Futurewood-Smartfence Fixing & Handling Guidelines

Storage

It is important to ensure that Futurewood-Smartfence is not exposed to direct sunlight or excessive temperatures while stored in packs in order to reduce excessive heat build up.

Working with Futurewood Smartfence

Futurewood-Smartfence will expand or contract in length with rising or falling temperatures. All boards should be conditioned before cutting so that they are at an even temperature. Boards are best cut in the shade before they are exposed to radiant heat and in ambient temperatures under 30 degrees Celsius (in the morning). When cutting lengths of Futurewood-Smartfence you should take in to account the temperature of the conditioned boards and allow for expansion or contraction of the boards based on the likely temperature fluctuations over the year at the site. When expanding or contracting the material is more likely to flex between fixing points however where possible you should allow for some expansion between boards that are butted together or where boards are butted against a post or other structure. We recommend a minimum of a 5mm gap between the end of a Futurewood-Smartfence board and any frame, fixed surface or another board. Futurewood-Smartfence will typically expand by approximately 3-8mm for every 2 metres of board length over a temperature increase of 40 degrees Celsius (the darker the colour the greater the radiant heat absorption and the greater the expansion). The Smartfence colour Midnight will absorb the most radiant heat and could be as much as 25 degrees Celsius warmer than the ambient temperature when subjected to continuous direct sunlight. Therefore this colour board could reach a surface temperature of up to 65 degrees Celsius on a day when the ambient temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius.

It is important that all drills, tools and cutters used to drill, cut or machine Futurewood-Smartfence are kept very sharp. Blunt tools will accelerate the generation of heat, which in turn will lead to softening, and melting of the Futurewood-Smartfence profile. Cutting tools must be selected which ensure swarf is removed immediately. Any build up of swarf will increase heat generation and end up melting around the tool. Circular blades with tungsten carbide tipped teeth have been found to be most suitable for use with Futurewood-Smartfence. Saw blades should be passed through the profile as quickly as possible to avoid heat generation, whilst maintaining a quality cut.

Fencing/Screening Construction

Futurewood-Smartfence requires the support of a frame made from either timber, steel or aluminium. The construction of the frame and the profile of the frame material will vary depending on the size of the screen or fence that is being built.

40mm wide, 65mm wide and 96mm wide profiles of Futurewood-Smartfence must not exceed a maximum span of 600mm between support posts in order to minimize flexing caused by thermal expansion/contraction of the boards. 

The most common frame design used with Futurewood-Smartfence incorporates a top and bottom horizontal rail fixed securely to vertical support posts. Intermediate vertical braces are then fixed, at 600mm centres, to the horizontal rails. This design helps to minimise the number of vertical support posts mounted in or fixed to the ground. The distance between vertical support posts will be relative to the fence or screen design, the size of the support posts, how they are fixed and the size of the horizontal rails that are used in the frame. We recommend that you check with your framing supplier and discuss your fence design in order to determine the applicable post and rail sizes and the best spanning options for your application.

Spacing between slats comes down to personal preference and the amount of privacy, shade and air flow that is required.

Due to the individual nature of your fence or screen design we recommend following the above guidelines as a minimum requirement but depending on the overall screen size, the support materials used, the type of screen surround and the method of fixing the screen to support posts, closer spacing of intermediate support posts may be required.

Fixing

Smartfence boards can be fixed with screws inserted through the front face of the board (front fix) where the screw head will be visible or fixed through the supporting frame in to the rear of the Smartfence (rear fix) so that no screws or fixing will be visible from the front of the screen. Button head screws in either 6 or 8 gauge should be used to front fix Smartfence boards. When front fixing we recommend pre drilling holes for the screws placed at either end of the board to produce a hole that is 2-3mm larger than the shank of the screw but is still hidden under the button head of the screw. This oversize hole allows for some take up of the expansion and contraction which is greatest at the end of each board. Do not over tighten the screw and ensure that it does not bury in to the surface of the Smartfence board. Rear fix screws will require the pre drilling of the frame material. 10 gauge particle board screws (course thread) are recommended for rear fixing. Do not over tighten rear fix screws to avoid the risk of the screw "spinning out" in the Smartfence material. Screws should be positioned a minimum of 25mm from any profile edge. Screws placed within 30mm of any edge must be pre drilled to avoid the risk of splitting.

All screws should be plated or made from stainless steel or brass.

40mm, 65mm and 96mm wide profiles should be fixed with one button head screw at each support point (every 600mm). We do not recommend using countersunk screws.

Nailing is not recommended for securing Futurewood-Smartfence

Colour & Surface Finishing

The colour of your Futurewood-Smartfence will be maintained over many years due to the UV additives incorporated in the product and the fact that the colour runs throughout the full thickness of the material. The manufacturing process does allow for a very slight variation in colour from batch to batch of material. Slight colour change may also occur over time as part of the natural weathering effect.

Rough edges on cut ends can be removed using a fine abrasive paper.

Use triple '0' steel wool and a soft wax such as bees wax to help remove slight surface scratching. Certain car polishes can also be used to remove scratches although we suggest you test the polish on a spare piece of Futurewood-Smartfence to ensure its suitability.

Cleaning

Smartfence should be washed down periodically with a strong solution of household detergent ("Handy Andy" works well) in order to maintain the original surface lustre and clean off accumulated dirt/grime and surface oxidisation.

If regular cleaning is not conducted a powdery coating may appear on the surface of the Smartfence board after 12-18 months of constant exposure to the sun. This is a thin film of oxidisation that can be easily removed by wiping with Intergrain Reviva or car polish. Solvents must not be used to clean Smartfence.

Fixing details and specifications may change without notice.

Click to download or print