Raised bed against a fence

I have a recently-erected six-foot high garden fence consisting of plastic posts and panels, not dissimilar to this:

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Alongside this fence I'd like to build a raised bed, some thirty inches high. The front face could be attractive walling and the infill rubble and stones topped with earth. I'm reluctant to use the fence itself as a rear wall (and would it, in any case, resist the outward pressure of the infill?) but it seems somewhat over the top to build, say, a block wall right up against it. I've wondered about a rear wall of some suitable coated or protected sheet material (OSB maybe?) braced to the front wall, but I'd welcome any other suggestions.

Many thanks.

Reply to
Bert Coules
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Not OSB for starters. It rots over time, as do most wood boards when constantly wet/damp.

Just been out with a tape measure to check my visualisation and 30" is pretty high - just over 3 standard blocks.

I would guess that in the long run a block wall would be sensible and probably cheaper than using sleepers.

I read the plastic fencing site with interest and didn't see a direct comparison with concrete posts. Therefore I cannot judge how robust the plastic posts are. However we have concrete posts, concrete gravel boards and wood panels.

For a couple of panels we have replaced the panels with concrete gravel boards and these would certainly be strong enough to act as a rear wall for a raised bed.

I can post a photo if this would help.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

A 30 inch block retaining wall ought to have decent foundations. If you build the whole thing out of sleepers, you can fasten the ends to the sides, and use the tensile strength of the timber to keep it together.

Reply to
GB

David, thanks for that. Concrete gravel posts are a neat idea (and would look better than blocks too, as the visible upper part of the rear wall) but how would you suggest I install them? Or would simply resting them against the fence posts one above the other be enough, letting the infill hold them in place? Then the question of the outward pressure would arise, wouldn't it?

The posts are well sunk into the ground and concreted in place. I'm confident that they would hold against the pressure from say, an eighteen inch bed, but I'm not sure about twice that height. Or is the bulk of the pressure downwards rather than sideways?

I hadn't thought of sleepers, so thanks for the idea.

I've known treated OSB have a decent life outdoors but admittedly I've never used it in a situation where one side of it was effectively buried in stone and soil. Perhaps if I covered it with roofing felt?

Reply to
Bert Coules

Nice idea. Thanks.

Reply to
Bert Coules

get some concrete gravel boards and use those.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Re gravel boards - use concrete posts, then you will know that you are not putting any stresses on the fence. Get a longer one and cut it in half if the shortest is too long for you.

Reply to
Peter Johnson

Peter, a fence-beside-the-fence. I can see that would work, yes. Thanks.

Reply to
Bert Coules
900 X 600 concrete paving flags on their ends would give you 150mm buried i n a decent concrete footing below the fence base leaving approx. 30" above ground level. Some bolt holes drilled on the seams would let you use some b olts with wide washers either side to hold them in line higher up.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

The gravel boards fit in place of the fence panels.

You know that when you fit a fence panel between concrete (or in your case plastic) fence posts with slots? The first thing you usually do is slide a gravel board down inside the slots to keep the fence panel off the ground, and then slide the fence panel down the slots to sit on top of the gravel boards.

What we did was slide down a gravel board between the slots. Then another one. Then another one.

So it was gravel boards all the way down.

I will post a photo!

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

Can't see a plastic fence taking that amount of side load.

Dense concrete blocks are cheap and would do the job fairly quickly. As others have said, gravel boards or sleepers would also do the job.

Any sheet material (iven if it would last - which is doubtful) would need lots of support from something else like posts etc.

Reply to
John Rumm

Thanks, John. Clearly, something substantial is needed.

Reply to
Bert Coules

That's a very clean and neat solution, though the weight would make them tricky to manoeuvre working alone.

Reply to
Bert Coules

The main disadvantages are a) cost and b) they are bloody heavy to move around.

Reply to
GB

Yes indeed. And concrete gravel boards and 3 x 2 ft slabs aren't exactly lightweight. And I'll be working alone.

Reply to
Bert Coules

I was considering something like this.

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When I had mine done I had the services of two hairy arsed builders.

Lifting them into place with just me and herself would be dangerous.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

I didn't know small portable hoists like that could be had. Thanks.

Reply to
Bert Coules

The only problem with that particular hoist is the wheels which are no more than castors and will only move on fairly smooth surfaces. You can get ver sions with extended stabilisers that pivot round which means you can site y our material in one area and swing it round into the required position.

To be honest something like a sack trolley is probably your best bet for ma noeuvring sleepers, concrete flags or gravel boards.

Richard

Reply to
Tricky Dicky

The problem with gravel boards is that you have to raise them above the top of the fence posts to get them into the vertical slots.

Lifting them above head height is not trivial.

Cheers

Dave R

Reply to
David

Thanks, Richard.

Reply to
Bert Coules

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