Galvanizing Fencing Sales

PRESS RELEASE

December 2024 

GALVANSING FENCING SALES ....

Galvanised-steel fence post systems are an easy to install alternative to concrete and timber, and are, helpfully, also available in a range of attractive colours. John Abernethie, Managing Director at Birkdale, explains what branch teams need to know to make sure customers are presented with all the options.

The ideal fence post should always provide a combination of durability, strength and aesthetics. For a trade professional, clearly it would also be great if posts could be quick and easy to install. Traditionally, it has been hard to find a solution that can meet all these requirements. However, merchant staff should be aware that today newer options exist that are worth highlighting to their customers, to help them make a truly informed decision – and potentially transform the way they work.

Timber

The traditional option for fence posts, as we know, is timber. Often viewed as the most visually pleasing, due to its natural aesthetic, timber is also popular due to its green credentials, versatility and ease of installation. Relatively lightweight, it is easy to stock in large quantities and can be moved around by one individual. However, timber is also prone to rot and warping over time, requiring regular treatment and maintenance. Timber also falls short in terms of long-term strength and durability. Often timber won’t resist heavy winds – something all areas of the UK are regularly experiencing. All in all, timber posts can only be expected to last a maximum of ten years.

Concrete

Alternatively, concrete has also been a popular choice due to its strength and weather resistance. However, concrete systems can also fail to deliver on structural longevity as they are prone to hairline cracks and chipping. This can lead to water ingress, which, when combined with cold weather, can create freeze-thaw weathering, resulting in concrete that cracks, scales or expands over time, eventually breaking and exposing steel reinforcement, all of which translate into rust and structural failure. Another drawback of concrete is its bulkiness and weight. Although this makes it more resistant to heavy winds, it also makes it more difficult to install, and brings with it increased health and safety risks. And when you think about the aesthetics, concrete is also considered a relatively unattractive solution, since it contrasts harshly with natural settings and gardens. Furthermore, concrete is incredibly damaging from a sustainability perspective. In fact, its key ingredient, cement, is responsible for between four and eight per cent of total global CO2 emissions and then, at the end of its working life, the concrete must be sent to landfill.

Galvanised steel

Thankfully, there is one solution that can harness the benefits of both timber and concrete with none of the drawbacks. Galvanised steel is around 80% lighter than concrete, meaning an 8ft post weighs 7kg. A concrete post of the same size would weigh approximately 50kg. That represents a big difference. As a result, galvanised steel posts are quicker, easier, and safer to install for the customer, and present the added bonus, for merchants, of being easier to stock in larger quantities, as the slimmer product. Galvanised steel doesn’t compromise on strength either and is able to cope better than timber and concrete with the forces of nature. In fact, despite being lightweight, steel is incredibly strong and resistant to rotting and cracking. Merchants can also emphasise to customers the fact that, along with the benefits of longevity, durability and reliability, they don’t have to compromise on appearance. Due to steel’s great strength-to-weight ratio, the fence posts offer a sleek, minimal appearance, which provides a clean finish. There are also a variety of attractive colour options available, along with matching accessories, that can help complement a variety of garden aesthetics. So, if you are dealing with a customer in branch who is looking to collect what they need for a fencing repair job, or indeed a full installation, ask them if they have considered galvanised steel. If they haven’t, and you give them a quick summary of the benefits, it might make them rethink their choice – and they may just thank you for it.