In September of last year the government unveiled its plans to improve the water quality of New Zealand's rivers, lakes and wetlands.  This came after years of complaints that nutrient runoff from intensive land use by agriculture was polluting rivers and streams.

The government put into place tough rules on water quality, but are offering farmers $700 million to ease the financial pain.   This will go towards the creation of jobs to implement the new regulations, including things like wetland planting, removing sediments and preventing runoff from entering waterways. 

The government has also stood by its proposal to keep stock out of all waterways more than a metre wide however the rural fencing requirements were relaxed.  The original specification was fencing that must be 5 meters from waterways, this has now been reduced to 3 meters. 
Many fences have already be erected under previous regulations of 2 meters and, as long as these are permanent structures, they will not need to be moved. 

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Key things to know:

Fencing waterways is a priority under the Sustainable Dairying Water Accord.

• All stock must be excluded from any permanently flowing rivers, streams, drains and springs, more than a metre wide and 30cm deep
• All lakes must have all stock permanently excluded.
• Any significant wetlands, as identified in a Regional Plan or Policy Statement, must also have all stock permanently excluded. Check with your dairy company to see if you have one on your property.

When planning your fencing it needs to be far enough back to allow for movement/flooding of the waterway.
Start by mapping your waterways and create a fencing plan.
Consider the overall layout of your farm; along with protecting waterways, new fencing can improve grazing management and stock control.
Plan out fence lines and crossing points.

Despite the recent weather we've had a great week working on a few different fencing projects around Canterbury.  As we've mentioned in the past, Its all well and good having good quality fencing but its no good without a gate to go with it!

Thankfully we where able to take advantage of the rainy days this week to get these gates built.  

As New Zealand starts to settle in to level one and the new normal we have been busy working on fencing and pile driving projects across Canterbury.  We started off the month tidying up and finishing off these two fencing projects in Ashburton.

Our second week back took us over to work on the peninsula taking a cut out of the side of a hill for a new set of cattle yards. We were also able to start work on deer fencing around the new Iport business park.

Watch this space for more updates on the projects we have on the go.

With 2020 kicking off to a strange start with people spending more time at home than ever before, many are turning to DIY to keep them occupied and finally start fixing up the house.  

In a previous post we took you though what you will need build a paling fence.  We always recommend using a fencing contractor for these types of projects as there are a lot of things that can go wrong.  But, we also know that isn's always possible. So we want to make sure you have all the information you need to get the job done right. 

In todays post we are taking you though how to measure up your gate frame and the materials and tools you will need to add a wooden gate to your fence.  

Firstly you will need to decide which side of the fence you are going to hang the gate from and which way it will open.  To find out the width of your gate, measure the distance between the two fence posts. 
Then you will need to figure out how much clearance you will need to allow for. This depends on the thickness of your gate.   Generally for a gate that is 100mm think you will want to allow for about 20mm. 

Measure up your gate frame
​To find the height of your gate frame you will need to know the height of your fence and the position of the fence rails.  As a rule of thumb, your gate frame will be shorter than the finished height and the palings should over hang past the frame at the top and bottom. 

A diagonal brace is a good idea to help keep your gate square. If your gate will be over 1metre high it is a good idea to include a mid rail within the frame.  To find the position of the middle rail you will need to measure the distance on your fence between the highest rail to the bottom of the middle fence rail. 

Now you have all your measurements you can decided on the style of gate that you can have and the materials you will need to build it.  

Projects like this can be very rewarding when done right but if you don't start off with the correct tools and materials they can quickly go wrong, costing you extra money and stress. 
​Save yourself the time and hassle and contact us today for a quote. 

With the whole of New Zealand in lockdown, many of us are spending more time at home than we have in a very long time. 
And with all that time spent at home it is easy to start discovering all the odd jobs, chores and that mountain of paperwork that that you have been ignoring for months, April 2020 could end up looking like the most productive month of the year for you! 

However, when you add in the responsibility of entertaining kids, if you have them, then suddenly productivity goes out the window!

Although we are getting closer and closer to the winter months the sun is still shining, and this is the best time to get the kids out into the fresh air for a bit of fun.  ​Rugby, cricket, or soccer - whatever your choice of sport, here are some tips for setting up your backyard sports field not just for now but for the whole year round. 

Games with portable equipment like cricket, bowls football and rugby are often first choice for back garden sports.
They are less expensive and everything can be stored  away when you're not using it and your garden can still be used as a functional space for other activities when your kids switch to a new favourite sport or outgrow their trampoline.  

We want to let all of our loyal clients know that in response to the New Zealand Government's decision to move into alert level 4 we will be closed for the isolation period.  

We will however still be available as an essential service for emergencies. 

Anything you deem urgent please give us a call and we’ll do our best to help out and if you're not sure if its urgent then call us anyway!  We are a ground root local business and will find this period really tough so we appreciate your support and loyalty in the coming months ahead once the isolation is lifted.

Hoping everyone stays safe and well in the trying times ahead.

The addition of a quality boarder fence on your property is a great way to create privacy in your outdoor space, gives extra safety and security and can also help to reduce unwanted ambient noise in your garden.
Your boarder fence is also something that adds to the curb-side appeal and look of your home so making sure that it looks great is important.

In our previous post we laid out the basics of what you will need to do to prepare for your DIY fencing project and the supplies you'll need.  
Now that you're ready to get going here is a break down of what do do next.

​When you were planning out your fence you should have decided how high you would like it and chosen the post that will suit this. 
​Using your string line and Measure out and mark where your posts will be, space the posts 2m apart.

Dig holes with a spade or post hole borer to a depth of 600mm and make sure to clear out any loose material in the holes. 
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Move your stringline from the centre of the post holes, to 50mm away from where the face of your posts will sit. ​
Starting with your 2 end posts you should check that they are 50mm off the string line, brace the post and make sure they are plumb.

Next, run a string line between the 2  end posts to mark the hight of your fence. If you can, you should use a lazar level here to be sure the string line is correct or if you are building your fence on uneven or sloped ground.

Continue to place and brace the remaining posts in their holes in the same way.  

Mix your concrete and get ready to pour.  You should make sure you follow the instructions for the type of concrete that you have.   Pour the concrete carefully around each of your posts and compact the mix to get rid of any air pockets using a piece of wood.  

At this point you should once again check that your posts are still sitting 50mm off the string-line and are plumb, if anything is off then now it the time to correct and adjust it.  Don't wait to do this especially if you are using a quick drying concrete, you may only have a few minutes.  

Once you are happy with your posts then leave the concrete to set for at least 24 hours.  Once set you can remove the braces.
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Using a chalk line, mark the position of the rails on your fence posts.  You should aim to keep rails 150mm up from the bottom and 150mm down from the top.  If your ground is uneven then find the highest point and measure up the post from that point for your bottom rail
If your fence is over 1200mm high you should use three rails, for fences under 1200mm use two.  
You can choose if you want your rails to be fixed between the posts or to the face of the post.  It all depends on what style you are going for and how you want the finished fence to look.  

If fixing rails between posts, rails should be measured at ground level, squared and cut to length.  You can check the alignment with your chalk like and make sure the rails are square.   Fix using three 100mm baton purlin screws

​For face-fixed rails select a rail length that can span three posts and fix rails with two 100mm baton purlin screws, or in high wind zones use coach screws.

Use a ratchet strap to pull your posts together before screwing together.  Using screws instead of nails with hold the timber together much better and will last a lot longer than if you use nails.  

Hopefully this guide will help you with your DIY fencing project and Good luck!

As professional fencing contractors we understand that there are a lot of stages and components involved in building the perfect fence.  
We have also seen a lot of interesting DIY attempts that often don't work out as well as they should.  When people ask what our best advice is for building a new fence then our first recommendation is to do it right the first time and call a professional!

However, if you're a bit of a DIY handy man and you are thinking of building that new boundary fence yourself then here are a few tips to help you along the way and hopefully save you some time and money. 

Like most building projects and additions to a property, there are some rules and regulations when building your fence.  
You can build a fence up to 2.5m high with out the need for a permit although it is always a good idea to check this with your local council before you start. 

If you are building a boundary fence you will need to talk with your neighbour about your plans, the style and cost and confirm with them if you will need access onto their property during the build.  Getting a copy of the fencing act will give you all the information you need on your rights and obligations.

You must also make sure you establish exactly where the boundary of your property is.  If you are not sure you then you can request a copy of your plans from the council, or get a surveyor to correctly establish your boundary.  
You should also check the plans for the location of any pipes and consult your electricity provider for information about underground wires that may not be shown on the plans.

Building a fence can seem like a job that doesn't require too many tools but there are some important items you'll need if you want to build a Paling fence that is sturdy, straight and will last.  Most people will have most of these in their tool box but you may need to borrow or buy the less common tools.

Firstly you need to decided what you want your fence to look like and the materials that you are going to make it out of.
Decide your height and choose your posts to suit.  For the rails you'll need to choose if you want these fixed in between the posts or on the front of them. For fence heights above 1.2m you will need to use three rails. 
For your concrete, either go for a builders mix and cement at a ratio of 6:1, or pre-mixed concrete.
Top tip to work out the volume of concrete that you will need use the following:

• For a square hole Width x width x depth x number of holes.
• For a round hole: Diameter x diameter x .7854 x depth x number of holes.

Lastly but importantly, measure up and draw yourself a plan so you can then work out your materials and order them.

In our next post we'll take you through our practical tips to get your fence built right.  

Fences come in many different sizes, materials and styles and depending on their purpose, some require more maintenance than others.  Unfortunately no matter how good the quality of your fencing is, at some point they will probably need fixing or replacing. Maintaining fence lines can be a daunting task especially rural and farm fencing and even more so if you are just learning how!  The most important thing is to catch problems early so any damage or wear and tear can be repaired.  This is a much less costly option than leaving things too long and needing to replace the fence all together.  

​So, we are bringing you a list of some common fencing problems you might come across and what you can do about them. 

There are a few reasons why a fence is leaning and it's a common issue that can occur.  A leaning fence is usually caused by:

• Rotting fence posts
• inadequate foundations or too much weight on the foundations
• Tree roots
• ​High winds or damage from impact 

Repairing a leaning fence will depend on what the cause is so there are a few things you can look for.  Start with the fence posts is the woo Soft and rotting at the base of the fence post?  Sometimes a fence will lean due to to post not being anchored deeply enough in the ground?  Rotting fencing posts will need to be replaced with a new possibly more durable material.  Posts at the wrong depth need to be re-installed at the correct depth. 

Tree roots can also cause problems with the foundations of your fence posts.  Before carrying out any repairs or reinstalling the fence the roots will need to be dealt with first.  

It can be difficult to identify problems like these as they are not alway obvious so before you take on the project yourself we alway recommend contacting a specialist fencing contractor for this.  Wear Fencing is able to offer you advice on the repair and maintenance of issues like this to prevent the same damage happening again in the future. 

As we've already mentioned, even the most we built fences can crack or deteriorate.  The rails that run horizontally can become damaged if fence posts were installed to far apart, start to rot or move or if too much pressure is put on the rail for support.  once again, you will need to understand why or how the rail was damaged in order to understand how to repair it.  

Depending on the cause, repair options inculde:

• Replacing the rail with a different more appropriate material for the purpose of the fence
• Adding extra support
• Installing more fence posts
• Installing fixings

Wire fencing is a common choice for farm and rural fencing.  It usually consists of two strainer posts adjoined to a 45 degree stay which takes the strain and stops it falling over.  Between the trainer posts are evenly spread out pickets which are used to direct the wire along or around the area of your choice.  

Common problems that can occur with wire fencing include:

• Broken or split wires
• Corrosion 
• Damage caused by Tree and vegetation growth
• Wear and tear from livestock

If the fencing on your lifestyle block of farm is in poor condition then maintaining livestock can become tedious and you increase the risk loosing them.  For example goats usually burrow and find the loose wires lower on the fence to escape through.  The wires will need to be strained tight to reduce the chance of livestock escaping and discourage this behaviour.  

You may also have fallen trees and branches that have caused damage to the wire or vegetation that has grown over or against the fencing.  Overgrown trees are common culprits of fence damage. They grow into the fence, pressuring it into a lean. Repairing a leaning fence is generally quite affordable, and can be as simple as replacing a post and removing the tree, or part of it.

Regularly checking your fence for these types of issues will make it a much easier task to maintain fencing boundaries and often if the problem is small and simple you will be able to repair this yourself.  

We do recommend that if you are having regular issues with wire fencing that you talk to a rural fencing contractor to discuss if there are other more sustainable options for you.  

When you have your fence installed by a fencing contractor they should let you know how to best maintain your fencing, to make it last in the short and the long term.  At Wear fencing we do our best to answer any questions our clients have and educate them on what to look out for how to get the best value and life from their new fencing.

​A properly installed and maintained fence can last for 10 or more years, depending on the materials.  It can save a lot of time and money knowing what to look out for and steps you can take to keep your fence in good condition and fit for purpose.  

If you are due for maintenance or inspection of your fencing you are looking for a fencing contractor in Christchurch or Canterbury, then Wear Fencing can help.   Contact Us today for more information on repairs, maintenance, installation and information.