How to fill gap between retaining wall and Colorbond fence?

[el139]

Hi gurus

There was a vine growing over this fence that we were having to hedge and it was very invasive in the neighbour's yard down their retaining wall also. It has taken a long time to kill off but it seems we can finally proceed with somehow filling this gap.

It is not solid ground. In places you can see 3m down to the neighbour's concrete driveway. At the other end is our pool fencing and we cannot have anything that could be used to climb into the pool area. The gap is almost 2m deep at that end.

Are there any ideas for perhaps mounting brackets to the retaining wall to support pots? Or a concrete shelf over the top. We definitely want the fencing hidden.

 

 

[Akanksha]

Hello @el139,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! We're delighted to have you here and trust you're finding this site a great resource for inspiring D.I.Y. ideas and helpful advice.

Thanks for your question. I'm sure our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to suggest some ideas once he's online later today. In the meantime, let me tag some of our helpful members @Adam_W, @Dave-1 and @Baggs to see if they have any thoughts.

While waiting, you may also want to check out our Top 10 most popular landscaping projects as well as the Top 10 most popular fence projects shared on Workshop in case they spark any ideas. 

Keep us updated as your project progresses. I'd love to see how you end up transforming this space. 

Akanksha 

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @el139 

Wooooo an annoying issue for sure and one that I have often wondered how to get around myself.

I have a drop on my front retaining wall that I have wanted to tidy with a fence and have considered using these Ground screw stirrups and then rails plus a white pickets style fence type deal. You probarly couldnt go too close to the edge of the retaining wall as I do not know if those bricks lock together. 

Are your bricks mortared together? A concrete capping to the wall probarly would run into the same issue of rotation (of the new fence) if someone pushed the fence or wind as there is nothing on the far side to give it support. If you use the post screws maybe 500mm from the edge then that could work on a not too high fence. You could then grow another hedge (one that dosnt want to climb) behind it and once established those screw posts can be removed (No concrete is why I like the idea) How much of the lawn are you willing to loose?

Last question. How are the actual fence posts installed? Into a concrete hole or bolted to concrete plinth of some kind? 

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @el139 

My apologies for the late reply, I've been thinking about your situation, and I believe @Dave-1 has hit upon the solution. If you were to use two of the Otter 690 x 90mm Ground Screw Stirrup you could build a small low-level deck with an overhang so that it covers the gap. 

This of course has the unintended consequence of raising the level of that area. Please let us know if this will interfere with your pool fencing.

The more involved option is to dig into the ground and rebuild your retaining wall so that it is closer to the neighbour's fence making the gap between them as small as possible. Unfortunately, we can't put anything in the gap itself as this would compromise your neighbours Colorbond fence.  

Placing a paver on top of the retaining wall is also not favourable as they are not built to be installed in an overhanging situation.

The only other option that comes to mind is to build a lightweight cover fence with a gate near the retaining wall that limits access to the gap. In this manner, no one will be able to access the retaining wall area but you. It also covers the Colorbond fence at the same time.

I also suggest having a look at this discussion - Pergola privacy screen by @Bankzee. It has good suggestions on how to cover low fences.

Let me call on our experienced members @homeinmelbourne, @MikeTNZ and @Jewelleryrescue for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @el139,

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the community We trust our clever and creative members will provide loads of inspiring ideas as well as helpful advice for all your projects around the house and garden.

Can I please ask why you want to fill the gap between the retaining wall and fence? I understand you want suggestions on how to screen the fence, but I'm not currently sure why you want to fill the gap, 

Thanks,

Jason

[el139]

Thanks for the recommendations particularly the privacy screen post. I don't think the retaining wall is concreted in and we're not attached to it. The colorbond fence is ours and not up to height of our built up yard due to some rules about maximum fence height from the neighbour's side. As to how its secured, we might have to venture down the neighbour's driveway to check because I can tell from our side. 

Wondering whether we might be able to take down the retaining wall and somehow concrete some posts in where our grass ends, add a new screening.

There's hardly any grass and the intention is to replace it with plants with a stepping stone path to the pool gate and pebbles.

[el139]

Hi Jason, 

Thanks for the reply. You may not be able to tell from the photos but the garden drops away 2m at the deepest point, and you could easily sail over down an almost 4m drop to the neighbour's concrete drive at that point. 

There was previously just a flimsy bit of wire and vines covering it and a bird bath in the corner where the gap is, so anyone would run into the bird bath before sailing into air.

When we purchased the property, council advised the bird bath could not stay nor be replaced by anything else that could be used to climb into the pool area.

Happy for ideas on screening the fence which would close off access to the gap also.

Thanks

E.

[Jason]

Thanks for the clarification @el139.

Replacing the retaining wall would be a very significant undertaking. 

Let me tag expert @Adam_W for his thoughts.

Jason

[Noyade]

Morning! @el139 

"You may not be able to tell from the photos but the garden drops away 2m at the deepest point, and you could easily sail over down an almost 4m drop to the neighbour's concrete drive at that point."

They're fascinating photos @el139 

I keep looking at them and I must admit - I don't fully understand/appreciate the geography of what's happening - but your photo, looking down into the abyss certainly looks positively lethal with no fence at the point where you're standing. Even mowing the lawn - you must treat this area with great trepidation? I keep thinking of the movie 127 Hrs.

In the background - how is that pool(?) fence post attached?

I too am thinking along the lines of @EricL  and @Dave-1 .

My only thought, just for safety sake - would be to delete the 'mid-air' portion of the pool fence and build (a fence of sorts) back from it to a safe distance and anchor a post into a large concrete footing. From there, project to the fence - no need to attach. The footing would incorporate a 'Z' section of steel.

And then smarter people out there can think and solve your problem - but at least that area would be safer.

Just an amateur's thoughts. Cheers.