How Do You Maintain A Garden Fence
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- garden fence, fence maintenance, fencing, wooden fence
- Posted date:
- 01-11-2021
Homeowners often ask: how do you maintain a garden fence? We look at the most effective ways to keep your wooden fence looking good and lasting longer through regular maintenance.
Wooden Garden Fence Maintenance
Wooden fencing is the number one choice for most people who have a fence on their property. However, if you do have a wooden fence installed on your property, you will know how much maintaining them can be an annoyance, particularly if you happen to live somewhere where the wind consistently comes in full force.
Living in a windy area can be extremely stressful when you have garden fences, as you are lucky if you can last even five years without a partial collapse at least.
Here is a helpful guide to maintaining your garden's wooden fencing and preserving its condition as best as you can for as long as possible.
Cleaning The Fence
It is essential to keep your fence clean, particularly if you intend on applying any stain or paint to it.
Providing you are sure that your wooden fence is sturdy enough to handle it, then you should be able to wash it using a power washer.
You should scrub any black or green mould off your fence using watered bleach.
You need to ensure the wood has dried completely before you begin staining or painting, as the paint will not take to the fence if it is still wet.
Making Repairs
There are several ways in which your wooden garden fencing could become damaged, such as splitting, rotting, and other accidents.
It is important that you have these things fixed promptly to avoid any further damage from occurring. If any part of your garden fence is damaged to the point where it is irreparable, then you should consider just having the entire panel replaced.
Staining Your Fence
Staining or painting your fence will provide it with colour while protecting it from any elements and maintaining its natural wood look.
If your fence is clean, dry and fixed, it will be totally ready for staining or painting. Waiting until your fence is in the shade is best before beginning, as sunlight shining directly onto the fence will dry the paint too fast.
If the fence paint dries too fast, it will not soak into the wood properly and provide the best protection.
You can apply the stain to your fence using a roller, brush or power sprayer, although it is best to use a brush when it comes to those edges and other hard to reach areas. If using a power sprayer, you should be extra careful not to accidentally splash paint on any surrounding walls and plants.
There are a variety of different wood stains on the market, so it is imperative that you get one that is suitable for your fence. You should check the paint tin to ensure you're going to get enough coverage and that you have enough.
Maintenance Tips
If your garden fence is looked after properly and well maintained, it can help bring not only privacy to your home but also a sense of style and elegance.
A fence is a significant part of any garden and property, so it is vital to look after it, as a worn and tired garden fence can make your home look neglected and uninviting. It is essential to stay on top of maintenance when it comes to wooden fencing as you could face the hefty cost of having to replace it if you don't.
A dilapidated fence can also look bad if you ever decide to sell your property. Here are some fence maintenance tips you should consider to restore your fence to its former glory and keep it looking fresh.
Equipment
To make the task easier for yourself and cause significantly less stress down the line, it would be best to gather together all the equipment you might need ahead of time.
When cleaning your garden fence, the main tools you will need are a power washer or hose, protective sheeting, wood stain, paint rollers or brushes, and bleach or wood treatment.
Protecting Plants And Grass
Some of the solutions you may use to clean your fence, along with the powerful blasts from a pressure washer, could harm any surrounding delicate plant life or grass in your garden.
Avoid doing any damage by making sure you lay down some plastic protective sheets and try to move any garden furniture and plant pots that you can out of the way before starting.
Bleaching
You can typically buy a wide range of proper wood cleaning solutions for your fence from your local DIY store, or you can make your own at home by simply watering down some bleach.
The DIY solution is best measured out as two parts water and one part bleach. The solution should be put on your fence and left to work for a while, and then power washed later on.
Power Washing
You can power wash your fence to remove it from any mould or mildew. If you do not have a pressure washer, then a hose will suffice.
Dry Out The Wood
Now your fence is all washed and clean, you should leave the wood to dry completely before doing anything else to it as the wood stain will not take as well to wet timber as dry timber.
Ongoing Maintenance
The consistency in which you maintain your garden fence is entirely up to you. How long your fence takes to become dirty or worn is down to its environment and how often and well it is looked after.
Wooden fences can be straightforward to maintain if kept on top of. If you find yourself falling behind on your maintenance, then your fence could become dreary and worn looking.
Steps to keep wooden fence posts from rotting
If you are interested in trying to prevent your fence posts from rotting and trying to keep them in the best condition for the longest time possible, then there are a few things you should know.
Before putting the fence posts into the ground, you should coat them with wood preservers.
You should ensure the posts are fitted correctly and that you are using a good quality strong wood, as they are denser and will last longer than flimsy low-quality timber.
It is beneficial for you to soak the post ends in wood preservative for 24 hours and then let dry completely. You can then repeat this process with exterior wood or decking oils to add some extra protection.
For drainage purposes, you should make sure there are six inches of gravel placed at the base of your post hole and that the posts are protruding a few inches into the gravel.
You should pour the concrete so that it comes up just above soil level and then smooth the surface. It will be ideal if you make the surface slope away slightly from the post and towards the ground allowing any water to run off.
When sealing the gap at the base of the post between the post and the concrete, it is essential that you use high-quality exterior acrylic latex caulk or special silicone that is specifically designed to stick to concrete.
You should then ensure that you re-coat the wooden fence posts in order to re-seal and protect it. It would help if you did this each time you re-treat the fence panels.
If you require garden fencing in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire contact us today. Our garden design experts can supply and install beautiful garden fencing for you and your family to enjoy for years to come.