Keeping the animals in

Posted on: 16 July 2015

It is no secret that fences offer your home a huge number of benefits. They offer privacy and security for you and your family, while also adding to the overall appeal of your house. In order to maintain its aesthetic value and functionality, however, you need to take care of it regularly. Here are some easy fence repair and maintenance tips that you can do right now in order to increase the longevity of your fence:

Check for bee nests

Fences are great places for wasps, hornets, and even killer bees to build nests in. When inspecting your fence, look for any signs of bee nests, and cautiously remove it before doing any repair. Not only is it off putting to look at a bee nest, but it is also dangerous for your family to have killer bees hanging around your garden. Small nests can easily be removed by using protective gloves, but if you happen to find bigger nests, call a professional to safely extract the hive.

Check for damage

After making sure that your fence is bee-free, check every fence piece for any type of damage. Inspect the both sides of each piece and make note of any broken, missing, crooked, or leaning to one side pieces. Basic repair tips may include repainting worn pieces or fully replacing a broken fence piece.

Replace broken pickets

During your inspection process, you may have noticed that one or more pickets were missing. You can immediately replace these if you have kept the extras from when the fence was built initially. If you haven't, contact a wood store in order to get some replacement pickets.

Paint or stain the fence

While painting your fence will only provide an aesthetically pleasing result, staining can help give your fencing extra protection. This is because staining penetrates the wood further than paint does, ultimately giving the material a longer lifespan. When you stain your fence, you won't have to worry about chipping paint either. Ultimately, staining your fences will make future repairs much easier.

Oil the hinges and apply insecticide

If your fence includes a gate, you need to make sure that the hinges are rust free. Rust can be prevented by regularly applying oil to the hinges. Even a rusted hinge will make opening and closing the gate that much more difficult.

Termites are among the many types of pests that can destroy your fencing completely. If you let termites eat your fence, expect your house to be next. By applying insecticide to the sides of the fence and on the ground underneath it, you will be safe from termites. Contact a company such as DBS Fencing with any questions you have.