There are lots of situations where you need a little bit of extra height for your fence. But rather than taking a whole panel out and replacing with something taller, it may be more cost effective to add a little bit of trellis to the top of an existing fence. It will afford some added privacy and allow you to grow taller climbing plants. You should only fix trellis to sound fence panels - so always check for any signs of rot in panels and posts before attempting trellis projects.
The first thing you have to consider is the weight of the trellis. Plonking trellis on top, screwing down and expecting it to stay put in even the slightest of breezes is optimistic, to say the least. You need to fix battens to the existing posts (easy if they are wooden – drilling is required if they are concrete) to provide an upright structure to which the trellis can be attached. This is because existing posts will no doubt be cut to the size of the fence panel. Once battens are in place the trellis can be easily attached using clips and screws. Always use galvanised screws as they will not rust and therefore will not cause run marks down any wood.
The additional trellis itself can be made from any spare wood – run strips horizontally to create height without any solid blocks – great for filtering light and the wind yet still allowing plants to grow. This is good if you are happy with straight lines. If, however, you prefer a flowing wave effect off the shelf trellis is readily available and easily fitted.
As with all fencing projects you can do it all by yourself. It is, without a doubt, easier with two!