Trellis Fencing in Dawlish
Trellis fencing in Dawlish
Most trellis jobs in Dawlish start with one of two complaints. Either a neighbour’s new extension or upstairs window has a clear view over the lawn, or a plain fence has gone tired and the owner wants something living on it. A strip of trellis along the top, or a run of it as a screen, sorts both without building a wall. Here’s how we go about it around the town.
A bit more privacy without boxing yourself in
Plenty of Dawlish homes sit close together, especially on the older streets running back from the Lawn and up the valley. A full height solid fence can feel like a cell in a small garden and may need planning consent once it goes past two metres. A trellis topper on a sound fence adds height you can see through, softens the line, and once a climber takes hold it blocks the view from next door almost as well as boards. We match the topper to the fence below so it doesn’t look bolted on as an afterthought.
Seafront and cliff top gardens
Near the sea wall, along the Warren road and on the higher ground towards Langstone Rock, wind is the thing that wrecks fences. Open trellis lets a good share of it through, so it puts far less strain on the posts than adding another solid board. Even so, we use thicker battens, stainless or galvanised screws and fix every section to the post itself, not just to the panel beneath. Timber gets treated before it goes up, because salt spray finds every raw cut end.
Climbers on sheltered terraces
Tucked away from the coast, the terraced gardens and courtyards up the hillsides are warm and sheltered, and climbers love them. Jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle and climbing roses all do well against a south or west facing run. For heavy growers like wisteria we put up a sturdier square trellis with wires behind it so the weight isn’t hanging on thin slats. Tell us what you’re planning to plant and we’ll space the battens to suit.
We check the posts before adding anything
The red Dawlish soil stays wet from autumn to spring, and a lot of the fences we’re asked to top have posts that are soft at ground level. Putting trellis on a rotten post just adds leverage and the next big blow takes the lot. We test every post first. Where they’re sound the trellis goes straight on, where one or two have gone we replace them, and where most have gone we’ll tell you honestly that the fence needs doing first.
What a proper trellis job includes
- Checking every existing post and the fence line before quoting
- Trellis matched in colour and style to the fence or wall below
- Each section screwed to the posts with rust-proof fixings
- Square, diamond or slatted patterns depending on the planting
- Height kept within what’s allowed, and a word if planning is likely to come into it
- Old toppers and offcuts taken away when we finish
Want trellis on a fence or wall somewhere in Dawlish? Get in touch and tell us roughly how long the run is, what it sits on now and what you’d like to grow up it or hide behind it. We’ll come out, look at the posts first and price it properly. The wider picture is in our trellis and fence toppers guide, and if you need a new fence underneath it, have a look at fence panels in Dawlish. The rest of what we do in town is on the Dawlish fencing page.
Screening just the seat, not the whole garden
Often it isn’t the whole boundary that’s the problem. It’s one bench, one hot tub or the corner where you drink your coffee, and it’s only overlooked from a single window. A couple of panels on their own posts, set a little way in from the fence, can solve that for far less disruption than raising a full run. They also make a pleasant division in a long, thin plot, with a path or a strip of vegetables tucked behind. Try sitting in the spot with a friend standing at the likely height. You’ll soon see how far along it really needs to go.
Giving a climber something to root into
- Look at what’s under the fence: older Dawlish gardens can hide rubble, a concrete footing or an old path right where you’d want to plant.
- Plant a bit out from the post: a hand’s width or two puts the roots in better soil and away from the concrete, then lean the stems in.
- Improve the wet clay patches: where the red ground sits sodden all winter, compost and some grit will help anything that dislikes wet feet.
- Use a big pot on a patio: a deep planter works if there’s no soil to dig. It’ll need more water through a dry July.
Colours that work with a small space
Dark shades such as charcoal or deep green tend to fade into the background, which makes the leaves and flowers stand out and can make a small yard seem less hemmed in. Pale creams and whites look crisp to start with but show algae quickly on a damp, shady side. If you can, stain the panels before anything’s growing up them, because painting round an established honeysuckle is a thankless job. And if the fence below is staying natural, simply letting the new timber weather to match is a perfectly respectable choice that costs nothing to look after.
Photos that help us give you an answer
You don’t need to measure every inch. A straight-on shot of the run, one from the window that’s causing the bother and a close-up of a post where it meets the ground tell us most of what we need to know. A picture of the top of a post helps too, since it shows how much height is left to fix into. Mention the direction it faces if you know, and whether the fence is yours, your neighbour’s or nobody seems sure. Add any climbers you’ve already got your heart set on, and we can think about spacing.
Trellis questions we get in Dawlish
Can trellis go on top of my existing fence?
In most cases, provided the posts are solid and stand high enough to screw into. If they’re short we can bolt extension pieces on, or fit taller posts where the fence is due a refresh anyway.
Will my neighbour need to agree?
If the fence is yours, it’s your call, but we always suggest a quick word next door, especially if the extra height shades their garden. If the fence is on their side or shared, they need to be happy before anything goes on top.
Can you fix trellis to a wall?
Yes. We use battens fixed to the wall so there’s a gap behind the trellis for air and stems to wind through, which keeps damp off the brick or stone and gives the plant something to grip.
How long does trellis last by the sea?
Treated timber trellis with good fixings lasts many years, even near the front. A fresh coat of stain every couple of years keeps it looking right, and it’s the fixings rather than the wood that usually give out first if cheap ones were used.
Does a topper here need planning consent?
Trellis normally counts towards the total height of the boundary, so a topper taking it above two metres is likely to need an application, and it’s less beside a road. Ask Teignbridge before you order, more so where a building or street has protected status.
When’s the best time of year to have it fitted?
Any time the ground isn’t awkward, really, but autumn and winter are handy. Existing plants are less of an obstacle when they’ve died back, and it means the screen’s up and ready for you to plant against in time for spring growth.
Will it hold a hanging basket?
A small one, perhaps, but thin lattice isn’t built for it. A wet basket is heavy and it swings about in the wind. Put a proper bracket on a post or on the wall instead, and save the trellis for what it does best, supporting climbers.
Other fencing work in Dawlish
Not quite what you need? In Dawlish we also do close board fencing, fence panels, hit and miss fencing, slatted fencing, composite fencing, chain link fencing, post and rail fencing, picket fencing, garden gates, driveway gates and fence repairs. Everything we do in the town is on our fencing in Dawlish page, and if the job is over in Teignmouth, see trellis in Teignmouth.