Prolong the Life of Your Fence

With Fall here, it is a good time for you to start thinking about home maintenance and repair.
While there are many things on the good old “to do list,” one item that’s often neglected is your fence, which ought to have a yearly maintenance schedule.
This maintenance is essential to prolonging the life and appearance of your fence. Ignore it and your fence can pay the price, and repairs can cost more down the road, when replacing some, if not all, of its components is needed.
When it becomes necessary to replace boards, rails and posts, this can be done at a low cost when done yourself. In some cases, the whole fence might have to be torn down and re-built, but with good care, these expenses can be avoided.
The following is a fast, yearly checklist that will assist your fence for a long time:
1. Moisture is the fence’s greatest adversary.
A) Refocus water out of your sprinkler system from your fence and sometimes it 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 cost will save you a lot of money by avoiding future costs.
B) Remove all grass and weeds which come in contact with any part of the fence. These 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.
2. Examine for loose-fitting boards. Remove and re-nail as needed.
3. Fasten all loose screws and bolts. Pay special focus on gate hardware. It has got the most use.
4. Ultimately, clean up all 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.
There are lots of good products available. Check with your local home improvement store.
If you do find it necessary to replace portions of your wood fence consider first replacing the 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.
Going over your fence from time to time is a great way to prolong the life of your fence. For more information, call the Murphy Fence Company at 609-886-1635 and ask for Christopher.
—Submitted by Christopher Litton, Murphy Fence Company