Cold weather can have a dramatic effect on how long your fence lasts. During the winter you’re probably excited for the cool temperatures, and every once in a while, a snowfall in Georgia, but these things can damage your fence. Winter temperature fluctuations can cause the fence to crack, collapse, warp, rust, and become destabilized. Find out how weather can affect your fence and which proactive measures you can consider using to protect your fence.

Chamblee Fence Company has been serving the Atlanta community for 6 decades, and we provide quality services for both installation and maintenance of any fence type. During winter seasons, fences can be damaged due to fluctuating temperates and humidity from ice and snow. There are different effects on a fence depending on what kind of weather is occurring that year, so it’s good to be aware of what you’re dealing with.

How Does Rain Effect Your Fence?

Most fences are pressure treated and sealed for increase durability against rain and moisture, if any holes are made in the wood after this treatment then rain can seep its way in and damage your fence. As the fence posts begin to rot with moisture build up they weaken and make your fence more vulnerable to strong winds. Moisture and rot is one of the most important thing to protect against when it comes to a wood fence.

How do you protect against moisture and heavy rain?

You can opt for a pressure treated fence panel type. These kinds of fencing materials are eco-friendly and durable. They undergo a pressure treatment to force preservatives into the wood, which help prolong the life of the fence and fight against rotting. You can also install post caps and capping rails along the top of your fence which will allow rain to flow freely off the top of the fence and not collect and absorb into the wood. Applying sealant to the wood at regular intervals is also a good way to ward off the rain moisture.

Protecting a Fence from Soil Damage

Soil contains a lot of moisture, particularly after some heavy rainfall. The wood of your fence can have prolong exposure to this moisture with contact to the soil, which can dramatically reduce the lifespan of the fence. The way to stop this from happening would simply be separating the fence wood from the soil by some kind of barrier. Gravel boards along the bottom of the fence can act as this barrier, or setting wood posts in concrete. This will effectively stop the direct contact of soil and wood, and prevent rot from infiltrating from the bottom up.

Wood Cracks, Fence Warping, and Sagging from Moisture

When moisture gets seeped into the wood during harsh weather, the wood can expand and create cracks in the rails, posts and boards. It can also cause wood to sag, warp and degrade at a rapid rate. Expansion and contraction due to weather makes unprotected wood warp. These kinds of significant changes in the wood cause it to become unstable. If you notice cracks, warps or sagging in any parts of your wood fence, it’s best to consult with a professional fence company as soon as possible.

Snow Causing Fence Damage

Snow is a beautiful sight when it happens in Georgia. However, the tiny snowflakes can actually cause severe damage to unprepared fences. The weight of snow on a vinyl fence can easily cause cracking in the posts and possibly even break parts of the fence. Hail is another risk when it comes to very cold weather that poses a real threat to the integrity of any fence. If there is a hail storm, definitely check out the fence afterwards for any holes that may cause integrity issues down the road.

Cold months of the year are the time fences are the most susceptible to damage, so doing your fence maintenance in this time of year is essential. Ice hangs on a fence after a morning dew, and can be very heavy for a fence to bear. The pressure of the ice may damage vinyl fences, so brushing or chipping off any large accumulations of ice helps your fence last through the winter.

Strong Winds Effect on a Fence

Strong gusts of wind can be detrimental to the structure of any type of fence if not properly installed. Unstable fencing is especially prone to damage when there is powerful, gusty wind. Fences are often damaged not only by the wind itself, but also by the wind blowing debris like tree branches into the fence. Immediately replace any fence posts that are cracked or broken by the wind to avoid further damage and weakening of the posts.

Sunlight and Your Fence

Sunlight can’t cause quite the amount of damage as other types of weather of course, but the intense UV rays from long sunny days can eventually cause fading and discoloration to cedar and other wood fence types. When making your selection for a new fence make sure to look for durable and UV resistant fence products that will withstand these rays without fading or discoloring. Stains and finishes can also help protect your fence from sunlight.

Effects of Weather on Metal fences

One of the main things to look out for when it comes to metal fences is rust. Steel and aluminum fencing can both be victims of corrosion and rust over time. This process is sped up with prolonged exposure to moisture or salty environments like near an ocean. In wet conditions the metal becomes brittle and may crack and break down. Regular cleaning and applying multi-layer finishes when installing helps add a defense against fence rust. Aluminum is naturally resistant to rust, but it’s still best to have an extra defense if you’re in an area with harsher weather.

If you’ve experienced fence damage due to bad weather and need to speak to fence professionals feel free to call Chamblee Fence at 770-396-4200, or visit one of our showrooms today.

Buying a new home is always exciting as it’s a great achievement for many people in making their dreams come true. A fence helps make it safe and adds value to your home as well. When you want to increase the security of your home, a fence is one of the first things many new homeowners have installed. The fence plays a crucial role in ensuring that your home is secure and protected against intruders and keeping your house private from prying eyes. However, installing a fence for a new house alone is the first step; the fence must be well maintained over the years to get the greatest value out of your investment in your property.

Taking Care of a Fence

Regularly taking care of your fence is crucial to make it last a long time before repairs or replacement is needed. For instance, maintaining your new fence well can add more than ten years of quality fence life before replacing it. On the other hand, if you neglect to maintain your wooden fence, it may become susceptible to weaknesses like persistent bad weather, or pests such as termites.

Fence Weaknesses

Different fence materials have different weaknesses, like a metal fence won’t be susceptible to termites but may possibly be weak to rust. These weaknesses will make the fence wear out faster than normal without regular maintenance. It may take time before you identify any problem with your fence even without any maintenance since at the time of installation it’s equipped to be resistant to the respective fence type weakness. Though some of these problems may not be physically visible. Therefore, you should pre-empt the issues rather than deal with them after they’ve already happened. However, practicing these new fence tips will keep you on track to taking care of any danger that can cause damage to your fence.

For this reason, inspecting your fence for damage at regular intervals before any damage gets out of control will help control the source of damage. In this article, we’ve highlighted a few new homeowner fence tips that will help you improve the working life of your fence.

Keeping your fence clean

Cleaning your fence regularly helps you remove built up dirt, mildew growth, and grime from the fence. In addition, it will also make your fence look new and attractive. You can use soap and water but a fence cleaning solution helps clean your fence more thoroughly. Water and liquid soap is the classic combo and works wonders as well. Start by washing from the base and moving towards the top of the fence. This fence maintenance tip is important for both wooden and metal fences. The most basic fence maintenance will also help you identify any weakness or thin hair cracks in your fence that can be the start of longer term damage.

Furthermore, it will also help you remove unwanted debris from the fence. This fence maintenance step is the cheapest way of caring for your fence to make it last longer. With a painted fence you should take care while washing to preserve the top paint coat.

Painting your fence

This is another part of fence maintenance that will save you from high replacement costs of your fence down the road. Painting adds a protective coat to your fence from the outside hazards like moisture and temperature. This coat blocks direct rays from the sun, which can cause damage to the wood over long periods of time. The painted layer is also waterproof, preventing water entry into the wood. Along with the added durability, of course fence painting will also make your fence new and attractive. In addition, painting also prevents premature rot in wooden fences. It will also free your fence from mildew that can lead to damage. Therefore, painting your fence is a good way to have a protective layer warding off the elements. Every five years it’s good to get your fence re-painted to maintain the effectiveness of the paint.

Controlling Termite Infestations in Your Fence

Termites can easily damage your fence once they invade the wood boards. Damage caused by these insects are more common in wood fences made from trees such as cedar, pine, redwood, and fir. To prevent these fence pests from invading your yard, insecticides are the first option. This practice can be done as a preventative measure if you’re at risk of termite infestation in your wood fence, like if your area is known for having termites. However, when your region is less vulnerable to attack by these insects, panting can be a sufficient defense against termites.

Protect your fence free from excessive moisture

This fence tip will stop rot from happening in a wood fence. Wood is always prone to rotting when moisture can penetrate through to the subsurface. Moisture can also cause rust in metal fences if not properly treated and protected. You can keep your fence free from extra moisture by adjusting sprinklers to miss your fence or only briefly splash them with water. You can also cut down shrubs and trees that may touch your, which can hold water for long periods of time. This will free your fence from extra constant moisture hence keeping it from degrading more quickly.

Rot Boards for Wood Fences

Adding something called a “rot board” to the bottom of a fence helps fill the gaps between the bottom of the fence and the ground. These extra boards will prevent moisture from the ground from getting into and rotting the other boards of your fence, and can make for fence look a bit more polished. These boards also need to be maintained and replaced, so check the rot boards to see if they have well…rotted. They will be the first to accumulate excess moisture, and possibly mold or algae so if they do so just replace them to keep the rest of your fence protected.

Check Your Fence Periodically

In order to detect developing problems or weaknesses in your fence, a quick fence check will do the trick. A regular check of your fence also updates you on the present conditions of the fence for easy maintenance, and planning on when the next cycle of washing, re-painting, re-sealing, or replacing rot boards is due. This keeps you on track for any looming vulnerabilities that may soon damage your fence. Therefore, you will have full control of your fence, which is important in improving the fence’s lifetime durability and effectiveness. A basic maintenance check that everyone with a new fence should always practice is a simple inspection of the fence boards, rails, and base. Make sure all these parts look good, don’t have any cracks, discoloration or chipping, and your fence will be good to go.

Final Thoughts on New Homeowner Fence Maintenance

As a new home buyer, consider these fence maintenance tips that will help give you a longer working life for your new fence. Practicing these tips with persistence saves money in future fence repairs, or possible replacement due to things like a heavy termite infestation. A fence that is well maintained always provides better protection to your home. This also helps keep your privacy and your fence will stay looking fresh and beautiful. So if you’re a homeowner, be sure to keep up with fence maintenance to get the most value out of your new fence.

Horizontal fences are one of the oldest fence types out there. They’re easily assembled with wood, and they just make sense when you think about it. Laying wood logs one on top of the other to make a barricade is a classic style of fence. Recently, however, these fence types have become more and more popular as they look great and add a nice touch to many modern home types. They can increase the curbside appeal of any home and really add the extra aesthetic touch to your yard. Neighbors like the horizontal fence style because they look good from both sides of the fence, with the horizontal lines drawing the eye into the distance, making outdoor spaces appear more spacious. If you’re thinking about getting a horizontal fence installed take a few of the following considerations into account.

Materials for Horizontal Fences Have a Big Impact

Materials when it comes to a horizontal wood fence is all about texture, coloration, and finishing. You can paint your fence, but many people who choose wood as their horizontal fence material enjoy the natural wood look for their yard.

There are generally two types of wood to start with, rough wood or smooth / polished wood. The names are indicative of what you’ll be getting, as rough wood is more coarse, and is unfinished to give your fence a more rustic, gritty look. The wood here is also more thick to create a strong fence that is also heavier. Smooth wood is thinner, and has a more silky texture with a nice finish on each plank. The edges of the smooth wood are also often beveled to give each piece of wood a more refined look. It just depends on your personal taste and preferences which you prefer.

Choosing the Right Fencing Material

The horizontal fence style works with a lot of different materials since it’s a classic fence style and the concept is simple. Deciding which look you like best, and what material will do the best job at what you need it to do is a personal decision, but we’re here to help you try to make the right choice. Hardwood’s natural grain that runs through the length of the wood gives a horizontal fence a high end look, drawing lines across the fence throughout. Softwoods such as pine, Douglas fir, redwood and cedar make good fencing choices as well, but they aren’t as durable as hardwoods. The difference is softwoods are less expensive than hardwoods. But if you want another cost-effective choice then vinyl fencing is a very popular rail fence option when it comes to ranch rails.

Versatility of Horizontal Fence Designs

While the basis of a horizontal fence is simple, of course there are many different creative fence designs to choose from.

Stagger plank designs for horizontal fences makes a brick like feel if that’s what suits your home. You can also align the seems so it flows well with a clean, modern style. If you vary the width of the planks it can create an interesting and creative design. You can also have exposed metal posts to add a rustic flare to the fence. Spacing the horizontally stacked wood also differentiates designs to allow for a breeze and a more open feel to your yard.

Or, try tongue and groove planks for the most privacy possible without any gaps. There are also more customizable systems for fencing that allows varying amounts of light and breeze. Plus you can have wood stained to match your house and personal style.

Modernize Your Fence

One of the greatest advantages of horizontal fencing is the amount of variation available to match your own aesthetic and budget. Bring inspiration photos to our fence showroom and talk with the team about the time required to turn your vision into a reality. From traditional to ultra-modern, there’s a horizontal fence option that can match every price point and make every yard look amazing.

If you’re thinking of installing a horizontal fence, you don’t have to go it alone. We’re here to help. Talk to our Chamblee Fence team at (770) 396-4200.

A Guide to Fence Extensions

There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to extend your current fence. For instance, your fence might be short of offering you the privacy or security you need. Now, if you’re thinking of starting from scratch and getting rid of your current fence, you might consider extending your current fence instead.

Besides, instead of taking down your current fence for one that provides you with more privacy, many times it’s a more economical option to extend a fence that’s already standing. There are several great options when you’re extending fence height. Here we’ll discuss a few of them.

ADD POST EXTENDERS

Before anything else, you’d need the necessary materials that will allow you to add extra height to your existing fence. This includes adding post extenders to your existing fence. Post extenders are a popular method for extending fence posts. And if you happen to own a wood fence, you can easily extend it by installing a wood post onto the existing fences posts.

Now, depending on the desired new height for your fence, the standard heights for post extensions are up to three feet. However, you’ll have to make sure your fence height doesn’t exceed any local ordinances rules or laws in place. To attach these wood posts to your current ones, you can use metal tie plates to secure them in place. Also referred to as tie straps or mending plates, these items serve as a strong piece of metal that will be attached to your fence posts or extenders.

USE A PRIVACY LATTICE

Once you’ve added your post extenders, you can now add your preferred materials to add height to your existing fence. For instance, one good option for extending fence height is using a privacy lattice. Besides adding extra height to your fences, a lattice also provides you with a beauty finish to your fence. This is also a good fence extension choice if you own a brick, concrete, or vinyl fence.

Again, you can install a privacy lattice on your fences with the aid of various poles, post extenders, and even metal tie plates. Moreover, these privacy lattice panels don’t entirely block out your surroundings. Due to this, they still let sunlight through, which is definitely one of the perks of using a privacy lattice panel as a fence extender if you enjoy sitting in the sunlight in your backyard.

INSTALL TRELLIS WIRE

Fortunately, you can add height to existing fence installations without affecting their overall quality. And another good way of extending fence height is by installing trellis wire onto them. Besides, trellis wire is a good choice for fences made out of chain-link since fences like these don’t go well with commonly used post extenders made out of wood and other similar materials.

Standard wire trellis is usually two feet in height, so you can surely expect added privacy once you add trellis wire on your existing fence.

TRY USING LIVING FENCES

Other than adding a wire trellis or privacy lattice for added height, you also have the option of using living fences for extra cover. Living fences are how they sound and are made from climbing plants and vines. So, other than providing your yard with added privacy and better shade from the sun, living fences will make your yard feel alive and add a nice natural feel to your property.

Living fences pair well with privacy lattices, trellis wire, and the like. In addition, they also grow well with poles. Overall, just make sure to install the necessary extensions properly for these plants to thrive. Doing that ensures your climbing plants and vines will have the support they need to form your much-wanted living fence.

These climbing plants and vines are known to be quick-growing as well. So, as long as you properly care for them, you should have a great living fence in no time. Moreover, you can also choose from a wide range of climbing plants and vines for your living fence. You can easily select a living fence that suits your preferences and one that fits well into your home’s design language.

OTHER TIPS TO CONSIDER

Before starting your DIY fence project or hiring a professional fence company that can add height to existing fence installations, always check up on your area’s planning and zoning requirements. After all, certain areas might have their own height limits for fences. So, carefully check with respective planning and zoning authorities before extending your fence posts.

Moreover, other areas might need a permit if a fence exceeds a particular height. Due to that, make sure to check your area’s local governing body if you need a permit prior to getting a fence extension done. After all, you don’t want to deal with anything slowing the project or end up having to pay any fines.

So should you extend your fence?

Extending a fence is a great way to save in costs, and get the fence height you want, or put the perfect finish on a great fence. By simply extending your existing fence using the methods above, you can significantly save on renovation costs and get a fence that will suit your needs perfectly.

Furthermore, always make sure to check with local authorities regarding fence height requirements and restrictions so that you don’t end up violating any rules. And if you don’t have the time to extend your fence by yourself, you can always hire a professional fence company that can get the job done for you. Besides, expert fence installers work on a wide variety of fences, so they can provide you with a quality fence extension that will fit your budget and tastes.