How Do I Fix My Wooden Fence?

If your wooden fence is sagging, you may think replacing it is your only option. However, there are some economical ways to fix a wooden fence. While they are not always a long-term fix, they can help you add another year or two of life to an old fence.

First, you need to survey the fence. What kinds of problems are you having? With wooden fences, it is common for your pickets to loosen, decay, or need replacement. Walk the fence line and inspect your boards to determine whether they need replacing or simply repairing. When builders put up fences, they often use nails which can become loose over time. If your fence’s frame is in good shape, you can have your fence looking like new with a box of screws and a cordless drill with a screwdriver attachment.

If your fence supports are sagging, check out what the problem is. Think of your fence as having a frame for each section. That frame consists of your fence posts and two or more cross pieces that support the pickets. You may need to replace those cross pieces, which are usually 2×4 pieces of wood. Sometimes, you often just have to reconnect them to your posts.

If one section is in particularly bad shape, you can always purchase a section of fence and install it. Note that the section may not match exactly to your current fence. To get an exact match, you should know what type of wood (probably pressure treated if an older fence), measure the width of your pickets (typically 4” or 6”), determine the fence height and number of cross rails.

If your posts are loose, you want to check for damage. If they are not damaged, you can straighten them up by having someone hold the post steady and pouring playground sand into the hole. The sand will keep the posts steady. Water the sand down and repeat the process. You can also use cement, but cement can result in standing water, which can rot the wood over time. Accordingly, the sand solution works very well. You can also support posts by attaching braces to damaged posts.

If you are having problems with sagging fence sections or gates, you can use a no-sag kit to bring your corners square. That will square up your frame, which should prevent the area from sagging.

Sometimes the problem is not a broken fence, but a fence that is not working for you. If you are worried about keeping animals in or out of your yard or garden, you can use pavers, timbers, or boards at the bottom of your fence.

Not up to a DIY fence repair task? No problem. At Carl’s, we handle fence repairs in addition to fence installations. Give us a call and we will provide you a quote for what it would take to fix your immediate problem, what comprehensive repairs would cost, and the cost of a whole new fence. That way, you can make an informed decision when choosing which option to pursue.