If you’ve been considering fencing your property, there are probably a lot of things you’ve already thought about. The different fence types, how to keep up with proper fence maintenance; it can be a lot of information! But it’s important to keep things simple when you’re thinking about future care for your wood fence. Here are a few simple ways to protect your wood fence, to make sure you get the most life out of your fencing investment.
Protect the posts – Any fence made of wood will experience eventual decay. To keep your wood fence from falling victim to rot, make sure you get pressure treated fence posts. These posts are compressed to keep out the additional air and moisture that will cause the fence to rot over time. They only cost around $10 a piece, so it’s easy to save yourself the additional costs now by investing in the treated posts.
Seal the deal – Sealing your wooden fence will create a protective layer between the wood and the outdoors, making sure no insects or water wiggle their way into the material. You can have your fence posts pressure treated and sealed before installation to make sure they don’t crack under the pressure of standing up to the outside elements.
Wash it down – Many people don’t do this enough, but washing your fence is a good way to ensure that you aren’t experiencing any rot or decay. Getting rid of any extra dirt that could house harmful insects or collections of leaves around the base of the post will make sure that you don’t get any unwanted visitors that can contribute to rot. Pressure-washing your fence will also make it look good as new every time you do it. (As long as you’ve treated the wood!)
Don’t let fence maintenance seem daunting. It’s all worth the work when you’ve got a beautiful new fence to make your yard stand out from the rest, while keeping your private affairs inside.