Thursday, July 11, 2013

Using Fence Repair Denver CO Homeowners Extend The Life Of Their Fences

By Carmella Watts


Fences serve many purposes. They can help to ensure that pets and children remain out of the street and safe. In addition, they provide visual privacy and screening. However, all types of fences, especially wood ones are vulnerable to the effects of the weather. With wood, rot is often the biggest enemy. With fence repair Denver Co residents ensure their fences continue to perform these vital functions.

There are products that can reduce the chances of rot. Pressure treated lumber is saturated with preservatives and can resist rot even when in constant contact with the ground, as with posts. Redwood and cedar also do well when buried. However, homeowners should know that these materials are expensive. For above the ground sections, homeowners may get by with painting or staining fences to preserve them. However, paints and stains do little good under the ground's surface.

Most of the time, wood fences are constructed using vertical posts and horizontal rails. The rails are attached to the posts and provide support for pickets or boards used for screening. These three components should be easy for almost anyone to recognize. While screening is easier to replace, the posts are usually the first to need replacement.

Although most rot affects the posts that were not properly treated or set in concrete initially, it can also affect the bottom rails and screening. Some of this rot can be prevented by keeping vegetation trimmed away from the wood. If the home has automatic sprinklers, the owners should check regularly to ensure these devices are adjusted to avoid spraying the screens, posts and rails.

Homeowners will want to have problems fixed as soon as they are discovered to keep the damage from spreading. A broken post puts additional pressure on the supporting rails. Eventually a high wind can bring several panels down. It is less costly to replace the broken post than the entire section due to neglect.

Gates give owners access to the fenced area. However, these structures must by the nature of their duty be able to move, making them often the first part of one's fence to fail. If they sag or do not close correctly, it may be due to hinge problems. Inspect hinges and have them repaired or replaced if necessary.

Sometimes sagging gates only need minor repairs to work correctly once again. For example, adding a thin cedar shim to fit into the mortise of the hinge may cause the gate to operate correctly once again. If the weight of the gate has pulled in from alignment with the adjoining sections adding a couple of screw eyes, a wire and a turnbuckle that can provide tension to the wire can cause it to open and close with ease.

Using fence repair Denver CO residents can ensure they get the longest life out of existing fences. However, there comes a time when it is better to replace fences instead of making repairs. Today there are many options available in fencing. Some may offer a more permanent solution than replacing with wood.




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