Removable Fencing Panels

[Tony Hayes]

I've got 29 fencing panels to paint on a fairly regular basis - every one or two years. Most of them are easily accessible from both sides, so no problem, but there are six which I cannot access on my neighbour's side because of the amount of vegetation he has growing near them! Ideally I would like to be able to remove each of these panels, from my side, which would be very easy if it wasn't for the fact that the framing is on the neighbour's side, whilst the pretty overlaps are on mine! If the framing was on my side I could simply use a couple of coach screws on each end of the panels fixed into the posts.

I could - by using a stepladder - probably reach such screws near the top, even if on the other side of the panel, but I can't think what to do about fixings lower down.

Any suggestions - apart from turning ther panels around - most welcome ;-)

Tony

[Rod Hewitt]

Tony Hayes wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Use standard fence retainers (can't think of a proper name for them). Two each side, one near the top, one near the bottom. Each of these attach to the posts by a single screw. So, having the retainers already screwed to the posts, offer up the fence panel at a slight angle to the top two, slide it upwards. Push it higher than you need it to be, straighten it and drop it through the lower retainers. Then, using something or other to hold the panel at the right height, put stainless steel screws through the hole(s) in the side of the retainers. Job done. Simply reverse to remove.

The retainers are just U-shaped metal a couple of inches long. Available from any halfway decent fence supplier.

Rod

PS Panel clips seems to be one name. See for one example.

[Tony Hayes]

Thanks Rod. Unfortunately the horizontal overlapping boards extend to the edges of the panels, ie there aren't vertical battens visible from my side of the fence, so the retainers wouldn't work. The panels are quite hefty too, unlike most of the stuff normally available, and are very heavy.

Giving it some further thought since my original post, if the bottoms of the panels could be hinged somehow, with easily accessible bolts at the top, I could simply undo the top bolts and swing the panel down into my garden in order to paint the backs. An even better solution would be to give my neighbour a tin of paint!! ;-))

Tony