Composite, wood, wood-and-concrete, twin wire mesh or chain-link: choosing your fence

We have left out prices on purpose. They depend more on length, height, ground and design than on the material alone. See our guide on getting a quote.

Composite is also called WPC: Wood Plastic Composite, a mix of wood fibre and plastic. With co-extrusion (co-extrusie), the core gets an extra outer layer that resists moisture, dirt, fading and UV light better.

The boards slide into an aluminium slotted post (sleufpaal): a post of about 8×8 cm with a slot that holds the boards. A cap (afdekkap) goes on top. A concrete gravel board (onderplaat) between the posts keeps the boards off the damp ground. Where the ground level changes, it also holds back soil.

• No stain, oil or paint needed. Rinsing it now and then with water and a soft brush is enough. So it is low-maintenance, not maintenance-free.
• An even colour and a straight line, in wood-effect or anthracite.
• No splinters.

The disadvantages of a composite fence:

• It expands in the heat. Suppliers work with about 1 mm per running metre for a temperature difference of 40 °C. So the installation must leave room for movement.
• Dark colours, such as anthracite, get hot to the touch in the sun.
• It costs more to buy than a wooden fence.
• A damaged board is hard to repair invisibly; usually you replace the board.

ZuidHek installs composite in wood-effect and anthracite, with black aluminium slotted posts and concrete gravel boards.

A wooden fence usually consists of garden screens (tuinschermen): ready-made panels, often 180×180 cm, between wooden or concrete posts. Pressure-treated softwood, such as spruce (vuren) or pine (grenen), is common. Hardwood is heavier and more expensive.

• Cheaper to buy, and a single screen is easy to replace.
• A natural look. Untreated wood turns grey over time.
• Needs regular maintenance: staining, oiling or painting, depending on the type of wood and your taste.
• Can warp, crack and eventually rot, especially where the wood touches the ground.

ZuidHek does not install wooden fences. We describe wood here as an alternative, so you can compare fairly.

A wood-and-concrete fence (hout-beton) has concrete slotted posts with concrete gravel boards, and wooden screens or boards in between. A concrete post stands about one third of its length in the ground.

• Very sturdy and stands up well to wind.
• Concrete does not rot. The wood in between needs the same maintenance as a wooden fence.
• Heavy: installation needs more people and sometimes machines, and a narrow path to the garden makes it difficult.
• The concrete stays clearly visible. That does not suit every garden.

ZuidHek does not install wood-and-concrete or all-concrete fences. We do install concrete gravel boards and foundations under composite fences and mesh fencing.

Twin wire mesh (dubbelstaafmat) is a welded steel panel with two horizontal wires at each crossing. The numbers 6/5/6 and 8/6/8 are the wire thicknesses in millimetres: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. 8/6/8 is heavier and stiffer; for most gardens 6/5/6 is enough. The mesh openings are usually 200×50 mm.

• Strong and hard to push in, even by a dog or children playing.
• Little maintenance.
• Open: you keep the view and the light.
• Matching gates in the same colour.
• Without cloth or plants, it gives no privacy.

If you want more shelter, you can add windscreen cloth. This cloth catches much more wind than the open panel. Posts, fixings and foundations must be designed for that.

ZuidHek installs twin wire mesh with matching gates, with windscreen cloth if you want it.

Chain-link fencing (gaashekwerk) is wire mesh from a roll. It is pulled tight between posts with straining wire (spandraad), a tensioned wire along the top and bottom, and fixed with binding wire (binddraad).

• An affordable way to fence a long length, for example around a property, a meadow or a vegetable plot.
• A light material, and it follows sloping ground more easily than stiff panels.
• Less stiff than twin wire mesh: it can bend under pressure.
• It must be tensioned well. Slack mesh soon starts to sag.

ZuidHek installs chain-link fencing with straining wire.

• You want a closed fence with little maintenance: composite, with a gravel board.
• You want privacy for as little money as possible and do not mind regular maintenance: wood.
• You want a heavy, wind-resistant fence and the look of concrete suits your garden: wood-and-concrete.
• You want a strong, open partition, for example for children or a dog: twin wire mesh, with a matching gate.
• You want to fence a long length affordably: chain-link.
• You want it open, but sheltered at times: twin wire mesh with windscreen cloth or climbing plants.

You can also combine materials: composite by the terrace, twin wire mesh or chain-link further down the garden.