How to Best Maintain Your Wooden Fence

Remember when your wooden fence was first installed, how fresh and beautiful it looked? After a couple of years dealing with Canadian weather, chances are your fence isn’t looking as good as it did when it was first installed. Keeping up with proper maintenance is the only way to keep your fence looking its best year round. Follow these tips to learn how to best maintain your wooden fence.

Prepare For Weather

Living in Canada is a sign that you need a fence repair. Your new fence won’t make it through a Canadian winter if it’s not properly sealed ahead of time. This is because wood is a very absorbent material which makes it vulnerable to weather, especially rain and snow. Moisture is absorbed into the fence rails, posts and pickets which can cause them to warp or rot the wood — two things you’ll want to avoid so you can keep that new fence look.

Your best defence against the elements is to have your wooden fence stained. Ideally, you should restain once every few years. If the thought of doing that makes you want to get rid of your fence altogether, you’re in luck. You can easily hire a handyman or a painting service to perform this task for you. Making this small investment once every few years will ensure your wooden fence looks its best for years to come.

Keep It Clean

A build-up of dirt and debris can make a new fence look old and drab quickly. By simply keeping up with cleanings, your fence will continue to look its best. If washing your entire fence by hand is not your ideal way to pass the time, you can always hire a company to power wash your fence for you. Power washing is a good option as it is faster and more thorough than washing by hand. A pro can quickly wash away years of grim in an afternoon.

General Maintenance

A well-maintained fence should last between 10 and 15 years. There are a small number of things you should keep on top of to ensure your fence is well-maintained and will last for a long time. A few things to keep an eye on include:

Sprinkler Placement

As mentioned before, water can cause wood to rot. If your fence is rotted, it will neither look great or work as it should. Be aware of where you place your sprinkler and try not to place it so that your fence is soaked every time you water your grass. The same goes if you have an in-ground sprinkler system. Be sure to tell your pros about placing it so it does not spray your fence.

Bugs

Termites love wooden fences, especially fences made from fir, pine, redwood and cedar. To ensure your fence doesn’t become a termite buffet, be sure to treat your fence to keep bugs away. If you currently have a pest problem, you can always reach out to a pest control company for help.

Caulk Where Necessary

If your fence is built upon concrete, there’s a chance water will seep in between the fence and the base. This can cause the post to rot and your fence to deteriorate faster than necessary. To stop this, simply have a handyman put a bit of caulking where the two meet. This way you won’t have to worry about water pooling and rotting your fence.

Check for Problems

Do an inspection of your fence at the start and end of the summer season. This way you can check for any problems and have them fixed as soon as you notice them. Be on the lookout for chips in the paint or stain, warped or rotted posts, or broken boards. The sooner you have these issues fixed, the better off your fence will be.

Below are the average costs of Fences & Gates services across different cities in Canada:

*Costs based on 3655 verified Canadian homeowner reviews as of March 2022

The better you maintain your fence, the longer it will last. Not only will proper maintenance save you money in the long run, but it will also keep your fence looking its best for as long as possible. Take the time now to take a look at your fence and see if it needs any repairs. If it does, connect with a fence repair pro in your area now. If you’re still in the market for a new fence you can find a builder on HomeStars.

Article Updated June 14, 2022.