Fences are truly a thing of beauty. They provide sturdy borders on your property that can enhance your property’s visual appeal while keeping your family and four-legged friends safe from harm. Some, like vinyl or aluminum, are meant to last a lifetime. Others, such as wood, last for many years, but will eventually show signs of aging. When either nature or some man-made accident causes a lot of structural damage to your fence, it’s time to consider replacing it. After many a tough winter and unusually wet spring and summers, you may start to see boards warp or bow. If this is happening on a majority of your fence panels, then maybe it’s time you consider replacing a fence.
Replacing Wood Fence
Wood fences are natural works of art that offer a natural boundary on your property. Because wood is a natural material, it can suffer more damage than most other fence materials. We live in an area that now seems to attract harsh, cold winters and brow-beating hot summers—seasonal weather wears down even the most durable of pressure-treated wood after more than a decade of extreme conditions. Combine that with bugs, moisture, animals and man-made factors, and your wood fence will show signs of decay.
Many HOAs include guidance in their covenants that require home owners to maintain a healthy, visually appealing fence—especially the portions of the fence that a majority of the community sees. If you have a lot of damaged fence panels with warped or bowing boards, you may find yourself paying penalty fees for non-compliance as a horribly aged fence becomes an eye-sore and detracts from the neighborhood’s appeal.
Decay is a natural process for wood fence, which comes on more rapidly when you use an inferior piece of wood. When you have severe wood decay happening, it’s more cost effective to replace a fence rather than repair it as eventually the entire fence’s integrity may become compromised, putting you and your family at risk. Over the years, decay is almost inevitable if you have a wood fence, especially one of poor quality. Decay weakens a fence, which compromises both its integrity and safety. A high quality fresh wood fence can far outlast one of poorer quality.
If your fence suffers from a preponderance of wood rot, which causes an unpleasant odor, mold, and unwanted stains, then it may be easier to replace the fence as opposed to repairing large segments of it.
Replacing Vinyl Fence
Vinyl is one of the best fences you can buy as its maintenance free and typically only needs a soaking from the hose to stay clean and immaculate looking. However, sometimes damage can occur due to heavy snows in winter or if a vehicle hits the fence. In most cases, you can typically replace the impacted panels or pickets. However, if your fence has incurred extensive damage through man-made or natural disasters, it may be easier to place the fence depending upon the damage’s extent.
Replacing Aluminum Fence
Aluminum fences are highly durable and maintenance free; however, just like vinyl, may experience damage due to extreme weather conditions or impact with a vehicle or large piece of equipment. If you have repair fencing, you can often replace either a section or an individual rail. However, in cases of extreme damage, you may need to replace the entire fence.
Cost Considerations for Replacing Fence
The bottom line on when to replace wooden fences often focuses on the cost of repairs versus replacement. When the quote for repairing your aluminum fencing is close to or exceeds the price of replacing your fence, it may be time to consider fence replacement. Depending upon the age of the fence and how long you plan to own your property, sometimes it’s better to replace the fence with a longer-lasting, more durable material. A pattern we’ve seen at Frederick Fence is people converting from wood fence to vinyl in most neighborhoods as HOAS realize that vinyl fence lasts a lifetime and preserves the cohesive beauty of the entire neighborhood. Check with your HOA to see what materials you can use to build a fence on your property line!
If you’re simply ready for a change and want a new fence that’s structurally sound, maintenance free or structurally dense to create more privacy, then replacing a fence is also a sound idea!
Ready for a Fence?
For more information on residential fencing in Frederick, MD, contact us online or give us a call at 1-800-49-FENCE. We’re here to answer any questions you may have about fence replacement cost and commercial or residential fencing solutions.
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