Getting a Wood Fence Winter Ready: Preparing Your Wood Fence for Winter

Winter is almost here, and many homeowners are starting to deck the halls and prepare for the wonder and warmth of the holiday season. When you are starting to make your holiday plans, don’t forget to start preparing your wood fence for the cold winter months! Is your wood fence winter ready? The Farmer’s Almanac projects that the coldest and snowiest periods will be in mid-December and early March. Preparation now is key to ensure your wood fence stays in excellent condition.

The Best Ways to Start Preparing Your Wood Fence for Winter

1. Take a Walk: Start by taking a walk around the length of your wood fence to spot any damage. Over the course of the spring and summer, fences can have UV damage, rotting, water damage or other issues. When you’re walking around and preparing your wood fence for winter, look for loose fence posts, warped boards, caved boards, fading, popped nails and rusting hinges and hardware. These can be fixed by our team at Excel Fencing and Decking before the winter arrives.
2. Perform the Splash Test: Next, you’ll want to see if your wood fence needs to be waterproofed before the snow and ice arrive. Place a few drops of water on the surface and see if they sit on the surface or immediately sink in. If they sit on the surface, it’s a good sign that the waterproofing or stain is still in good condition. However, if the water sinks in and is absorbed, you should start preparing your wood fence for another layer of sealant or waterproof stain.
3. Swap Out Hardware: If any hardware is rusted or worn, it’s time to replace it. Hardware will naturally degrade over time due to exposure to rain and snow, and a gate without a working latch is essentially worthless. We can assist you with replacing damaged, rusted or missing hardware on your wood fence.
4. Check Your Posts: Over the course of the winter, the freeze-thaw cycle can lead to shifting and settling in the soil. The same can happen in the spring and summer if you have a lot of new soil around them or a great deal of rain that leads to erosion and settling. A piece of thread can help you to determine if they are still level. If you find they are not level, you should adjust them as you are preparing your wood fence for winter to avoid damage to the fence.

Get Help Preparing your Fence for Winter

At Excel Fencing and Decking, we are proud to meet the needs of every customer, whether they are searching for new residential wood fencing or repairs to aluminum decking. We are a full-service fencing and decking company working throughout the greater Baltimore area and carrying top brands including Trex, Azek, Shoreline Vinyl Systems and Wolf PVC Decking. To learn more about our services, give us a call at (410) 803-9499.