A fence is an expensive investment and should be kept up and maintained as much as possible. It takes years for deterioration but with some harsh storms and cold winters a fence can fade quickly. Follow these fence repair steps to bring back the warm glow in your fence.
Begin by cleaning fence
Get all of the old wood a gunk off your fence. You can do this two ways. The first way is to sand down the wood and remove the paint and varnish. This is the old school way and can take some serious time. With pressure washers easily accessible this would be the best way. Make sure to be careful when using a pressure washer as it is powerful and can damage the wood if not used correctly. The key is to use the right pressure washer tip and psi to avoid damaging the wood.
Repair
With the fence clean it is time to fix and replace any damaged boards and countersink any protruding nails. Chipped pieces of wood are then fixed with a wood glue . If a gate is sagging straighten it with a turnbuckle support. The bottom of the fence that comes out of the ground is what corrodes first. Using a wood preservative will help to maintain the wood especially in these areas.
Applying stain and color
Once the fence is completely clean and dry, use a semi-transparent oil stain will preserve the natural color. It will seal the wood while still showing the original color tone. Use a stain that contains ultraviolet inhibitors. This will greatly slow down any fading from the sun. Use any paint roller you are comfortable with to cover the fence with the stain. Sometimes you will also need to use a brush to get places the roller could not reach. Allow to dry and enjoy your new finish on the fence. The stain that you used for your fence will most likely last about 3 years. The process of refinishing your fence could not be any easier with the equipment we possess today.
