Tips For Maintaining Your Fence In Summer
Summer is an opportune time to take a closer look at your fence. There are many things to look for that could compromise your fence’s strength or appearance, including rotting wood, excess moisture and foliage too close to your fence.
Clean It Up
Whether your fence is wood or vinyl, it’s important to keep up with fence maintenance throughout the year. Summer is an especially good time to do this! In addition to being an opportune time to remove grime, dirt, and other debris, it’s also a great time to check for damage and any signs of wear or tear. Small areas of rot or rust could require a quick fix, while structural problems may need more attention. After inspecting your fence for damage, it’s a good idea to lubricate any moving parts. This will help prevent future issues, such as slats that are loose or latches that won’t open.
Trim The Trees
Summer is a good time to trim the trees on your property, especially those that are close to buildings or power lines. Keeping tree crowns well-shaped and balanced allows you to keep your home or other structures safe from damage during storms and utility outages. Moreover, you can safely remove limbs that hang low to the ground, or interfere with your ability to walk around and under the tree to do your lawn maintenance work. Pruning can also help prevent dangerously crooked branches or limbs, and eliminate invasive plants such as water sprouts and suckers. Removing a few lateral branches can also increase the amount of sunlight and air that reaches your tree’s interior leaves and branches, helping them reduce fungal diseases and improve fruit ripening. Removing a few branches can also encourage thicker, stronger limbs and discourage weak, leggy growth.
Check For Damage
Summer can bring hot temperatures, rainstorms, and harmful ultraviolet rays that can damage your fence. Even if your fence is made of a material that is more resistant to the sun, such as vinyl, wrought iron or wood, you still need to take precautions. Inspecting your fence before the heat of summer sets in can help to prevent any problems from occurring later. Check to see if any of your fence posts are warping or if you notice any signs of rusting. Also, look at the slats for any damage. If you can, remove any slats that appear to have been damaged by rain, snow or the wind. It’s also important to check for any vines or other plants that are growing on your fence. These can cause damage to your fence over time and will attract insects.
Repair Broken Slats
Fences are a great way to keep your property secure and protect it from intruders. But they also need to be inspected and maintained on a regular basis to ensure they look their best. One of the most common fence problems is broken slats or panels. These can be caused by severe weather, age or wear and tear. Fortunately, most broken fence slats can be easily repaired by replacing them with new slats of the same type and color. If the original slats are discolored, they may need to be stained or painted to match. If the slats are rotting or have termites or carpenter bees living inside of them, they need to be removed and replaced. If the slats are loose, you may need to fix the nails that are holding them in place. Before removing any slats, you need to clean them thoroughly with a garden hose or power washer. This will remove light to moderate dirt and grime accumulations.
Got questions on how to best maintain your fence? Be sure to contact our fence maintenance professionals here at Guadalupe Mountain Fencing LLC to learn more about what we can do for your fence!