In an effort to better inform, this information page has been prepared to outline the various good and bad practices with hand packed brush fencing, which will allow a comparison of quotes and we hope will lead to higher standards of construction.
Brush Packed Tightly
Brush is often hand packed thinly by some contractors to save brush and labour, which together represent a large proportion of the cost of a fence.
Adelaide Brush only employs the best brush packers and closely supervises the work to ensure a properly built and packed fence that will last.
Brush of Good Quality
Brush is getting harder to obtain and some contractors will buy just about any quality to get a job done. Packers find it difficult to work with the coarse, bony and twisted brush and the end result cannot match that obtained when good quality, fluffy, straight brush is used.
Adelaide Brush pays a premium for the best available brush so that a professional finish on all our jobs can be effected. Our tradesmen appreciate working with fine materials and take a pride in their work.
Wiring and Clips Correctly Spaced
Normally 2.5mm soft manufacturing wire is used for brush fencing, in horizontal strands approximately 240mm apart. The wires should not span more than four bays (or sets of posts) before they return, forming a long loop. Bad practices include wiring up to as many as 10 bays in one wire span, which can lead to fence sagging.
The spacing of wire clips which go through the fence and the tension in them are quite critical for the stability and longevity of the fence. These should clamp the brush tightly and are probably the most important element in the fence with regard to possible sag of the fence in the future. Some contractors to save time, space their clips loosely and at intervals of up to a metre or more. If the clips are located too far apart or not tensioned correctly, then sag of the top of the fence is inevitable.
Adelaide Brush correctly spaces and tensions wires and clips to provide a tight and long lasting fence (horizontal wires a maximum of 240mm apart and spanning a maximum of 4 bays or 9.6 metres, clip spacings a maximum of 350mm apart).
Concrete Base - Wide and Reinforced
Nearly all new fence bases are currently built without steel reinforcing and many are only 5" (l25mm) in width. Narrow fence bases can result in sagging of the fence as the brush column can slip or get knocked off the edge of the base. Fence bases without reinforcing are more prone to cracking due to tree roots and other ground disturbance.
Adelaide Brush provides the option of steel reinforcing to provide a stronger concrete base and all our bases are the larger 6" (150mm), wide plinths to help prevent the brush column becoming dislodged.
Posts Correctly Spaced
Current practice for post spacings is around 2.4 metres for either capping or brush roll top fences. Because of the considerable weight in a brush fence, the stability of 40mm nominal bore posts is reduced if spacings are increased beyond that measure.
Adelaide Brush sets all it post spacings to a maximum of 2.35 metres to provide a stable fence and to allow all capping to be overlapped at the posts.
Posts and Spreader Rails of Good Quality
A poor practice by some contractors is to use narrow gauge black tube and then paint with "cold gal" preparations, or use "seconds" grade materials. These may look alright from the outside, but corrosion from the inside has lead to many post failures (corrosion just above the base) and rails to rust away completely.
Adelaide Brush uses all top quality hot-dipped galvanised steel or "gal tube plus (GTP)" posts of substantial wall thickness.
Contractor has a Builder's Licence
Some contractors are operating illegally without a builders licence. For professional and reliable results always use a licenced contractor.
Adelaide Brush is fully licenced to build quality brush fencing. Builder's Licence No. RL 55359.
Contractor can Provide References
It is wise practice to have a look at recent work undertaken by the contractor to see what you are likely to get for your money.
Adelaide Brush is only too happy to provide details of recent work in a nearby locality for you to have a look at.
Brush fencing is a skilled trade and requires good tradesmen and the best materials to get the best results. At Adelaide Brush we endeavour to build you a fence that not only you will be proud of, but one that will stand the test of time.
© Copyright 1998; Adelaide Brush, Fairview Park, South Australia 5126; Tel +61 8 82513309, Fax. +61 8 82893155, Mobile 0418 841 889.