Tips for Protecting Your Fence from Winter Weather

Winter is the season when it is most likely that we experience inclement weather, so taking extra care of your fence is important. If with a vinyl fence you will not worry about too many things except for verifying its stability and integrity and cleaning it, when it comes to a wood fence, things get more complicated.

Wood is a beautiful element and also resistant and durable, but only if it is treated and maintained properly. Otherwise, it will rot soon enough, or it will be infested by pests.

According to fence repair Thornton CO professionals, to prevent these problems, a wood fence has to be cleaned periodically and varnished or painted. This way, it will remain protected from moisture and the freeze-thaw cycles happening during the cold season. You should also consider trimming the trees close to your fence, to prevent snow accumulation or fallen branches that may damage your fence.

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Metal fences require almost the same type of treatment, as they are subject to rust because of the same reasons. However, people who have a metal fence will have to treat it rarely compared to wooden fence owners.

When you choose varnishes or paints for such a treatment, make sure you opt for adequate products, designed for being used outdoors and on the material your fence is made from.

How Winter Might Damage Your Fence

Winter is a tough season for every exterior element of your property and the fence is no exception. Some materials are more resistant than others, so if you have a vinyl fence, you will have little to worry about, but a wooden fence, of the other hand, requires special treatment to withstand the cold season and stay attractive and efficient.

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For a wooden fence, the trouble-makers in the winter are excess moisture, heavy snowfall and the freeze-thaw cycles. The wood will dry slowly and moisture can affect its fibers, leading to mold and rot. Also, temperature variations cause wood to expand and contract, which may cause cracks and knotholes, which are more prone to rot and pest infestation. A wooden fence may not be able to withstand heavy snowfall, which can cause structural damage and make the fence break. If your fence is damaged by the snow, immediately call a trusted Arvada fence company to make sure you get proper maintenance and repair.

Some of these problems may happen to other types of fences too. For example, a metal fence may also be affected by moisture in the cold season, which will cause rust.

Any fence must be checked for damage, repaired and treated with special substances before the winter. Throughout the cold season, it must be cleaned of snow and checked periodically.

How to Keep Your Wooden Fence from Rotting During Winter

How to keep your wooden fence from rotting during winter

To keep your wooden fence from rotting, here are some tips from fencing professionals, like those found at Metro Fence Company Inc.

  1. Inspect the fence

Before anything else, you have to check if the fence is in good condition. Rain, wind, frost or even animals can affect the integrity of a fence, so it is advisable to repair the small defects that have occurred before the arrival of winter, when it is more difficult to do such operations.

Check each nail, screw, plank or railing separately, fix them or replace what is damaged. Do not stop to the joints of the fence with the beams on which it is fixed: also inspect the bottom of the planks and make sure they are not rotten. Considering that the base of a fence is close to the ground, it is most prone to rotting.

  1. Clean the fence

Once you have established that the fence is in good structural condition, the next step is to clean it and remove dirt and mildew. If the boards still have traces of the previous paint, it is advisable to use a solution that helps to remove the dry paint.

  1. Treat the fence

The final stage of wood fence maintenance involves treating it with several substances that have the role of protecting it from rotting during winter, as well as from being attacked by pests. These substances include: anti-mold solution, primer, varnish or paint.

The Main Signs That It Might Be Time to Fix Your Fence

Whether you have an older fence or a new one, having it repaired can be a very important task, and deciding when repairs are needed can sometimes be even more essential.

If your fence was recently damaged by a storm or by hail, then replacing it might be necessary, especially if it’s an older, wooden fence that didn’t have that much resilience to begin with. However, in many cases, as long as the fence isn’t so old or if the damage is not that bad, a quick repair job might actually do the trick.

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Thornton gate and fence repair might also be necessary if it was left untended to for a long time. Metal fences in particular can end up rusting and losing their structural resilience over time, if they don’t get proper maintenance.

Finally, you’ll want your fence to be inspected, repaired and upgraded when you upgrade your security. Whether you just bought the home and you plan on bringing in a lot of valuable jewelry and items, or you just want yourself and your family to feel safe, ensuring that all areas are structurally sound and that all repairs are taken care of is an essential measure that you’ll have to take.

How to Decide on the Best Materials to Use for Your New Fence

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You might already know that metal is more durable than wood and concrete is more durable than most types of steel or copper fencing. However, aside from durability, there are also many important factors that you’ll have to consider before having a new fence installed  by a top notch Arvada fence company.

  1. Privacy is one of the most essential things to think about before having a new fence designed and installed. You have to make sure that your fence provides you the ideal amount of privacy depending on your specific needs. For a home where you and your family constantly spend time in the back yard, for example, larger privacy screens or a fence that features no transparent elements whatsoever might be best.
  2. The color, texture and design of your fence is also important, and you can only get some of these from specific materials. For instance, it’s much harder to carve certain exact shapes into concrete than it is with metal, and only wooden fences have a specific kind of texture that one might want in a more traditional outdoor setting.
  3. Finally, you also have to consider how resilient some materials are (or aren’t) in the face of an attack. The best choice in these terms is to get a fence made from a type of material that isn’t easily damaged by simple tools or weapons such as an axe or a machete. Thicker metal planks, as well as masonry, brick and concrete should be your main choices when it comes to that.

The Average Lifespan of a Fence

If you are currently in the process of choosing the best material for your fence, it is important to find out how long you can expect your fence to protect your property. Here is what the most common Brighton fencing materials offer in terms of longevity:

  • Wooden fences – the most attractive of all available materials is also the shortest-lived. However, with proper maintenance, regular inspections and timely repairs, you can expect your wood fence to stay healthy and solid for about 20 years;

chain link Brighton fencing

  • Chain link fences – these sturdy Brighton fencing constructions are made from wire made from galvanized steel or from other metal alloys and many of these fences use wire that is covered in plastic for even more resistance. Chain link Brighton fencing can be expected to resist for at least 30 years;
  • Vinyl fences – the synthetic material is very popular due to its attractive appearance, its affordability and for the expected lifespan of at least 40 years. Vinyl fences don’t need any special maintenance, but broken components cannot be repaired, so the only way to fix such damage is through replacement;
  • Masonry fences – these constructions are the strongest, most durable of them all: your masonry fence can be relied on for 50+ years without requiring any special attention or maintenance (other than occasional cleaning and inspection, of course).

Simple Ways to Dress Up A Chain Link Fence

Chain link is surely among the best, most durable and most affordable fence materials, but it is kind of lacking when it comes to visual appeal. However, the simple construction of chain link fences make decoration easy – here are some of the best ways to hide or dress up your chain link Westminster fencing:

  • Use it as a trellis – plant some attractive, fast-growing climbing vegetation at the base of the fence and guide the plants to go up on the fence. It might take a couple of years for the pants to cover the fence, but if you are patient, your reward will be a beautiful, natural fence;

chain link Westminster fencing

  • Hang small decorations on the fence – you can use colorful pieces of textile, stones, beads or colored glass, your decorations will look great in the sunshine;
  • Add some paint – choose an attractive color that matches your landscape design and the style of your building and paint the fence. The method will highlight the fence, rather than conceal it, so try to prevent any drips or other painting mistakes while you are applying the stain;
  • Install a screen – bamboo screens are cheap and attractive and great for improving your privacy as well.

Choosing the Right Fence Color for Your Exterior

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Colors are very important design components on the interior as well as on the exterior of your property, including the fence. If you are currently looking for the right color to use on your fence, here are some tips from Arvada fence company design specialists for you:

  • Consider durability – transparent, colorless stain lasts for about two years, semi-transparent products last for about a year longer, while solid, pigmented stains can last for up to 5 years;
  • Coordinate with the trim color on your building exterior – this is the best and easiest way to create a consistent design for your entire property;
  • Consider the texture as well – if you have a solid fence, you can choose to create a pattern on the surface that matches the texture of the material used on your exterior walls. You can also choose a color that is a continuation of the wall color, not of the trim;
  • Black, one of the trendiest options right now – black stain or paint is elegant, easy to maintain, it works with any building style and it is also suitable for any landscape design, for gardens with pretty flower beds as well as for landscapes with a lawn, smaller and larger shrubs and trees.

What Types Of Wood Is Best for Fences

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A wooden fence make great addition on any property – whatever the style of your building, whatever the layout of your landscape, you can use wood for building not only a picket fence, but a privacy fence as well. However, not all wood varieties are suitable for building fences – per highly rated Denver fence companies, here are the types most commonly used:

  • Pine – one of the most common choices, preferred for its affordability and its longevity. The material is also very easy to work with and it resists quite well to humidity and temperature changes;
  • Cedar – the material is very durable and it also contains compounds that repel insects, so your cedar fence will be avoided by termites and by other critters and it will provide a great solution for the delimitation of your property;
  • Redwood – another wood variety that is avoided by insects and very durable, redwood is the preferred choice for many properties due to its attractive grain pattern and beautiful colors;
  • Cypress – this wood variety is attractive to the human eye, but completely unattractive for insects. The fences made from cypress require very little maintenance and will resist for decades without requiring the owners to repair them all the time.

Choosing the Right Height for your Fence

Naturally, the first things that attract attention to a house are the fence and the entry gate. Thus, choosing the fence should be a well-calculated decision because, in addition to affecting the aspect of the house, it also interferes with the exterior space. Besides, once installed, a fence is likely to stay there for many years, even until the demolition of the house.

One of the frequent dilemmas refers to the height that a fence should have. The answer is not simple and depends primarily on the role of the fence.

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If the main function of the fence is to delimit the private space from the public space, provide protection for children or animals, or simply enhance the appearance of the property, then the best choice may be a not very high fence, but which must be fully functional and visually matching the house. But if you are looking for intimacy, you will automatically need a higher fence. Although it will cover much of the facade of the house, a high fence must still be matched visually with it, by choosing, for example, a model with the same color as the roof. You also have to consider the local regulations before deciding on the height of your fence. You must find out what restrictions exist in your area and which is the maximum legal height of a fence. A well informed residential fence company can help you determine what fence will fit your objective, budget, and neighborhood covenants.

In some cases, the height of the fence is also a matter of style.