Fall Maintenance Means Fence Maintenance

With autumn’s arrival comes a long list of post-summer home maintenance to-do’s. For most people, their fence is their last priority on this long list. However, in order to spare yourself major costs in repairing or even replacing fencing in the future, a yearly maintenance schedule is necessary.
This summer’s extreme heat waves may have required more attention to the moisture level of lawns and landscaping. While added sprinklers keep grass its greenest, they can potentially be a fence’s source of demise. Be sure to refocus water out of your sprinkler system from direct contact with your fence. Sometimes this means relocation of the sprinkler heads. Sprinklers should be directed away from your fence in the same way that they ought to be directed from your house. This initial effort will spare you fence repair costs in the future.
Moisture retained by grass and weeds that come in contact with parts of your fence can also pose a serious threat. Catch up on your weeding, and pay close attention to any shrubbery bordering the fence’s base. This can hold moisture against your fence causing mold and mildew, and eventually the wood will start to deteriorate. A good weed-eater can be your best friend.
Next, examine the fence for loose-fitting boards. Make time to remove and re-nail as needed. Fasten all loose screws and bolts. Focus mainly on gate hardware. After you have hosted a range of summer visitors, your fence’s gate is sure to have gotten the most use.
Finally, clean up all fence surfaces. Remove loose paint with a wire brush or power washer. Make sure all surfaces have dried and re-seal, re-stain, or re-paint.
If after review, you do find it necessary to replace portions of your wood fence, consider first replacing its posts if any are damaged or rotten. The last thing you want is to fix or replace a panel only to realize the post it’s attached to is insufficient.
For more great maintenance tips, call the Murphy Fence Company at 609-886-1635. Located at 507 Seashore Road in Cape May, Murphy Fence is acclaimed for their vast experience and helpful advice which they have refined over their nearly fifty year career.