What’s so “Smart” about the SmartFence DIY Fence Panels?

We have often been asked about what’s so, “Smart” about the SmartFence DIY fence panels. While we would love to tell you that the fence connects with all your smart devices, alas that’s not the case today. But, who knows, our team in R&D might find a way for it to connect with your favourite smart technology in the years come…! Joking aside, the story behind how SmartFence came to life is a simple one and this blog will highlight why we believe it is not only a smart piece of metal but also a very smart choice!

The birth of the SmartFence DIY fence panels and its entrance to the garden product world

Back in 2018, our company EliteForm Manufacturing was celebrating its 44th year in business. The core focus of our company up to that point was in the design and manufacture of a variety of sheet metal products for large building projects. We were approached by one of our customers who asked if we could create a set of DIY fence panels that would replace his old wooden panels without having to remove the entire fence structure and dig up his garden.
He had looked in several stores and online and wasn’t able to find what he was looking for. Never ones to walk away from a new challenge, we agreed to give it a go. Little did we know that these DIY fence panels would go on to win “Best Garden Product 2019” and “Overall Innovation Award 2020” at The Hardware Show Innovation Awards. Today, SmartFence is stocked in more than 100 Garden/DIY stores across Ireland and the UK.

Why did we call these DIY fence panels “Smart”?

Going back to that first customer request, he had a problem and wanted a specific solution that would a) solve his problem, b) was hassle free, c) he could do the work himself and d) not ruin his garden. Such a solution did not exist at that time. Our motto as a company is: “There’s always a way!” which allowed us to approach this challenge with the mindset of “there’s a solution to every problem”. And so, our team of in R&D got down to business and not only created DIY fence panels that solved those specific problems but succeeded in solving a few more too. Hence why we decided to call this product “SmartFence” as it was obvious to us that all things considered it definitely is the smartest choice around as a replacement to your old and rotting wooden panels.

Top reasons why SmartFence DIY fence panels are the smartest replacement of your wooden fence:

1. They are smart because all you need to do is remove your wooden panels, leave the original concrete posts, and simply slide in the SmartFence DIY fence panels one on top of the other. Tada, your new fence is installed!
2. They are smart because you don’t need to hire a handyman to do the job for you. If you can use a screwdriver and follow the instructions, you’re good to go. These DIY fence panels can be likened to the concept of Lego blocks in the sense that they stack nicely one on top of the other. They also come in easily transportable flatpacks that fit into a normal sized car boot. One flatpack kit contains everything you need for a 5ft high x 6ft wide/1500mm high x 1800mm wide fence panel. To calculate how many flatpacks you need, you can use this handy tool we’ve created here.
3. They are smart because they are made from high-quality durable steel which makes them strong and sturdy and resistant to the strong gale force winds and adverse weather conditions that we are accustomed to in Ireland. They’ve been fully wind tested and we have all the certification to prove that.
4. They are smart because they are 100% maintenance free which means that you never have to paint or treat them. Never ever! You can toss out your wood treatment products and tins of varnish as you won’t need them anymore.
5. They are smart because they have top quality finishing and UV protection and come in a variety of colours. They have a superior durable abrasion resistant front and back colour coating. The galvanised steel substrate is extremely corrosion resistant, and the PVC exterior finish has UV protection to provide the highest retention in colour. Today, SmartFence is available in our four most popular colours: anthracite, goosewing grey, merlin grey and olive green. See the full product page here.
6. They are smart because they are the most economical choice when compared with other wooden, composite or PVC solutions on the market. Our SmartFence DIY fence panels are guaranteed 25 years whereas most fences on the market are guaranteed 10, maybe 15 years at a max. It you do the maths over the minimum lifetime of a SmartFence, i.e., 20 years as compared to a fence that needs to be treated and painted regularly and will probably need to be replaced at least once during those 20 years, the long-term savings are obvious.

We hope that you agree that the SmartFence DIY fence panels are indeed the smartest choice when it comes to replacing your old and shabby wooden fence. If you’re interested in finding out more about SmartFence you can download the full catalogue here which includes some accessories that you might like such as a trellis and concrete post covers. Of course, these are not necessary but an added option if you want to add an extra touch of glam to your fence. If you want to find the nearest store that sells the SmartFence you can check out our stockist locator map here or you can also buy it directly on our online store and have it delivered straight to your door. The choice is yours.