Fitting a fence without sinking the posts

[Paulinho]

Hi all, first time poster and inexperienced DIYer, I'm looking for some ideas on what to do with this:

I've been in the house a few months and really need to tidy this up. The problem is that there is drainage under the patio/driveway so I don't want to start sinking posts into the concrete and the wind really howls down the drive, which is why I think they have such a 'fence' in the first place.

I want to get it down and replace it with a proper fence and gate, but I've got a feeing that if I just fix it to the garage and porch as it currently is it will blow down at the first sign of a windy day.

 

[Burnerman]

Its actually not such a bad design - the top horizontal header will give it some strength, and you can help the situation by fitting a Metpost bolt down post shoe to the gate hinged post. These things aint the best but they do have their uses!
Best to keep that lower horizontal off the deck if you can - could you sink Rawlbolts in to fix a spacer to, and fix the new horizontal to that?
John

 

[footprints]

If it is a very windy alley I would stick with what you have got, the wind can pass through the ranch style but a full fence will act as a sail.

Untitled

• Paulinho
• 22 Mar 2014
• 1

 

[HERTS P&D]

Footprints, your picture will also act as a ladder for any unwelcome visitors.

Andy

 

[Paulinho]

Its actually not such a bad design - the top horizontal header will give it some strength, and you can help the situation by fitting a Metpost bolt down post shoe to the gate hinged post. These things aint the best but they do have their uses!
Best to keep that lower horizontal off the deck if you can - could you sink Rawlbolts in to fix a spacer to, and fix the new horizontal to that?
John

Cheers John, I'd never heard of Metposts before. Looking at it, if I use a boltdown the bottom horizontal will probably be uneccesary, so I just need something to keep the panels off the floor. A couple of spaers should be easy enough to put in.

Footprints, your picture will also act as a ladder for any unwelcome visitors.

That's my other concern with the design as it is. Security is non-existent. You can see straight through and into the extension.

 

[Newboy]

Sometimes visibility is the best security - once behind a fence panel nobody can see what the scroats are doing!