Fence options for backyard with canal and retaining wall

[magnumpl]

Hi. I’m planning to build a fence in my backyard in Florida, primarily for my child’s and pets safety. The yard borders a freshwater canal, and there’s a CMU retaining wall/seawall at the back. Since the yard is relatively small, I’d prefer to install the fence directly on top of the retaining wall or directly next to it to save space, but I want to ensure this won’t compromise the wall’s strength, especially during hurricane winds.

The seawall has water pressure on one side and soil on the other, which I assume helps stabilize it, but I’m not certain how it was built. I know it’s made of CMU with a solid block cap, but I don’t have details about reinforcement or foundation.

I’d like the fence to be no more than 4 feet tall, see-through to maintain the view, and with a flat top so that I could fish from the canal. I’m currently considering hog wire with a wood frame, a flat-top aluminum fence, or an euro grid fence, so that it lets the winds theough, but I’m open to other options if they are more suitable for this situation.

I’m considering three options for installation:

1. Mounting the fence on top of the wall using brackets
2. Drilling holes into the wall and securing posts inside with epoxy or concrete
3. Installing the fence directly in front of the wall, either poured or driven

If I go with the third option, would it be better to drive the posts into the ground or embed them in poured concrete? If concrete is used, would it be fine for the footing to adhere to the wall, or should I use a material to separate the post concrete footing from the wall?

Which option would you recommend for structural stability?

Thank you!

 

[Odds]

Build a bigger wall to keep the water out when sea levels rise.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I wonder if the OP's idea of small, is anything like our idea of small?

Anyway in the UK we would never recommend fitting any fence to the top of a wall, fit it just behind, any of your fence choices would be fine, fit which one you like the look of the most.

 

[magnumpl]

Build a bigger wall to keep the water out when sea levels rise.

I raised it by one block but it occasionally floods anyways durring strong hurricanes, happed twice over the last 10 years. I'm not sure if raising it even more wouldn't affect the stability of that wall.

I wonder if the OP's idea of small, is anything like our idea of small?

Anyway in the UK we would never recommend fitting any fence to the top of a wall, fit it just behind, any of your fence choices would be fine, fit which one you like the look of the most.

It is small, I have an enclosed patio with a pool and stairs along which takes most of the backyard, so theres only 5m from the wall to the stairs. I want to build a small playground for my kid on whatever is left from the backyard.

Also, the soil here is very sandy.

Would you drive the posts into the soil or pour concrete footing?
How close to the wall would you burry the posts? If I pour concrete footing, should I separate it from the wall or let it adhere when it sets?

Would removing the soil along the wall, say 2m deep, and backfilling it with gravel help in stabilizing the wall and the posts?