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.