Extend the life of your fence

How to Extend the Life of a Wood Fence

​The lifespan of a fence depends on you. A typical cedar wood fence is built to last 20-25 years, but there are things homeowners can do to extend the life of their fence. For many of our customers, we know that keeping children and pets safe is the main objective.

But many times, full-fence replacement is not a viable option. Finances may be an obstacle at the moment. Or maybe you’re selling your home soon, and your fence isn’t in significant disrepair but could still use a little work. Each customer’s situation is different. Here are three options for repairing and prolonging your wood fence.

Broken fence post? Here’s a simple fix to deter further damage. For a falling fence, the first thing to be done is to brace the fence post to limit additional damage. Make sure you have:

• A level
• A hammer
• Screws or large nails
• Two 4-5’ stakes

If the vertical fence post is broken or askew, level the post by pushing it straight into the ground. Then, measure two feet perpendicular from the fencepost and bang a stake into the ground. Nail the opposite end to the post, forming a 45-degree angle. Repeat this on the opposite side of the fence so that the falling down post is bolstered on both sides. The post is now completely braced and should hold up through any storm. This is a temporary fix but can be made permanent at another time by simply replacing the broken post, which can be done as long as the fence rails are in good shape.

Prolong your fence’s life – keep it looking new nearly 20 years later!

The tools you’ll need:

• A wallpaper pump sprayer (find one at your local hardware store, these are relatively inexpensive – especially considering the cost of a new fence!)
• Oil repellant spray (i.e., Thompson’s WaterSeal for fences)

Fill the pump sprayer with the oil repellant spray. Then spray and brush the sealer onto your fence posts and rails. Pay particular attention to the rails and dowel ends. This helps reduce the risk of rotted rails. This is an excellent tip for prolonging the life of your wood fence and will keep it looking new even up to 18 years after installation.

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