Fences require very little work, but they aren’t entirely maintenance free. If you want to extend the life of your wall and get greater from your investment, there are a few small things that you should occasionally be doing to ensure that your fence survives for years to come.
You don’t need to complete these tasks weekly or even monthly, sporadically is usually fine unless there is a severe storm or violent weather conditions. Using common sense goes a long way, it’s not particularly hard to maintain a fence, it just requires a thoughtful mind and a few minutes.
Why Should You Maintain Your Fence?
The main benefit of maintaining your fence is that you can extend its lifetime, getting higher value from your investment and preventing yourself from having to purchase another. While maintaining your fence can also help it to look prettier, giving you a more aesthetic yard in the meantime.
Check the Fence for Wear and Tear
Keeping an eye out for regular wear and tear is always smart. We would recommend that you walk the entire length of the fence line and search for any signs of damage, even if they are small.
Simply being aware of the damage is helpful because it allows you to either fix it right away or monitor it to see if it gets worse and needs treating. On metal fences, you might find scratches on the outer coat which could allow water in for example, while on wooden fences you might see peeling or chipping paint.
Look for Rust or Rot
Rust and rot, the enemies of any good fence, even for ornamental wrought iron fences. Wood is particularly susceptible to rot, which is why we no longer use it in our operation. However, many of you already have wooden paneling or fencing, and you want to know how to maintain it. Foremost, you need to keep an eye out for any signs of water damage or cracking that could lead to rot.
Rot is most likely to occur when water can get inside of the fence itself where it can fester for weeks or months. This seepage only occurs when the fence is chipped, cracked or damaged, which is why it’s so important to look for these hallmarks. Once you see any chipping or cracking, fix it as soon as possible.
If you do notice rot in the wood, then you should ideally throw the panel away because this rot can easily spread to other panels where it can rot your entire fence.
Metal fencing doesn’t rot, but it has its nemesis, rust. When metal and water come into contact for extended periods, the metal will begin to rust, forming a brown and golden surface. Rust will slowly destroy your beautiful metal fence, and that’s why you need to hunt it down.
If you notice rust on your metal, you should act quickly. Grab a pair of gloves, a mask and a wire brush dipped in soapy dishwater. Get scrubbing, carefully until all of the rust is gone. Once you have finished, take a garden hose and wash the metal thoroughly, dry it off and apply another protective coating.
Remove Dirt and Debris
To maintain your fence both aesthetically and structurally you want to ensure that you are removing dirt and debris. Not only do these make the fence look unappealing, over a long time they can cause minor damage, primarily cosmetic, but that will also alter the look of your fence.
Cleaning it shouldn’t take much time at all if you see any large or stubborn dirt or debris you can take a soapy sponge and have at it. Otherwise, a garden hose or preferably a pressure washer is ideal for any metal fencing.
Spraying down the fencing very occasionally to remove any serious dirt will give it a sparkly new lease to life while preventing any further damage. Plus, it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.
