Winter is commonly a time for introspection and indoor living, especially when it’s cold, wet, windy, or snowing. It certainly isn’t a time when people instantly think of gardening and backyard improvements. But if you don’t maintain your fences and other outdoor structures, you will pay for it in spring and summer.
Wet conditions, as well as wind, can wreak havoc on fences that haven’t been maintained constantly. Even if you do make an effort to maintain your fences during the year it is a very good idea to do a few regular checks during the winter months.
What Kind of Winter Fence Maintenance is Important?
The one kind of winter fence maintenance that should never be ignored is probably better described as damage control. After any type of storm – wind, rain, snow, hail, anything – it makes good sense to check the fence for damage. If posts, railings or any other part of the fence have been damaged, fix the damage as best as you can, as quickly as you can. For instance, once there is a break in the weather you can prop up a broken post, or nail a temporary cross piece or rail to the fence to stop it from breaking further. When the weather improves, fix any damage properly. Get help if you can’t do it yourself.
The other type of winter fence maintenance that shouldn’t be ignored relates to safety and security. Whatever the cause, if there is a break in the fence, or panels, railings, or chain link come loose, then you should immediately take steps to fix the problem, particularly if the fence was designed to either keep people and animals in or out. Inclement conditions might make it necessary for you to take temporary action before actually fixing the fence. But don’t ignore it thinking that people and animals are in the house and won’t need to be contained. This could be an open invitation to intruders.
What Kind of Fence Maintenance can be Ignored in Winter?
Generally, winter is not a good time to repaint, stain, or seal fencing, largely because of the weather. But hopefully you took care of these issues in summer or spring.
Additionally, any rotting or rusting elements should really have been replaced prior to winter.
Help With Winter Fence Maintenance
If you didn’t bother with fence maintenance in the months before winter, or cannot cope with damage caused by winter storms, Natural Enclosures Fence Company can help. We service the entire Metro Atlanta area and really care about our customers. So if you encounter problems this winter call us for advice and/or a quotation.
