Fence Health

You just replaced your fence with a brand spanking new one, so how do you keep it looking good

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Replacing a fence is a costly exercise. But now you have this brand new fence, and you want to look after it to make it last. You may be thinking, lets paint it! Wait! Your new fence is full of moisture. It takes approximately 3 months for the timber to dry out enough to take paint. Try painting it before that and it will just peel and look terrible. Staining is another alternative, that not only looks great but also seals the timber to better preserve it. Decking stain is perfect for this.

You might be thinking your new fence would look great with a garden up against it or growing on it.

Before you put that garden bed against your new fence, remember you fence is timber/colorbond. If its timber, constant water against it from watering your plants will rot it, and eventually your soil will disappear to the other side, and the posts will weaken . Eventually snapping at the base. If your fence is colorbond, you risk rusting of both the bottom of the sheets and the posts.

Too often we have to replace fences because of overgrown plants growing over the top of fences. The sheer weight of these plants often causes the old fence to break and give way. Pushing it completely over in some circumstances. Remember also that while you may love the look of a fence covered in growth, your neighbour may not. They own half that fence, and therefore have a say in what happens to it. If you want to grow a climbing vine/plant etc. Then build a wire trellis in front of the fence at least 60cm away from the base of the fence. These are perfect because they can take the weight of the plant as it grows, and you are far enough away from the fence so as not to waterlog the posts and sleepers, but your plant will have the room to grow and stay on your side of the boundary, making for happy neighbours in the process.

Last but not least, before you plant that tree/shrub next to your fence. Find out how big it is expected to grow, not only height but width as well. Too often we see trees/shrubs that have been planted far too close to the fence, that they have pushed the fence over, or grown through or even the roots are so big they are pushing the fence up out of the ground. Replacing a fence with a tree next to it becomes a costly exercise for the tree owner. Your fencing contractor will more than likely add a fee if they have to contend with huge tree roots. Digging post holes when there are tree roots to contend with makes for very hard labourous work. So read that label that came with your new tree/shrub and check its details before you plant near a fence.

By following these simple measures, you will ensure your investment last a long time, and keep harmony between you and your neighbours.

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