Batten bows under net tension, no-drill fixes? (renter)
Hi all,
I'm putting up a safety net on my balcony so my cat can't get out. The net is attached to the railing at the bottom and to a vertical wooden batten in the corner, resting against the wall. It's fastened with small metal hooks and zip ties (see photos).
The issue: when I pull the net tight, the batten bows outward, especially toward the top. I can't get proper tension, and I'm worried my cat will find a way to push through.
Constraints:
- I'm renting, so no drilling into the wall or facade.
- I'd like something clean and fully reversible.
- It needs to look neat and unobtrusive: I don't want to spoil the view for the neighbors with a messy-looking setup...
- The batten is 60mm x 40mm and 2.5 m tall.
Any tips to make it stiffer?
EDIT: Since the setup is a bit unusual, here's my (very rough) sketch. Top view on the left, side view and batten cross-section on the right. The balcony is 8.53 m long, and the batten is 6×4 cm. One end of the balcony has metal bars, and the batten stays firmly in place there. The other end (the one in the photos) is a flat wall with nothing to brace against, so the batten is only held at the bottom by the railing, which is why it bows at the top. Sorry for the artistic level, it's a quick sketch from my notebook!
Thanks in advance !