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A–Z
Fencing glossary
Every term you're likely to meet on a fencing quote or spec sheet, in plain English. If a word on your drawing isn't here, give us a call and we'll explain it.
#
- 358 mesh
- Welded mesh named after its 3in x 0.5in aperture and 8 gauge wire. The gaps are too small for fingers or a toe-hold, which is what makes it anti-climb. Read more
- 656 twin mesh
- Twin-wire welded mesh built from paired 6mm horizontal wires either side of a 5mm vertical — the lighter of the two common twin-wire systems, used for commercial boundaries.
- 868 twin mesh
- Twin-wire welded mesh with paired 8mm horizontal wires either side of a 6mm vertical. Stiffer than 656 and the usual choice where the boundary needs to resist attack.
A
- Angle iron
- Steel bar rolled into an L-shaped cross-section. Used for fence posts, cleats and bracing where a light, stiff section is enough. Read more
- Anti-climb topping
- Anything fitted along the top of a fence or wall to stop it being climbed — razor wire, barbed wire, wall spikes or rotating spikes. Buys time; does not make a boundary impassable.
B
- Barbed tape
- Razor wire's blade profile supplied flat on a roll instead of as a coil, so it can be run in strands like barbed wire. The step up from barbed wire, short of concertina.
- Barbed wire
- Galvanised line wire with barbs twisted in at intervals, strained between posts. The cheapest fence topping there is, and the standard on agricultural boundaries. Read more
- Base plate
- A steel plate welded to the foot of a post so it can be bolted to concrete instead of dug in. Moves the weak point of the installation into the slab. Read more
- Bay
- One complete span of fencing between two posts, supplied as a set — pales or a panel plus the rails and fittings to hang it. Fencing is usually priced and ordered by the bay. Read more
- Bow top railing
- Railings whose vertical bars curve over into a rounded loop at the top. The bow removes the sharp point, which is why it suits parks, schools and housing.
C
- Chain link
- Fencing made from wire woven into a diamond pattern and strained between posts. The cheapest way to enclose a large area, but easily cut or climbed. Read more
- Composite fencing
- Fencing made from a wood-fibre and recycled-plastic mix. It keeps the look of timber but doesn't rot, warp or need staining, so it suits domestic boundaries.
- Concertina wire
- Razor wire supplied as a compressed coil and stretched along a fence top, where it springs into a barrel-shaped barrier. Stocked in 450mm and 630mm diameters.
- Crash barrier
- Corrugated steel beam bolted to posts, designed to deform on impact and steer a vehicle back on course. Used on roads, car parks and loading yards. Read more
D
- D-section pale
- A palisade pale pressed into a rounded, D-shaped profile. Slightly less rigid than W-section and takes its own D-section bolts, which don't interchange. Read more
E
- Estate fencing
- Slim steel railings with widely spaced vertical bars, traditionally used on parkland and country estates where the fence should disappear into the view.
F
- Feather edge
- Timber boards sawn thicker on one edge than the other, fixed vertically with each board overlapping the last. Makes a solid, gap-free domestic fence.
- Fish plate
- A steel plate that bolts across a joint to carry load through it — on palisade it joins the rails to the post, on crash barrier it splices two beams into one run. Read more
- Fish tail end
- The tapered terminal bolted to the end of a crash barrier run. It turns the cut beam edge away so the end of the run is blunt rather than sharp.
- Flat razor wire
- Razor wire that sits in the plane of the fence rather than coiling out from it. Same blades, no overhang — the format for boundaries with a footpath alongside. Read more
G
- Galvanised
- Steel coated in zinc to stop it rusting. Hot-dip galvanising dips the finished part in molten zinc, giving a thick coating that protects cut edges and welds too. Read more
- Guard rail
- Low railings that keep people on the footway and stop them stepping into the road — the type you see at crossings, school gates and bus stops. Read more
I
- Intermediate post
- A post in the middle of a fence run, carrying the panels either side. Lighter than the straining or end posts, which take the pull at the ends and corners.
K
- Keypad lock
- A gate lock opened with a numeric code instead of a key, so access can be given and changed without cutting new keys or chasing lost ones.
L
- Lap bolt
- The M16 x 35mm bolt that joins crash barrier beam to beam at the overlap, and fixes corners and terminals onto the run. Not the same as a post bolt.
M
- Mesh fencing
- Fencing made from steel wires welded into a grid and supplied as rigid panels. Covers everything from light boundary mesh to anti-climb prison-grade systems.
P
- Pale
- One of the vertical steel members in a palisade fence. Pales bolt to horizontal rails and are usually triple-pointed at the top to deter climbing. Read more
- Palisade
- Security fencing built from vertical steel pales bolted to horizontal rails. The pointed tops and bolted construction make it hard to climb and hard to dismantle. Read more
- PFC channel
- Parallel flange channel — a U-shaped structural steel section. Used for end and corner sleeper posts, where timber arrives from one side only.
- Play spec
- Railings built to playground safety requirements — bar spacing that won't trap a child's head, and no sharp tops or gaps that can catch clothing.
- Post bolt
- The M16 x 50mm bolt that fixes a crash barrier beam to its post. The longer of the two barrier fixings — the 35mm lap bolt joins beam to beam.
- Post mix
- A dry, fast-setting concrete mix poured straight into the post hole and wetted in place. Sets in minutes, so a run of posts can be stood in a single visit. Read more
- Powder coating
- A dry paint finish sprayed on electrostatically and baked hard in an oven. Tougher than wet paint, and available in any RAL colour over galvanised steel. Read more
- Prison mesh
- The heaviest grade of welded mesh fencing, with apertures too tight to climb or get a cutting tool into. Specified for prisons, substations and utilities.
- Profile mesh
- Welded mesh panels pressed with horizontal ribs. The folds stiffen the panel so it needs less framing and resists being pushed out of shape.
R
- Railings
- Fencing made from vertical bars set in a horizontal frame. More decorative than palisade or mesh, and used where the boundary has to look right as well as work.
- Railway sleeper
- Heavy timber baulks, originally cut to carry railway track. Used in landscaping for raised beds and retaining walls, and as robust vehicle-stop edging. Read more
- RAL colour
- The European colour-matching standard used for powder coating. Quoting a RAL number — 6005 green, 9005 black — gets the exact same shade from any coater. Read more
- Razor wire
- Steel tape stamped with blades and wound into coils, fixed along the top of a fence. A deterrent topping rather than a barrier in its own right. Read more
- RHS
- Rectangular hollow section — box-section steel tube. Used for gate and railing frames, and for guard rail panels, where a stiff, closed section is wanted.
- Roll top mesh
- Mesh panels finished with a curled tube along the top and bottom edge. The roll stiffens the panel and removes the cut wire ends, so it suits sports and play areas. Read more
- Rotating spikes
- Spiked collars that spin on a 20mm bar above a wall or fence, so a climber finds nothing that stays still. Deters without being designed to injure. Read more
S
- Sleeper pin
- A steel pin driven into the ground behind a railway sleeper to anchor it and stop it creeping forward. Used on edging and bottom courses laid on the ground.
- Sleeper retainer post
- A steel post with a channel down it that holds the ends of stacked railway sleepers, so a sleeper wall needs no fixings through the timber. Read more
- Sliding gate
- A gate that slides sideways across the opening instead of swinging. Used where there's no room for a leaf to swing, or the opening is too wide to hinge.
- Snap-off nut
- A nut with a hex head designed to shear off once tightened, leaving a smooth cone that can't be gripped by a spanner. Makes palisade fixings tamper-proof. Read more
- Swing arm barrier
- A pivoting arm that swings across an access road to close it off. Used on car parks, yards and service roads where the opening is only occasionally blocked. Read more
T
- Tanalised
- Timber pressure-treated with preservative forced into the grain under vacuum, rather than brushed on the surface. Protects against rot and insect attack in ground contact. Read more
- Timber fence panel
- Ready-made timber panels that drop between posts — closeboard, lap or waney edge. The standard domestic garden boundary, sold by the panel.
- Triple pointed
- The three sharp points pressed into the top of a palisade pale. Removes anywhere to get a hand or foot over the top of the fence.
U
- Uniform mesh
- Welded mesh panels with a consistent square or rectangular aperture across the whole sheet, with no ribs or profiling. The plainest of the rigid mesh systems.
V
- V-beam prison mesh
- High-security mesh panels pressed with V-shaped ribs. The profile makes the panel very stiff and gives nothing flat to lean a ladder or foot against.
- Vertical bar railing
- Railings with plain vertical bars running through horizontal rails, usually finished square or pointed at the top. The standard commercial railing.
W
- W-section pale
- A palisade pale pressed into a W-shaped profile. The extra folds make it stiffer than D-section, and it takes its own W-section bolts. Read more
- Wall spikes
- Pressed steel strips of ribbed spikes bolted flat along a wall coping. Discreet from ground level, and the usual answer where razor wire would be excessive.