Reinforcing Lap Panels - The correct way

[SirLancelot]

Hoping to open up an exploratory discussion:

Fence panels.

How to competently reinforce them?

(No funds to replace all 15 with stronger panels this year).

But - how to do it - right:

Fixings: galvanised nails/screws? Some will say stainless steel screws will suffice.

Extra bracing?

Is there anything else that can be done/added? What would you recomend?

Asking for guidance. Happy to add extra struts bracing to the panels. But what type and where?

(I'm sure i'm not the only one fed up with yearly remediation after storms).

Before installing - how can they be made more robust?

Cheers,

SirLancelot

(Good to be back)

 

[Bouy]

Why, how have they failed?

 

[SirLancelot]

This is what I am aiming to do:

Strengthening lap panels

I am asking the communities help in discussing alternative/better ways.

I want to put in the effort now, so I'm not dealing with this problem again in the next two/three years.

Open to suggestions and opinions on alternative ways to strengthen/re-enforce these types of panels.

 

[big-all]

when the cap starts to fail i remove and replace with chamfered 50x25 tile baton and that makes the panels fairly indestructible along with replacing the other timbers with 19x38mm tile baton as required
but the fence cap is the one when it fails the panels bow and fall out
and make sure there is no soil or other detritus touching the fence panel at the base

 

[SirLancelot]

They're on gravelboards.

I heard that putting some brass screws on the base, to lift it from the gravelboard a few mm can prolong the life, as the base doesn't rot out so quick?

 

[big-all]

perhaps 3 felt nails much cheaper and much quicker will give you the 2/3mm separation

 

[SirLancelot]

I'm going to re-enforce the panel joints with screws.

Obviously - galvanised screws are the obvious choice.

However - there are others suggesting A2 Stainless steel screws with a coarse thread.
Pilot whole first then hand-screw screws in (as soft & can snap).

Opinions?

Alternatives?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The main issue, seems to be the panels being blown out by high winds, where they only fit into a slot, in concrete posts. A horizontal timber, halfway up, one at each side, through bolted, helps to reinforce them. In addition - some sort of lashing through the panel edge, around the post, can help keep them in place.

Other than that, the panels in the photo are not the most robust design. The curved top ones tend to be better quality, and are also much heavier.

[EDIT] I would also make sure they do not sit on soil. Bricks/ blocks, or even better those concrete base panels. An H shaped metal bracket, located in the middle, between concrete and fence panel can also help resist 'blow out' in high winds.

 

[SirLancelot]

Asking the forum for help.

I've decided to replace the panels completely.

6x6

Cannot put brick or concrete there instead.

Can the community recommend panels that are robust and can allow air to flow through them to reduce the pressure on the posts?

 

[Deluks]

Trellis. Or 3/4 height panel with a trellis on top.

To add to the previous answers, putting screws through the fence edge battens, from one side to the other, helps reduces the panels being loosened, by wind pulling the nails out.

 

[securespark]

I replaced my fence panels nearly a quarter of a century ago with the previous neighbour. They eventually rotted to varying degrees and I couldn't afford to replace them at that time and the neighbour, despite it being a party fence, was not at all interested in fixing it. I'm not one to kick up a stink with a person who lives so close, so I gathered all the fence panels and carcasses. I separated them and rebuilt them from scratch using good bits of fence and other bits of wood to replace the rotten bits. I also used strips of pallet.

They're still in place 4 years later.

 

[securespark]

BTW, I just used what I had in stock, which was BZP pozi screws.

 

[aveatry]

I find that the vertical lap panels last longer than the wavy edge horizontal panels and stronger in the wind.