One of the biggest mistakes people make with their garden fencing is waiting for it to fall into disrepair before they take action to protect it. We’ve talked about the metal fixings before, but the bigger problem is often the degradation of the wooden panels themselves. So, what can we do to prevent the damage, and if it’s already occurred, can they be saved?
How to protect your fencing investment
A good place to start is by applying a protective coating to the fencing when it is new, and reapplying a similar product every few years. This prevents the rain from permeating into the wood, and therefore greatly slowing down the rate at which the panels can rot. Some fencing panels come pre-treated, and you’ll probably know if this is the case because they are usually noticeably more expensive.
You can usually buy the fence paint from your local hardware store such as B&Q, or even your local supermarket if you choose the right time of the year. I had entered an online prize draw to win a supermarket gift card and been lucky, so bought some Cuprinol with the prize as it’s supposed to be long lasting even though it’s a bit more expensive than the budget options. A word of warning – be careful as my fencing had quite a bright orange glow in the weeks and months after treatment, it looks a lot lighter than it does on the tin (to borrow and tweak a competing product’s slogan)! Generally speaking the supermarkets sell wood care products for fencing in the late spring and early summer months.
What if my fence has started to rot?
If your fencing already shows signed of wear from the weather, you need to establish how bad things are. If you think its about to collapse and break up with the slightest touch, it’s probably time to call in the experts, as they’ll often take a look and give you some free advice, knowing you’ll buy from them if that’s what’s needed. On the other hand, if the panels are still sound, you can often save them by using specialist liquids. Ronseal have a couple of specialist solutions, so check out their website to get an idea of whether it’s going to solve your problem. A quick tip is to make sure the work is done after a few warm, dry days to make sure you aren’t sealing in moisture, as that might compound the problem further. You also ideally want a couple of days without rain forecast too, although that’s often easier said than done in this country!