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Fence Repair and Maintenance

Most gardens have fences of some sort. These are relatively easy and quick to put in place and give instant privacy compared with hedges that can take years to grow. The initial cost of installing a fence is low but wood deteriorates unless maintained. So how do you prolong the life of your fence?

Time to complete job: 1 - 4 hours according to job.
Approximate budget: £40.

You will need:

Post caps
Nails
Hammer
Props
Concrete spur post
Gravelboard
Fence panel

Prevention is better than cure - so read on for ways of preventing wood rot and damaged posts. However, if things have already gone too far, then don't worry - we can help you with repairs too. Read on...

For more practical tips, see Treating and Staining External Wood.

Click to enlarge

Step 1: Maintaining your fence

Wood rots when in contact with moisture. Keep soil away from fence bases and posts.
Fence post tops will rot if rain lies on the surface. To avoid this, nail on a post cap or cut at an angle. If the post top is rotting, cut back to sound wood then add a cap from wood 12mm (0.5in) wider. Soak in a wood preservative for at least 24 hours then secure with 2 rust proof nails.
Every few years treat the fence with preservative - use a water-based preservative if plants are near. Apply when dry and ensure the most vulnerable parts - the fence post tops, any horizontal surfaces and any wood within splash distance of the soil, are well treated.

Your Comments

Cytania wrote on 24 Jun 2005 at 04:19 PM

Suggestion 1) Fake It

Make the pickets stakes driven into the ground and join them at the back with a flexible strip (UPVC?) to look right.

Suggestion 2) Custom Metal

Get a local metal worker to create a bending back piece that the pickets attach to with screws or bolts. This will cost to commision but essentially it would be the fence with the pickets as a cladding on the front.

Suggestion 3) Change Of Material

Do the bend as a wall to a similar height and in material/finishing that complements the picket. Eg. brick with clean white mortar and whitestone capping or rendered white.
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