Are you sure this is a finished permanent structure? I have never seen a plywood fence and cannot imagine how it can pass any kind of building or fire code.

I'm curious too. I would imagine that fence will deteriorate pretty quickly if raw plywood is exposed to the elements like that.

I would think after the first good rain it would look like a fish flopping around on a boat deck.

Like @Christopher CNC I have a hard time picturing plywood handling any kind of moisture outside. I picture a flopping peeling mess. It looks like a temporary construction barrier to keep people out of a construction zone.

very odd.....if it's legit and can structurally take the weight of additional cladding, then I would paint the plywood out flat black and clad in horizontal wood slats - 1"x3's" may be right proportionally. Add dynamic dimension with wall gazing lights; break up the mass with some wire lattice with climbing vines........

Exterior grade plywood will stand up to rain and weather quite well. Marine grade plywood will last even longer.

I would also think that to be a temporary barrier/fence as it is significantly taller at 8' than most municipalities allow for a permanent fence.

I like Owen's plan with the pre-painting (I might do a lighter color like a sagey green because it risks being gloomy, being so tall).

You have a lot of horizontal lines with the buildings next door so I might pick a different pattern other than horizontal.

Have a street or graffiti artist paint a picture like you see on buildings.

Wow, i hope this is not a permanent fence and more for ongoing construction. It is an eyesore!

Where (in the world) is this? Who installed it? How long has it been there? Do you “own” the fence? So many questions.

Whatever you do the slats should be attached VERTICALLY not horizontally so it coordinates with the other fence.

Confirming it is a finished structure! I recently moved to Oakland and I guess it's a common thing. We've actually already been through two very rainy months already and that pic is from this week.

The fence was definitely a sticking point for us when purchasing the property, but it's there to stay and we have free reign to change the aesthetics as we please.

I think we will pre-paint the plywood before adding slats. but wasn't sure if I should put slats directly to the plywood, or add the vertical posts and then the slats on top for more dimension.

@BeverlyFLADeziner - we'll be putting a planter in front of the vertical post fence to cover it a bit. Our gate in front is also using horizontal slats, so I'm hoping it would look more cohesive.

The plywood seems to be attached to a thicker fence structure. See photo from above.

If you put your slats on at an angle it will actually increase it's structural integrity. If you paint it and the slats you could use the cheapest product you can find.

Wow. This is a first, a new kind California wooden wall. It has a cap so it must be a two ply plywood wall. That should mean it has interior framing like a regular house wall to support the whole thing. Pay attention to the nail pattern in the plywood. You want to attach to the interior studs.

I would do posts for your horizontal boards. The3D raised effect will have more texture and possibly let you grow vines up it. Give your pattern some thought. Since this thing is for real, you could do any kind of pattern or design you want and don't have to be limited to horizontal or vertical boards.

Unless you feel confident yourself, I would recommend hiring a skilled carpenter for the work.

It's Oakland California so there has to be some thought and codes behind this, but I can't stop thinking about what a potential fire hazard it is.

Never seen anything like that before, but I like Beverly's idea of vertical slats instead of horizontal boards. And paint.

I also live in Oakland and have to admit I've never seen a fence like that! (thankfully) Due to COVID Oakland depts are mostly understaffed and overworked, but you might just want to confirm with the Building Dept. that fence is legal by showing them those 2 photos.

I can only think they were a "repair" of an original high fence that was grandfathered in before the 6-ft height limit was established. Or, that the property on other side is 2' higher at ground level than yours - which is certainly possible. I live in the Hills and the dropoffs can be dramatic, LOL.

Just have to say I love the suggestions you've gotten of painting and using vertical slats for depth. That could be really handsome. Just remember if you do a lot of planting in front, it can make repainting difficult.

Hope it comes out well for you! Would love to see the finished design, too. We don't always see the "followups" on discussion forums.

I’ve lived in Oakland (and Berkeley before that) my entire life, and I’ve never seen a plywood fence like that. I don’t want anyone to picture my beloved Oakland filled with such eyesores! I do like your idea of vertical or horizontal slats. It will look so much better.

I'm Oakland adjacent and you really don't have to varnish or otherwise treat redwood or cedar in our climate. It'll outlast the wall you're sticking it to.

With that building next door, I'd be happy to have the mega fence, plywood or otherwise. But it doesn't hurt to make sure it's code-compliant. :)

Fori, I said you Must varnish it if don't want it to turn gray. I never said anything about it not lasting. Cedar, redwood, ipe, all of them, will weather and turn gray if don't apply a UV varnish to it. and it has to be redone every two years or so.

This is how the wood will look with the varnish (and recoated every few years)

This is what redwood (or any of the others) will look like w/no UV varnish after a year or two.

So, Yes, marine varnish is a must if you want to keep this color.

For context, the plywood fence is separating me from the neighbors behind me and it can’t actually be seen from the street.

From what I’ve been told, the neighbors threatened to sue the developer if he didn’t keep the fence down at 8ft since they were allowed to keep fencing that tall when their houses were built. Because of this, the city basically allowed the fence to stay.

For the Oakland residents, I live in West Oakland and it seems fences this tall are really common. A lot of the street facing ones are made of steel (I think) and have murals.

Thanks for all the useful tips. @Beth H - I think I’m planning to do exactly as you suggested! I’ll send follow up pics whenever I finish this project

This construction fence had to have been installed on their side of the property line. But I don't think the owners (or HOA) will be ever be concerned about upkeep on your side, as it would be impossible without tearing it completely down. However whether you can even touch the fence is beyond my purview.

So you need to put a top cap on it, as the exposed edge of the plywood will deteriorate rather quickly. And remove the pea gravel where moisture will wick up into the bottom of the exposed edge plywood. Well, remove the pea gravel everywhere so you can at least walk normal and have normal plantings and appropriate driplines around the trees.

Slatwall sure looks cool, and it should be done with a drainage plane behind as suggested by Beth, but personally I hate spiders and wasps.

"Exterior grade plywood will stand up to rain and weather quite well."

On the flat, yes, however, the raw ends of those sheets must be capped. As built, it's on its way to self-delaminating destruction.

"As built, it's on its way to self-delaminating destruction."

I would say within a year that will look like trash the way it is constructed.

How do I cap the top?

I have no real solution to a scenario that I can't even fathom can exist as it sits.

But, a cap would have to cover and overhang a bit on both sides of the entire 5" or so width, which would encroach on their side on their fence and change the look they see that they are responsible for (but doing them a favor in the process). And the cap would only be on your section length, the fence continues beyond your property but you obviously wouldn't be putting it along the whole fence.

I'd probably build my own fence, that matches the one you already have, inside this fence on your side of the property line, and just let theirs rot.

Well, this is California. Excess moisture may not be much of an issue. It could dry up and get mummified and last longer than most of us would think.

That is not marine grade plywood. It is probably CDX seeing the knots, # of veneers, and blue striping. Although CDX has an exterior rated glue for the veneers, it is not meant to be exposed to continual weather. I would be concerned mostly about UV breaking down the glue on the edge and splitting the veneers, so when you do get that rain, water goes into the checks and voids on the edge and all that work spent on slatting has been lost.