Wediboard to a fence...

[user123]

How would you do this? Got a likely commission I am thinking about in advance....

The brief: to cover three wooden fence panels (6'high x5'wide) with part mosaic, part stainless steel, the steel not part of my job, but the mosaic will have to fit pretty flush against whatever shape stainless steel design.

The landscaper gardener responsible for the contract quite happily said that 'we could just screw the mosaic on some board to the fence' and I'm panicking already!

The height is likely to be the full 6', it's in a windy North facing corner, it has to be light enough not to pull the fence over, moveable so it can move with them should they decide to do so. So I thought, wediboard here we come, but I can choose the substrate. The idea of fixing the whole thing to a fence that is likely to wobble and respond to temperature changes.. well, it's freaking me out!! Am I over-racting already? How would you go about this? And of course whatever fixings they should not show...

 

[tfs]

ask that he sinks posts to 600mm and if he is using 4x4 timber posts ask him to keep width of hole no more than 300mm wide. (concrete posts may be better)

To prevent wind blowing through the fence he will need to build a closed panel fence which you could then fix to.

I would personaly request a breeze block wall to be constructed in front of fence where the client intends to fix the mosaic (this would give you a substrate to fixe to) the sides of this could probs be finnished in mosaic or even timber.

Find anything to the timber as you say is not good and will deffo be unstable due to extreme weather changes.

what sort of weight would the mosaic be?

 

[tfs]

sorry just read the part about the mosaic needing to be movable.

Try to get the fence constructed with steel or concrete posts. Advise them to use steel rails which you could then bolt your work onto.

Thats the way I would be planning to do it if possible

 

[user123]

Thanks tfs..

The fence is there already, I just know that it is a wooden fence, and considering the sizes height I imagine it's one of those interwoven ones.... I am pretty sure, just by the jist of the talk that they would not want to replace it. As to the weight, well, I'd have to wait for their decision as to the width of the thing... all early days, ... just trying to prepare myself really... I was hoping there would be some kind of fixture someone would know of that could move independently to the fence....

 

[cornish_crofter]

I would be mindful to actually build a structure to the back of the wediboard, so that the wediboard structure actually forms a subsitute for a fence panel. 2x2 set at 300 mm apart with noggins would be good. Then when the owners move they can remove your artwork and simply put a fence panel in its place.

I was wondering about using aqua panel or hardibacker, but wedi is lighter and probably just as strong, though more expensive.

Also Gisela, have you thought about how best to protect your hard work should the unthinkable happen and it come down?

 

[user123]

I think about that sort of thing all the time.... :lol: inclined to fret over stuff like that... the job would be pretty local, so maybe getting someone in to build anything suitable wouldn't be too much of a problem.. it's just that they really seemed to have their heat set on and combination of stainless steel areas and mosaic in between, the other way round. I must admit the breezeblock wall is starting to sound attractive. As to the 2x2, what fxings would you use for the wediboard?

I'm not so fussed about the price of the substrate as I'm not paying for it, but I do want to give them or the landscape gardener the best possible and informed advice, - for their sake and the sake of my reputation - and keep my mosaic safe!

As to protect it... do you mean to stop it breaking up?

 

[Olz]

I think for anyone to answer properly we would need to know what the fence is actually like, if for example its a featherboard style, methods would be completley different to say a vertical hit and miss, or american stlye.

My garden fence is a 6ft high picket style with 100 x 100 posts sunk 2ft into the ground cemented in and its very strong. the fence posts at either end obviously sit proud of the panels and it has three horizontal beams running across it top, middle and bottom. If I was going to fix a cement panel to it, i would add extra horizontal beams probably to 300mm centres, and then nogging at 300mm horizontally to make it a 300 x 300 grid, I'd then fix the cement panel to the grid at the 300 x 300mm centres. It would take a hell of a lot of force to get it off, much more than I would imaging wind blowing against it. Escpecially as its fixed at such close centres, but like I said, if the current fence is flimsy, then the cement board may stay attached to the fence panel, but the panel might blow over along with the posts. I'd be unhappy about just removing a fence panel and having an open backed frame to fix the cement panel to as its open to vandalism from the other side, i'd want something on the reverse to protect the opposite side it you get what i mean.

 

[user123]

Yes... I really should look at it first... and stop fretting...

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Just sitting on the fence on this one for a bit G :lol:

Having previously left cement boards outside and seeing the delamination between the layers I would not consider them suitable without the edge thickness being completly covered/waterproofed.
The Wedi board is available in thickness up to 60mm I believe and they have a washer type fixing plate to spread the pressure from the screws - this would mean leaving some pieces of mosaic off till it was in situ for site fixing. I would still want the edges of the board completely covered to stop moisture ingress.
I think that I'd also go down the route of fully epoxide adhesive and grout for fixing the mosaics.

When you get the contract don't forget to ring - I'am going to need a few days rest in sunny Scarborough after my next holiday, but keep away from thursdays (pension day).:smilewinkgrin:

 

[user123]

Just sitting on the fence on this one for a bit G :lol:

Having previously left cement boards outside and seeing the delamination between the layers I would not consider them suitable without the edge thickness being completly covered/waterproofed.
The Wedi board is available in thickness up to 60mm I believe and they have a washer type fixing plate to spread the pressure from the screws - this would mean leaving some pieces of mosaic off till it was in situ for site fixing. I would still want the edges of the board completely covered to stop moisture ingress.
I think that I'd also go down the route of fully epoxide adhesive and grout for fixing the mosaics.

When you get the contract don't forget to ring - I'am going to need a few days rest in sunny Scarborough after my next holiday, but keep away from thursdays (pension day).:smilewinkgrin:

Oh, stop being so smug John - don't want to see no suntan round here! Alright, I just do the arty stuff I enjoy and you can fix it up for me with guarantees for £20, deal? :lol: I will make sure to give you a call...

 

[White Room]

If you could get hold of some pictures would help a for visible look

 

[Rob Z]

G, my first thought is that the wedi panel/mosaics should be set as a panel within a frame that is attached to the structure of the fence, and thus the Wedi and mosaics are going to be able to move independently from the fence. As Mark said, though, pictures would help. Sounds like a challenging installation to work out.

 

[tfs]

If there will be large enough pecies of steel incorporated into the design then perhaps this could have some type of bracketry welded or bolted to the back side for fixing to posts etc (heavy duty steel angle brackets perhaps)

 

[user123]

Good idea... will keep that one in mind,

 

[CBTC]

I was interested in the responses above; but starting from the landscape gardeners reported comment I dont think they is really aware of the amount of structure formation / spec & desgn of such, that is required for a long tem sucessuful job. It cant be a mosaic fixed to a board fixed to an existing fence. The mosaic is the last thing to consider frankly, everything else has to come first.
You need to ensure you are not responsible for the structure spec mosaic girl - despite everyone on heres best advice.
Good luck!