Small Repairs Can Save Your Fence

If you have noticed a bit of wear and tear on your wooden fencing panels or posts, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need a complete new fence. Repairs can often be made to the affected areas, saving you the hassle and expense of ripping out and replacing the whole fence.

In south Essex, from Romford and Brentwood to Orsett, fences are being repaired on our advice. Inspect your panels, gravel boards, posts and arris rails to see what needs to be done.

            

Panels and Gravel Boards Can Be Replaced

If just one panel has deteriorated, buy a new one to replace it. If you can’t get the right length and have to buy one that is too long, Essex fencing expert would advise you to nail new batons on either side, marking the length required, and then saw off the protruding end. You should treat the raw edges with a preservative before you attach your new panel to the old brackets with new galvanised screws. If a standard size panel is a little on the short side for your space, you may need to add a length of wood between the panel and the post at one end.

It may be just the wooden gravel boards that need replacing. If that is the case we suggest you use pressure treated timber to prolong the life of your new ones. You may not need to fully remove a fencing panel while you fix a new gravel board beneath it, but make sure the panel is supported by props while you do it.

Posts and Arris Rails Can Be Repaired

Along with the gravel boards, the posts are the parts of your fences that inevitably have the most contact with the soil. Over the years moisture seeps into the wood and rot starts to set in. But you can give posts a new lease of life with repair spurs. Dig out around the post, remove the rotten section, paint on preservative to the remaining post and attach the spur to it before filling in the new hole with hardcore topped with concrete.

Another element of your fencing that may need some care is an arris rail. These sometimes break when they age or rot at the ends. You can easily repair them with metal arris brackets that you attach with screws through the pre-drilled holes.

                         

Carrying out these small fencing repairs will leave you with fences as good as new for several more years.

How to Avoid a Winter Fence Emergency (and what to do if you have one)

We’re not sure if you’ve noticed but it’s mighty windy out there! Much of the country has been battered by wintry storms with winds reaching gale force in parts of Britain last week. As you can imagine, these types of storms cause untold damage but you don’t have to experience winds to the force we saw last week to cause havoc in the garden.

Winter is one of our busiest times, so even when the garden lays dormant we certainly do not. Emergency fencing keeps us busy throughout the winter as we fit and secure fencing in many gardens that have been damaged due to high winds and winter storms.

A good fence is vital for securing a home and garden so if it’s sustained any damage then it’s important to get it fixed as soon as possible or security could be seriously at risk. We offer an emergency service for OAPs and vulnerable people to help keep homes and gardens safe and secure.

Tips for Winter Proofing a Fence

We never really know what the weather will do but it’s always wise to make sure that your fence is weather proof. If your fence has seen better days then act fast to get it secured for the inevitable winter gusts. The cost of making your fence strong could be much less than paying for emergency repairs or a whole new fence.

Make sure that you choose a professional to strengthen or repair your fence. A fence that’s been inadequately fixed will not last through another storm and will cost you much more than it should.

Opt for a gardening firm with experience in fencing. Here at D&G we offer a full range of fences from close boarded to picket and decorative panelling. Our fences are made to measure and come with all the fixtures and fittings required to keep your garden safe and secure.

Give us a call today for a free estimate and expert advice on winter proofing your fence.

Secure your fence for the winter

Have you checked your garden fences recently? As they form the background to your garden, and are often hidden behind plants, it’s all too easy to forget about them, until there is a problem that is. To preserve your privacy, security and peace of mind you should make sure they are always in good condition.

Prevention is better than cure, and regular inspections will enable you to deal with small faults while they are still repairable. At the very least, it is advisable to have a good look at your fences in autumn, before the winter storms arrive.

Is every post firm, and are all the fittings securely fastened? Are there any loose or broken planks? If you’re unable to do any repair work yourself, it is well worth calling in a reputable fencing company. It’s far easier and cheaper to have one section of fencing repaired or replaced than to delay and risk more extensive damage occurring.

To stand up to British winters, a fence needs to be well constructed from good quality materials. If you need a new fence that will last through many years of wind, rain and frost, choose a professional company that takes a real pride in its standard of work and will be able to advise you on the best type of fence for your garden’s situation.

Unfortunately, even the sturdiest fence can be damaged by a severe gale. And if you are unlucky enough to be in the path of one of the 35 or so tornados that are reported in the UK each year it is highly unlikely that your fences will survive such a battering completely intact.

Although you can’t avoid such extreme events, you can minimise their effects by finding a local company that offers an emergency fencing service before you actually need it. Hopefully, you’ll never have to call, but having the contact details of someone you can trust to deal with emergency fence repairs quickly and efficiently can be very reassuring.