How to Repair a Wooden Fence...
It is very important to have regularly scheduled maintenance for a wooden fence. Wooden fences can be a very beautiful addition to any piece of property. However, because these fences are made from a natural material it is necessary to check the fence periodically to ensure that it is holding up well under the elements. Wooden fences tend to be subjected to rot. Once the rot sets in a certain portion of the fence it can spread to other areas causing significant wear and decay if the problem is not addressed immediately. For this reason, it is very important to know how to repair a wooden fence. Learning how to do this can mean the difference between maintaining an existing fence and having to replace it entirely. The following steps will offer assistance for repairing a wooden fence.
- Review the Fence for Damage-Before attempting to fix a wooden fence it is best to check the damage in full. This allows for proper assessment of the damage and consideration about how the damage can be fixed. It will be necessary to remove soil away from the base of the post to access the damage, particularly if the post is leaning. The assessment of the damage is important to determine whether or not a fence post has to be fully replaced or simply repaired.
- Preparing the Fence for Repair-Depending on the damage, there are different ways to prep a fence for repair. If the a rail on the fence is broken or rotting preparation may involve using a wood preservative to keep the rot from spreading before beginning the actual repair. If a post on the fence is leaning or unstable it will be necessary to dig near the base of the post in order to begin the process of resetting the post. The post will need to reset and leveled with supportive stakes until the resetting process is complete.
- Repairing the damage (rails)-If the damage to the fence is related to rails that have broken off or fallen down a small piece of 2×4 can be used to support the rail from underneath. The small piece of 2×4 can be nailed under the rail to place it in its original position. The supportive piece should be caulked to ensure it stays in place and to keep out moisture.
- Repairing the damage (posts)-Repairing a fence post will require that the foundation is reestablished to ensure stability. After leveling and staking the post pour concrete in the area around the post to reset the post in place. Make sure to remove air pockets that are found within the concrete by dipping a stick in the concrete repeatedly. After the hole is filled place a mound of concrete at the base of the post to help the water run off and away from the post.
Depending on how the wooden fence is damaged it is important to fix a wooden fence promptly in order to effectively prevent more damage from occurring. Learning how to repair a wooden fence is vital for the upkeep of a wooden fence.
