Screening Question

Icey77

Hi,

I'm hoping for a little advice

I am thinking about using reed screening to slip to our existing chain link fencing to make our garden a little more private and also a little more pleasant to look at.

The current chain link fencing is approx 1m tall and I would keep to this height (this way I can still be neighbourly etc) but it would enclose the garden.

Looking online there appears to be various types - reed, bamboo, brushwood, willow etc. Could anyone give me some advice as to the pros and cons of each or is it simply a choice of which one looks nicest?

Alos, if anyone has a hint of the best / cheapest place to order (online & delivery etc is fine) rather than the B&Q, Wickes etc that would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks
Icey x

alixandrea

I tried reed screening and it all got blown down in the wind. :-( Because of that I'd probably recommend going for something more substantial like bamboo or wood, but I suppose it'll depend a lot on how sheltered your site is and how well you attach the stuff.

Alixandrea

Archiebear

I tried the thin reed type screening in my last property and it too got blown away. Despite being fixed securely it's very flimsy and just ripped.
The brushwood type seems a bit thicker ...not tried it myself but have seen it reasonably priced in B&M's

Icey77

Thanks for the replies, hadn't even considered that it could blow away - I assumed that as I would zip clip it to an existing chainlink fence it would be fairly secure!

I shall visit a local garden centre to see what they have available (keeping in mind the flimsyness points) and then find it on the internet.

Much appreciated points!!

pink_poppy

I've had the same brushwood screening for the last 5 years & it's definitely looking past it's best now, but at least it didn't blow away!! I fixed it to the fence with heavy duty U shaped nails.

Got my screening from Wilkinson's as they were the cheapest at the time.

fwor

I'd strongly recommend that you ~don't~ buy the cheapest that you can find. My sister did that, and found that the wire used to hold it together was so thin that it corroded through in less than a year, and it just fell apart.

If you can, look at how substantial the stuff that holds it together is, and go for the best you can find.

officeguru

Hi

Five years ago, I got fed up with my neighbour always spying on what I was doing. It got so bad, that it became creepy... The last straw was when I turned around in my greenhouse and saw him watching me through the little triangular window at the top above the dike... Anyway, I bought some reed screening from Costco and took it home.. As I wanted it to be more permanent, I framed it with leftover skirting boards on all sides (so the reed looked like it was inside a picture frame) and then nailed, screwed the boards to heavy posts (As I wanted it to go above the existing stone dike that wasn't very high)... The reeds take a lot of wind in the winter (The hurricane in January demolished neighbour's fencing and our shed but the reed framing stayed where it was as the wind was able to go through it... I paint it every year with a wood preserver and it is as good as it was the first year I put it up... there is no sign of any rot etc... so I am very pleased with it... Once it has seen better days, I'll just take down the framing and renew the reeds....

I hope this gives you some ideas

Cheers