Fixing Hardwood Timber to Flat top Railing

[Jamaker]

I'd just like to pick your brains:

I've got a flattop railing (attached photo) along a North Facing wall of my house. It provides absolutely no privacy and I can't really see a point to it beyond fall protection.
This ordinarily wouldn't be an issue but we have a bay window facing out on to the road pictured and there are houses directly across from us.
There isn't much space to work with so I'm examining a few options and one of them is to fix a hardwood timber either in between or over the square verticals leaving the flatop (and bottom visible)- with the aim of achieving something like the second picture (ideally with a nicer timber and obscure the railings for easier maintenance). I'd just like to find out if anyone on here has done it and what sort of fixing details they used?
I was thinking some sort of clamping fixing could be a potential solution.
Alternative infill suggestions would also be welcome - a perforated sheet etc potentially?

I'll likely also plant a couple of specimen trees e.g. a pleached Ilex Quercus, yew or potentially a Portuguese laurel. They'll have to be maintained at around 1m deep so hopefully this won't be an issue alos they'll only get an absolute max of 1 to 2 hours sunlight in the summer.

 

[JohnD]

I wonder how tall it is.

 

[Jamaker]

I'd say it is about 1m - regs usually 1.1 for fall protection.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Split bamboo mat is fairly cheap and easy to affix.

 

[Tigercubrider]

You could do all sorts.
Obviously plywood either screwed somehow to the railings or just fixed using cable ties (easy to remove for painting)
Some kind of picket made to fit between the metal posts, using hardwood*, so you have a slatted metal/timber/metal finish and possibly use the original posts with added metal brackets to secure the timber structure.
The bamboo/rush/reed screening available in every garden centre. - it needs replacing now and again but simply rolls out and fixes with wire.

* hardwood might be replaced by decking boards cut to fit or even the plastic version.

It depends on how "private" you need, whether adding height is allowed or desirable , and whether you are fussed about the view from both sides

 

[JohnD]

The fixing brackets look like it is screwed to something. Is it a retaining wall? Brick or concrete?

An infill that catches the wind might wrench the screws out.

Have you considered a hedge?

 

[Jamaker]

Yeah bamboo would be quite cheap but good temporary solution. I suppose I'd be looking for a reasonably high quality finish however.
Privacy to the height of the fence would be fine at the moment but I'd like plants to develop up to around 2.5 to 3m high over time.

I'm considering adding some sort of black horizontal rail with pre drilled holes and using it and screws to clamp the timber to the rails, but I'd need some sort of rebate on the vertical timbers to make that work I suppose a good alternative would be to lay the boards horizontally. I think that would be a good long term solution.
Good point on the fixing bracket. I honestly don't know what he fixed it to, I can only assume a minimal amount of postcrete in the ground and the wind does gust along that boundary. I'll have to dig down and see.
Hedge would be the automatic solution, I'm thinking of portugese laurel or yew. But it will stop about halfway along the window because the bed tapers in to nothing leaving no room to plant (I'm not sure I could plant in much less than a 30cm wide bed). All things considered I think I may just plant hedge and leave it at that.

 

[Diver Fred]

You may have issues with the council when or if you in fill the fence - certainly if you add height.

Beware.

 

[conny]

Letting plants/bushes develop to 2.5-3m high will block out a lot of natural light and may not be approved by the local authority.

 

[cwhaley]

Grow a hedge in front of it. Plenty of fairly fast growing hedges that will attract birds and look far better than timber cladding. Cheapest and most appropriate would be Red Robin, Osmanthus Burkwoodii, Cherry Laurel (needs trimming a good few times a year), etc.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

I've got a flattop railing (attached photo) along a North Facing wall of my house. It provides absolutely no privacy and I can't really see a point to it beyond fall protection.

Is it your railing?