Temperatures are falling, holidays decorations are up, and hopefully by now you’ve remembered to shut off your outside faucets so that nothing bad happens while we experience chilly scenes of winter the next few months. Before you settle in for the long cold spell here in the NOVA/MD area, we encourage you to take a few minutes and walk along your fence line to make sure that your fences are fine and that you’re not in need of any repairs.
If there’s a warped board or two or your fence panels are starting to lean, it’s best to get them fixed before we have our first major snow as a dense snow fall can sometimes prove detrimental to a fence that’s starting to fall apart. Since our area can also experience an ice storm or two in the middle of winter, you may also consider trimming the branches on trees that may tend to droop or fall over should they end up covered in ice.
Here are a few of our tips for making sure your fence survives the winter months so you can return to the great outdoors and enjoy your yard once the warmer temperatures return:
Taking Care of Wood Fences in Winter
Check your wood fence and make sure that there are no warped boards or panels. A heavy snow can easily create more damage. Remember, it’s not just the snow that causes fence damage, it’s also the heavy winds and freezing temperatures that can wreak havoc on your fence’s structure.
If you own a split rail fence, make sure that the snow doesn’t tend to settle on any one section as the weight from the snow can cause the rails to break in the middle section.
If you’re a dog owner and you tend to let your dogs take care of their business in your yard instead of taking them for walks in winter, just make sure that your dogs refrain from trying to dig themselves out of your yard during cold weather. Yes, sometimes your four-legged loved ones can damage your fence, especially if they’re left to their own devices in the cold.
Got a new snow blower and can’t wait to use it? Just remember not to get to close to your fence or bump up against it while removing the snow as you could easily damage your fence should the rotors rub up against the lower portion of the fence panels. Those high speed snow blowers are great and we recommend buying one if you live in our area; just don’t lose control of your machine and let it hit the fence—especially if you have a gate that straddles a walkway!
Inspect Your Vinyl (Aluminum and Wrought Iron) Fence
The good news about vinyl fence is that its maintenance free and so the most you may need to do during winter is wipe it down if any yard debris has left any kind of stain on the panels. As long as your fence panels are set in concrete with posts at least three feet deep, you should be fine. However, if you’ve purchased a home with an existing vinyl fence, we encourage you to check the integrity of your fence’s structure after any winter storm to make sure there are no panels that need reinforcing.
Likewise, if you own an aluminum or wrought iron fence, there’s not much you need to do to prepare for winter; just remember to take a walk and ensure your fence’s structure remains intact should we experience a brutal winter storm.
The only real danger for these types of fences are trees that may fall should they be subject to extreme winds and freezing rain.
Need a Fence Repair Now?
Regardless of whether or not we installed your fence, our service teams are happy to come out and repair your fence. Depending upon the magnitude of the repair, we can take care of it while you’re away from home!
Need to replace a board or two or need fence repair materials? Stop by our showroom on Tilco Drive during regular business hours and we’ll be more than happy to get you what you need for repairing fences.
To get started, either use our online chat feature to discuss a fence repair cost estimate or give us a call to schedule your repair or materials pick up!
