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How to attach Merbau screens to wooden fence?

Hello, we have purchased merbau screenings (20kg each) and we would like to know how to secure them to our back fence without having to build a new frame. We are on a DIY budget so we'd like to do this project ourselves, and hopefully find a simple solution. Photo of the current fence below. It feels sturdy but given we are hoping to install a few of these screenings we want to make sure the fence can take the new load. Thank you

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Fencing and Screening

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Ari_

Welcome @Carocrowley to the Bunnings Workshop!

Are you just wanting to screen just the fence? or have them extend above it? A picture of the Merbau screen up against the fence would allow us to help you best and for scale.

If it's just the fence, then you can have them sitting on the decking, so mostly gravity is taking their weight and simply attach them to the fence's 3 horizontal timber 'rails' to prevent them falling over in the wind.

If the screens extend above the top of the fence, then there is a greater surface area for wind to put more force on the fence, so in that case initial pre-emptive reinforcing it will be a better option. By the look of your yard would you say it's mostly sheltered from wind anyway?

Let us know your thoughts/plans so we can better help.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Carocrowley. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about attaching screening panels to a fence.

It's great to see that @Ari_ has already provided a helpful reply.

It's important to bear in mind that fences are generally designed to support their own weight and are not built to carry additional heavy loads. Each Merbau screen weighs around 20 kg, so if you plan to install multiple panels, the total added weight could easily reach 150–180 kg or more, which is significant and could stress the fence, especially under wind load. Before attaching anything, inspect the fence posts and horizontal timbers to ensure they are in good condition, free from rot or looseness.

To avoid overloading the fence, as mentioned, have the panels sit on the deck so that the deck carries their weight rather than the fence. You can attach the bottom of the panels to the deck joists or timber using brackets or screws, which safely transfers the load. Once the panels are supported from below, lightly secure them to the fence for alignment and stability, pre-drilling and countersinking screws through the panels into the fence rails to prevent splitting.

Make sure the panels are evenly spaced and vertical, using small spacers or top brackets if necessary, so the fence serves only as a stabiliser rather than the primary support. This approach allows you to safely install heavier Merbau screens on a DIY budget without building a new frame.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Carocrowley

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/57687#Comment_57687

Thanks @Ari. Yes, we were hoping for it to be raised above the fence line by about 30cm. How would we go about reinforcing? We were considering putting a wide plinth under the lowest horizontal rail so the screening can sit on that and go above the fence line....but the space under the lowest horizontal beam is not evenly spaced

I don't have a photo of the screening but this is it below. If we stand it on the deck it reaches the fence line with no extension.

SpecRite 1800 x 902mm Pre-Oiled Merbau Alternating Slat Fence Panel - Bunnings Australia https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-1800-x-902mm-pre-oiled-merbau-alternating-slat-fence-panel_p8500281?srsltid=AfmBOopKRH4HuKOjB2_tCsN-6to1is0QouFk8byKnaNJSgNB_OzxsZPa

Carocrowley

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/57691#Comment_57691

Thanks Mitchell for your comprehensive response. If the screening sits on the deck will it rot with the wet weather? Should we put anything between the deck and the screening?

Carocrowley

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/91196#Comment_91196

Also, we've had screening over the fence line before but it was a really light weight wood and we don't get a lot of wind so they were fine. We are replacing for something more durable as the previous ones rotted.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/91197#Comment_91197

Timber sitting directly on timber can create a spot where moisture collects @Carocrowley, but since your panels are Merbau, a dense hardwood, this is much less of a concern. Ideally, you should leave a small gap between the panels and the deck. The easiest way to do this while still letting the deck bear the weight is to use small plastic packers under each panel. This transfers the load to the deck but keeps the panel slightly off the surface, preventing a pinch point where water could sit. Alternatively, you could place the panels directly on the deck, but it is a good idea to coat the bottom edge, where it will not be visible, with a bitumen-based waterproofer. This adds extra protection and helps prevent moisture issues at the base.

Mitchell

Carocrowley

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/111554#Comment_111554

Thanks! And if I wanted to put the screening onto the lowest horizontal beam of wood, so that it went up higher than the fence line, what would I need to do to make sure the fence is strengthened and can take the new weight?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/123225#Comment_123225

Provided the timber on your fence is in good condition @Carocrowley , the main limiting factor isn’t usually the rails themselves but the size of the concrete footings the posts are set into. Standard fence footings are designed to take the wind load of the fence at its normal height. Once you extend above that, you’re effectively increasing the “sail area” and putting extra force on those same foundations.

In most cases, this isn’t a problem unless the footings were undersized to begin with, but it’s something to keep in mind. There’s not much you can do to directly reinforce the fence itself apart from potentially tying the posts back into another solid structure. For example, connecting them to your decking frame if it’s close by. Do you know if your deck actually uses those posts as part of its support? Sometimes the last joist is fixed to them. If that’s the case, tying the two together could give you extra stability, but you’d want to be careful, as it might also mean the posts are already carrying some of the deck’s load. At that point, it could be worth having a carpenter check whether there’s a safe way to add strength before you put additional screening above the fence line.

Mitchell

Carocrowley

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/130879#Comment_130879

Thank you very much. I love this forum..I'm always looking at the advice on here for different things and it's really helpful.

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