Privacy for garden - bamboo screening or additonal fencing?

rover25

Hi, We live in a semi detached house and have a fence of approz 1.5 m high between us and our neighbours. It has gaps between the wood slats which means we can see into their garden and vice versa. I would like to do something to add some privacy espeically by this I will be 7 mths pregnant and am quite a private person.
We were thinking of getting that bamboo screening and stapling it /hammering it to the fence already there. The other option is to buy fence panels from B&Q and hammer these to the original fence posts. (The posts sit out on our side). What do people think? I think the panels and the screening come to about the same price. Screening to buy is a bit cheaper but you need more of it.
I would love to hear people's ideas and experiences.
:wv

Yorkie1

I have bamboo screening at the end of my garden for privacy and to stop the rubbish from the school playground blowing through. It does a decent enough job but bear in mind that its life expectancy will be shorter than solid fencing.

plumb1_2

Who own's the fence?
Is there any height restrictions?

Where i live the restriction is fence/wall at the front of any property is 600mm, and @ the side/rear is 1.5mt. And those who have abused this, have been forced to remove them.

ormus

bamboo screening as a temp measure. and plant some leylandii.

Shambler

I am putting up some willow screening this weekend, it should outlast bamboo by several years.

bobhawke

Consider how windy the area is and how strong the existing fence is before you decide.

ic

my neighbours put up bamboo screening to extend their fence a bit. two years later its all in tatters and needs ripping down.

clockworks_2

How about trellis , then growing plants on it for additional cover?

LittleMissAspie

plumb1 wrote: »

Who own's the fence?
Is there any height restrictions?

Where i live the restriction is fence/wall at the front of any property is 600mm, and @ the side/rear is 1.5mt. And those who have abused this, have been forced to remove them.

Wow that's harsh. Our back garden fences are taller than me and I'm 1.64m tall.

Someone a few gardens over has a screening of some kind attached to their fence, I think it looks nice. With stones on the ground and some pot plants you could have a nice relaxing Japanese-style garden.
Here I've taken a sneaky picture for you: http://i56.tinypic.com/3354fn7.jpg

Mojisola

rover25 wrote: »

Hi, We live in a semi detached house and have a fence of approz 1.5 m high between us and our neighbours. It has gaps between the wood slats which means we can see into their garden and vice versa. I would like to do something to add some privacy espeically by this I will be 7 mths pregnant and am quite a private person.
We were thinking of getting that bamboo screening and stapling it /hammering it to the fence already there.

It depends who owns the fence. If it's your neighbour's fence, then you shouldn't attach anything to it without their agreement.

Unless there is a rule specific to your area like plumb has, you can put up a 2m fence between back gardens.

aliasojo

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

Someone a few gardens over has a screening of some kind attached to their fence, I think it looks nice.

That looks like bamboo roller blinds to me. I wonder if they had them in the house then recycled them. Good idea if they have.

OP I wouldn't be fixing heavy fence post or panels to the existing posts. You don't know if they could take the extra weight. They may look sound but the end that's in the ground could be wearing. Also the neighbour may not take too kindly to that option.

I'd go for the willow screening if it were me. Staple it or cable tie it (you get black ones and brown ones so you wouldn't notice them). As long as you take your time to fix it securely, it will be fine.