A wood fence is an ideal way to give a home a definitive border: it can drastically change the look of the house and at the same time keep children in and stray animals out. Unfortunately, even if your wood fence was installed by highly capable Fort Collins fencing professionals, it will still rot away overtime. With a little care, though, you can make your wood fences last longer.
Part of the responsibility of maintaining a wood fence is making sure any damage that the panels sustain is repaired immediately. DoItYourself.com offers this tip: “An advantage of wood panel fencing is that you can repair or replace individual pieces rather than the whole fence. Repair may include repainting a worn piece, or it could involve replacing an entire panel. Either way, it is a job that you can get done in a few hours.”
Staining and sealing
If you prefer your wood fence to have the natural look, then you wouldn’t want to paint them. Still, you need to protect them from the elements, so you’ll need to stain or seal them. Just remember, though, that sealing comes before staining. The same article from DoItYourself.com offers the following advice on staining and sealing a wood fence:
Exactly how often you must reseal and stain will depend upon the weather. In rainy areas you will probably need to do it more often than if you live in an arid region. Rather than rely on a particular time frame, base your decision on the wood itself. As a rule, when water no longer beads up on the wooden fence but soaks in, it is time to reseal. In a moist climate, resealing should be done about every 2 years.
Termite prevention
Termites are extremely destructive pests that can literally eat an entire home made of wood down to the last speck. Popular wood fences such as redwood, fir, pine, and cedar are all susceptible to termite infestation. You can rid yourself of a termite problem by hiring a professional exterminator, but you may choose to do the job yourself by pouring or painting your wood fence with borax, a much less toxic insecticide option.
Now that you’ve read our expert tips to extend the life of your fence, hopefully you can keep your property boundary looking beautiful.
If worse comes to worst and you’ll need to replace your entire wood fence, don’t worry. Fort Collins fence professionals like Altitude Fence and Deck can replace your wood fence in no time at all.
(From: Tips for Maintaining Your Wood Fence Panels, DoItYourself.com)