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Difficulty: Intermediate
A fence extension can add welcome privacy for your outdoor spaces, as well as enhanced security for your property.
While the standard install height for Colorbond fencing is 1800mm, for a small investment you can add privacy and security to your boundary fencing with D.I.Y. extensions taking the finished height to 2100mm.
As with any changes to a shared boundary, remember to talk to you neighbour before starting work. It’s the right thing to do and they might even agree to share the cost. It is also wise to contact your local council.
Steps
Step 1
Measure your existing fencing to determine your material list. Simply count the number of sheets, uprights and rails that you have. That will be the quantity of each of the items needed in the extension kit. To calculate how many plate brackets, just count how many uprights you have, halve it, and add one (for the end).
Note that some sections (from upright to upright) will be shorter or longer than the rest, so be sure to measure the rails and order the lengths required. Keep in mind you may need to cut some to fit.
Step 2
The plate brackets are usually 250mm long so start by marking the halfway point on all of them before hammering them all into place with your claw hammer down to the halfway point you marked. A flat head screwdriver comes in handy to create some space for the plate bracket between the top rail and the upright depending on how closely they’ve been installed.
With the plate brackets in place, slide one 300mm upright over the bracket and place a second one up against it. Now clamp them together and ensure they’re level. Then pop two of the button head screws through both uprights and the plate bracket in a diagonal configuration.
Step 3
With all your upright extensions in place, slide one end of a rail into an upright, then slide the other end in a downward direction to fit into the upright at the other end of the section. This is your new bottom rail. Once it’s in place, pop a screw in each end and one in the middle to attach it to the top rail of the existing fence. Repeat this step for each section.
Step 4
Now pop your first sheet into the bottom rail and slide it into the upright. Ensure you align the profile with the existing fence below. With the first one in place, take note of how and where the sheets on the existing fence overlap each other and continue inserting your remaining sheets, keeping an eye on the alignment of your profile.
For this step, do only one section, then go to Step 5.
Step 5
With a section of sheets in place, grab another rail and insert one end into the upright (like you did in Step 4). Slowly and carefully wriggle it into place over the sheets dealing with small parts at a time. Wriggling the rail back and forth, essentially following the wavy profile of the sheets, will help get it in place.
Once it’s in place, check it’s level then screw a hex head through the uprights and into the rail (at the top) to hold it in place. Do the same on the other side of the upright (neighbour’s side). Repeat for the bottom of the uprights. Note that it’s not necessary to do the bottom of the upright on neighbour’s side.
Repeat Step 4 and 5 until all sections are complete. You have now finished your Colorbond fence extensions. Now is the perfect time to clean off any cobwebs and dirt and treat it all with pest spray.
Step 6
You might like to consider cladding your fence to add sophistication and style to your backyard. There are many options to consider, from quality fibre cement products from James Hardie through to pre-made and bespoke timber screening. Whichever way you go, you’re going to need to install a H3 treated pine frame to attach your cladding to and the type of framing required will depend on your chosen cladding.
An already braced premade timber panel will likely only require some 50 x 25mm treated pine fixed to the top and bottom rails with 14g x 50mm Metal Teks. Then use either colour-matched timber screws or trim head screws to fix the panels to the treated pine frame.
Fibre cement would require a more complex 70x35mm treated pine frame to be attached to the top and bottom rails along with vertical lengths at certain points (see installation guides) and noggins to ensure a strong foundation.
If you need a hand with your fence cladding project, just let us know by commenting below. Good luck and please share your project with the community.
Materials
- Colorbond fence extension kit, including:
- 300mm sheets
- 300mm uprights
- Plate brackets
- Rails
- 20mm self-tapping metal screws
- 16mm hex head self-tapping metal screws (to match your Colorbond colour)
Tools
- Tape measure
- Spirit level (ideally 2100mm)
- Pencil or marker
- Clamps which open at least 150mm
- Claw hammer
- Rubber mallet or dead blow hammer
- Large flat head screwdriver
- Drill – An impact driver makes the job easier
- Ladder (tall enough for you to safely reach a drilling point of 2100mm)
- Angle grinder or hacksaw with a steel blade
- Personal protective equipment
Images
