Cutting / sawing top off closeboard fence to reduce height?

rachel7841

We recently replaced the old dilapidated fencing in our garden (terraced house) with new closeboard / featherboard fencing. We let the neighbour know in advance and we erected it to the maximum height (6ft6) as advised by council because of a problem with another neighbour's pitbull coming in the garden.

The neighbours have asked us to consider reducing the height of the fence to 4 foot and making the remaining height up with trellis if they pay towards it. Ideally we'd have had this conversation with them before the fence was installed! But for various reasons we didn't. We've said we will consider it but the issue is I have no idea if this is even possible.

The fence was installed by my dad (builder) and his friend (carpenter) who say that we cannot saw the top off the fence as it will splinter and fall apart. I'd like a second opinion; I can't find any information online and wondered if anyone here knows if this might be possible? We don't have the money to start again with the fence. It is our fence, but we don't want to upset the neighbours unnecessarily if there is a cheap and simple solution that everyone would be happy with.

So - any advice or experience of reducing fence heights, welcome please!

Kiran

I assume you are talking about a rails and board fence rather than panels?

You can cut the fence down with a circular saw. The issue will be that the arris rails. The top one will be above the cut off level. and the middle one may need moving. That's where you stand a chance of breaking the feather edge boards

rachel7841

Thankyou! Yes it's a closeboard / featherboards nailed to arris boards (and gavel board running along the bottom). We'd want to cut the top off above the top arris board. If the neighbour wanted it cut off lower I'd ask them to pay to move the arris board down.

So you think this would work with a circular saw? Is the answer to just go v slowly and carefully and accept we may need to replace some of the individual feather boards?

Kiran

The top arris rail will be above 4ft at the moment. I'd put money on it being only 1ft from the top max. However to cut it, tack a temporary straight edge to the fence posts as a guide for the saw. The carpenter will be knowledgable about how to use the saw to best effect

martinthebandit

I think your Dad and the carpenter are right here, depending on how its built it could be next to impossible to do a decent job.

How about suggesting to your neighbour that he plants a climbing plant next to it, something like a Russian vine maybe? Although that could cause its own problems.

keystone

rachel7841 wrote: »

We recently replaced the old dilapidated fencing in our garden (terraced house) with new closeboard / featherboard fencing. We let the neighbour know in advance and we erected it to the maximum height (6ft6) as advised by council because of a problem with another neighbour's pitbull coming in the garden.

The neighbours have asked us to consider reducing the height of the fence to 4 foot and making the remaining height up with trellis if they pay towards it. Ideally we'd have had this conversation with them before the fence was installed! But for various reasons we didn't. We've said we will consider it but the issue is I have no idea if this is even possible.

The fence was installed by my dad (builder) and his friend (carpenter) who say that we cannot saw the top off the fence as it will splinter and fall apart. I'd like a second opinion; I can't find any information online and wondered if anyone here knows if this might be possible? We don't have the money to start again with the fence. It is our fence, but we don't want to upset the neighbours unnecessarily if there is a cheap and simple solution that everyone would be happy with.

So - any advice or experience of reducing fence heights, welcome please!

So let me get this right:

1. Its your fence.
2. You gave them advance notice of what you were going to do. Big tick for you.
3. You erected the fence to the height you are perfectly within your rights to do. Tick for you.
4. They have offered to pay part of the cost of reducing the height. How about ALL the cost?
5. You don't want to upset them. Huh???

As to the practicalities of doing it to me it all needs to come down and be redone or it will forever lok the bodge that it will be. The arris rails will have to be reworked for height and you should be able to reuse the majority of the featheredge. Then theres consideration of the materials you have paid for and now lost like 1 arris rail per span between posts not to mention that 6 foot featheredge now cut down to four results in substantial wasted material when you could have bought smaller boards in the first place. Not too great on an individual basis probably but just add up how many boards have been used for the whole fence.

I think they are taking the pi.. to be honest.

I'd tell 'em to jog on based on what you've said thus far TBH.

Cheers

keystone

martinthebandit wrote: »

How about suggesting to your neighbour that he plants a climbing plant next to it, something like a Russian vine maybe?

:eek:

Although that [STRIKE]could[/STRIKE] will cause its own problems.

Fixed it for you.

Cheers

southcoastrgi

I'm guessing you must look good in a bikini cause i can't see any other reason why they would want to see into your garden, as KS said I'd just tell them to jog on as you want your privacy

Ken68

I have created 'windows' made from trellis in part of my fence, this lessens the wind effect and also gives the impression of still being neighbourly.

rachel7841

Thanks all. I know I could / should tell them no, but for the sake of good relations I want to at least show willing to consider it. I definitely wouldn't be paying for any of it though, if it does look possible I'll say they can pay for it and put right any resulting damage / problems.

They feel aggrieved that the additional height of the new fence has robbed their garden of all natural light. The gardens are south facing, so the new fence has cut a bit of the morning (eastern) light. But the reason they get no daytime or evening light is because their garden is totally overgrown. The apple tree etc towers above our new fence. No light can penetrate from above.

They are tricky, but they are also nice, two things which combined make me want to be more cautious about causing any grief so before I point this out I'll see if I can get a carpenter round to quote them / us.

Thanks for all the advice

Kiran

Ask them to get a contractor to quote if they want the works done however they will be responsible for making good any and all damage. I didn't fully read the first post and having re read it, it is strange that they want to be able to see into your garden and also leave it open to a pitbull.