How Do I Add More Height To My Fence?
Your fence may keep your pets and belongings on your side of the property line, but it may not give you a lot of privacy. One way to improve privacy is to set up a new, higher fence, but that solution is worth a penny. Instead of starting over with a new fence, you can extend the height of your current fence in a variety of ways.
Post Extenders
Place a 2-to 3-foot-tall wooden post vertically on top of one of the existing wooden posts in your fence, extending the height of the post by 2 to 3 feet. Screw a metal tie plate to the outside of the fence's current post and the new post you place on top of it. The metal tie plate ties the posts together.
Extend the height of all other existing wooden posts in your fence by adding a 2-to 3-foot-tall wooden post to each of them. Using the same technique you used for the first existing wooden post and 2-to 3-foot post.
Apply the privacy lattice — which has smaller holes than the lattice used for the trellis — between the new post parts. Stick the lattice to the wood with a heavy-duty stapler, or use the screwdriver to push the screws through the lattice and through the posts.
Trellis
Sink 12-foot-size bamboo poles about 3 feet into the ground every 3 to 4 feet along your fence line. Wrap the wire around one of the end bamboo poles and position the wire 2 feet above the ground. Extend the wire and wrap it 2 feet above ground on the next bamboo post, making a trellis.
Repeat the process to wrap the wire around all the bamboo poles and position the wire at 2-foot intervals up the poles. Plant fast-growing, annual vines just below the wire trellis. Options include Himrod grapes (Vitis labrusca "Himrod") that are hardy in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant hardiness zones 5 through 8 and Clematis 'Diamantina' ('Diamantina' Clematis') hardy in USDA zones 4 through 11. The vines are going to expand the trellis and provide a green privacy screen. This fence height extension method could be the most viable choice if your fence is made of chain link or other material to which it is difficult to add fence post extenders.
Adding Extra Boards
The best way to add a few feet to your fence is to simply buy some fence boards, then cut them down and add them to the back of the current fence. Start by measuring the height from the top of the slats to the fence rail, since that's where your new boards will sit. Tally the height to the 2 feet you're looking to add to the fence, as this will be the height of the current fence slats. Then buy regular treated fence slats from your nearest hardware store. Use a saw to cut the boards down to the correct height (always using suitable protective equipment, such as a breather and gloves). Add any diagonal cuts that are required to make the boards have the same decoration on the top. Paint or paint new boards that fit your current fence. In the end, use four screws to connect each new board to your existing fence slats.
Using A Lattice Screen
You could pick a lattice screen for anything with a little more visual flair. To add height to this process, buy fence posts of the same size as your existing posts, then cut them down to 2 feet. Attach these 2-foot post segments to the existing posts with a pair of metal ties and screws. Cut the lattice panels down to 2 feet, 3 inches thick, and cut the width so that they span across each fence post. Finally, use screws to connect the lattice panels behind your current fence and in front of the fence posts. You can grow vines on the fence for extra protection, which will fill the holes in the lattice.
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