Concrete "gravel board" for fence in US?

11 years ago

I want to build a 5' high horizontal cypress fence. While searching for design patterns, I found mention of something called a "concrete gravel board." Basically, this is a concrete board placed as the lowest slat of the fence, since a wood board placed close to the ground will quickly rot—especially in New Orleans, where I live.

The trouble is, I can only find these boards referenced on UK sites like Travis Perkins and Wickes.

Why don't we use these in the US, or, if we do, where can I get one?

Featured Answer

Jessica Stone

10 years ago

Have you had any luck? I just watched a youtube video with concrete gravel boards and concrete fence posts. I live in Florida and with all our rain and bugs I would love this! It looks much more simple than hiring a mason to lay block which would require footers and rebar (someone above mentioned using block). I found the material on eBay UK - maybe they'll ship to the US? I can only imagine what that would cost!

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Comments (7)

User
11 years ago
Why not use a base of concrete block, stuccoed and painted? Or, don't run the fence all the way down to the ground.
Fig Holman thanked User
no name
10 years ago
do you have any more pictures of this 5 foot high fence? I think this is what I am looking for
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Michelle Batten
8 years ago
I live in Oregon, with weather very similar to England. Our fence posts rot regularly! I wish you could buy concrete fence posts and gravel boards here in the US. somebody could make a fortune selling them here. The gravel boards would also help little dogs stay in the yard.
Fran Diggle
8 years ago
Couldn’t agree more. I have just moved from the U.K. and can’t believe they are not available here. In the U.K. they are so cheap and you can slot the gravel board into the posts and then put the wood panel on top so much more durable. The closest I can find are the composite posts at Home Depot but they are really pricey.
HU-561069659
7 years ago
These precast products are already produced in the US. For example, you can buy molds for making the concrete panels (gravel boards) and the posts from Greentec Construction Technologies
dcp123
7 years ago
Look for local makers of precast concrete posts and boards for soundwalls. For example, in the San Francisco Bay Area there is Dynamic Precast, which makes posts, boards, panels, and blocks for use in retaining walls and soundwalls. For a soundwall, they make both concrete boards to fit in grooves in the posts and stack to the full height of a fence or large full-height panels to fit in the grooves. For a kickboard, I'd think you could just use their posts and one 12" board between each set of posts. Then you'd fit some wood into the remaining part of the groove and build your wooden fence between the posts and on top of the kickboard. I've been wanting to try this for years. Heres is a link for their wood-grain stacked-board soundwall product: Dynamic Precast Soundwall Boards

They're too heavy to ship, so you'll want to find a maker in your own area. Google your city and something like "precast soundwall boards" or "precast concrete fence boards." Most precast soundwalls seem to be made with panels that are about 8'x8' placed by a crane, but there are other companies that make the horizontal board style. I know I saw some in Texas.