6" Fence Post in black: four to a pack, and how far they space

Posts are the part of a fence order people get wrong, because the count depends on the bays rather than the metres. The 6" Fence Post - Black (1 Pack / 4pcs) comes four to a pack, which covers a short boundary in a single order. It sits in the fencing range alongside the composite boards it is grooved for.

The figures the listing gives

• 8 x 8 x 190cm per post.
• Four posts per pack.
• A three-way post, grooved to take 2cm thick fence panels.
• Grooves 20mm wide and 18mm deep.
• Composite, black finish, described as UV-resistant and as resisting rot and splitting.
• Gross weight 23kg a pack, so a little under 6kg a post.
• Supplier code AWS-OWP86X.

The packaging line on the listing reads 00 x 00 x 00cm, so the carton size is not actually stated and only the 23kg is. If the delivery has to come through a close, a side gate or up a stair, ask the shop for the carton length before the day.

Counting posts for a run

The boards in this range are 180cm long, so one bay is 180cm wide and every run needs one more post than it has bays. The 18mm groove depth means a short length of each board disappears into the post, so set the positions out on the ground rather than assuming exact 180cm centres.

A single pack covers a run of up to three bays with the end posts included, which is the common case for a side boundary or the gap between a house and a garage.

Height, and the fixing to settle first

Twelve boards at 15cm each stack to 180cm, the full height of a bay in this range. This post is 190cm, so there is 10cm over the board stack and no more. That matters: unlike the taller post in the range, there is nothing spare to set into the ground, and this listing states no burial depth at all. What it does name is the Fence Post Fitting Kit - Black, which is listed for concrete slabs, tarmac and similar hard floors and comes four sets to a carton, matching this pack post for post.

If the ground is soil rather than slab, say so when you order. The taller 8" Fence Post - Black (1 Pack / 2pcs) is listed at 10 x 10 x 240cm with a stated setting depth, so it is the one to discuss for a dug post or a boundary taller than 180cm.

What the boards do about colour

Both posts in this range are listed in black only, while the boards come in several finishes. Against Fencing 86B - Grey or one of the wood-named finishes, a black post reads as a frame between bays rather than a match. The one finish that lines up throughout is black, since the range's black trim and black posts share the colour. Judge it from the photographs on each product page, and check a board against a post in the shop if the match matters to you.

Before you order

• Mark out the bays and count one more post than bays.
• Say whether the posts are going into soil or onto a hard surface, and ask which fixing suits an 8 x 8cm section.
• Ask for the carton length, since the listing does not state it.
• Delivery is free within 50 miles of the Glasgow store and £50 beyond.

For most domestic runs the 6" Fence Post - Black (1 Pack / 4pcs) is the sensible starting point, and the shop can confirm the post, board and bracket combination before anything is ordered.