Astor Theatre, passing foot traffic can leave a front yard feeling exposed. A taller solid fence or a slat screen adds privacy and security. A side fence that faces a local park, such as Faull Park or Brear Park, calls for the same thinking.

For a front fence at the end of its life, the length of the run, what stands there now and the look you want from the footpath are what a fencer needs to price it.