Installing an Artificial Green Wall Without Damaging the Fence: Is There a Way?

We’ve written quite a few guides on installing artificial green walls. Some of these included step-by-step installation on colourbond fences and contained all the information needed for a successful DIY job.

While the traditional installation methods are easy, as places like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane become much more built up, many people have begun living in estates, retirement villages and lifestyle cities.

This comes with a myriad of benefits, though at the cost of additional rules and regulations around fencing. As a result, this creates a few issues for our installations, as screws and drills are prohibited in many estates.

To combat this, we’ve devised some solutions that allow for damage-free installation of our artificial green walls that won’t pose issues with owners’ corporations or regulations. Some might be able to screw into the colourbond capping without seeing the screws on the other side (as explained here), but if you’re a tenant or subject to 1001 rules, you may not even be allowed to do that.

After encountering this issue twice, we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate a solution that satisfies everyone.

How to Install Faux Green Walls on Fences

Installing faux green walls or hedge panels begins with proper planning. Before ordering your panels, measure the area you wish to cover and calculate how many panels you’ll need for complete coverage.

Here’s how we’ve simplified this process – check out our online panel calculator, verify the measurements and purchase your desired products. If you’re looking for a quote, make sure to include whether you’ll undertake the installation yourself or will need professional assistance from builders and installers.

When installing panels on colourbond fences, installers typically use screws and washers directly onto the fence. If this isn’t a viable option due to the regulations we mentioned above or concerns about damage, we suggest attaching timber pailings (timber strips) from top to bottom. This way, you only screw into the base railing and top capping of the fence, then staple the panels onto the timber.

Installing a Faux Green Wall Without Damaging the Fence

We recently assisted 2 clients facing strict rules about modifying shared structures. One lived in a retirement village, while the other resided in a private estate. Both dealt with regulations prohibiting the attachment of anything to colourbond fences, whether hooks, screws or other methods that might penetrate the surface.

As a result, this means no hanging baskets, no decorations and no faux green walls. Thus, installing vertical gardens legally becomes a challenge, as it would lead to damage and rule violations.

Our retirement village client wished to install an artificial green wall along the side of the house. However, stringent regulations posed a challenge, as traditional installation methods involve drilling or attaching structures that could potentially cause visible damage.

To resolve this, we devised a creative, non-invasive solution that complied with the strictest estate regulations. Our team found mesh panels and garden stakes and used them to create a freestanding structure that served as a surface for the faux green wall panels. This means the structure was independent of the fence and respected all rules for the estate.

The Step-by-Step Process of Creating a Freestanding Green Wall

Developing this solution involved some trial and error, but here’s a step-by-step process to successfully implementing it:

Step 1: Select the materials. Mesh panels are good for support and garden stakes can secure the structure.

Step 2: Choose the panels. One client used our Lavandula Vertical Garden, while the other used the Luxury Vista Green Vertical Garden.

Step 3: Determine a suitable base. For one client, using the garden bed along the side of the house provided a secure foundation for the mesh panels.

Step 4: Position the panels. Don’t put them against the colourbond fence – ensure they’re aligned and stable yet freestanding.

Step 5: Secure the structure. Hammer garden stakes into the ground, spaced approximately 1 meter apart for stability of the mesh.

Step 6: Attach the mesh panels to the garden stakes. You can use cable ties or zip ties for added stability.

Step 7: Install the faux green wall panels onto the mesh. You can use more zip ties here as well to ensure a more secure fit.

And there we have it!

Additional Tips

Here are 3 more miscellaneous tips to create and install your artificial green walls quickly and easily onto metal fences:

Tip 1: Use magnetic hooks and hang your panels.

Tip 2: Consider S Hooks for hanging, depending on fence regulations. In our case, the hooks couldn’t even hang over the fence, but regulations aren’t as strict in most places.

Tip 3: Use chicken wire along the fence line, securing it with stakes and zip-tying your green wall panels.

Conclusion

In the end, we met our clients’ needs without compromising their fences or violating community regulations.

The result?

Stunning, functional vertical gardens that enhanced their outdoor spaces without causing unnecessary issues for neighbours.

We appreciate our clients’ patience and willingness to explore new solutions. We were able to refine our methods and develop even more effective, non-invasive techniques for installing freestanding faux green walls. If you’re considering a similar installation on your property, get in touch with us today and let’s discuss how we can achieve your vision while complying with all regulations.