It's time to prepare your garden for winter
With Autumn now spreading fast across the country, it's the ideal time to prepare your garden products for the months ahead. As vegetation dies back to reveal all of your garden it's a good idea to give your fencing, gates, decking and garden furniture an MOT before the winter weather really sets in. A little work now can save you pounds later in the year.
Today we’ll look at what to check for on your fencing.
Checking fence posts
When looking at your fencing, pay particular attention to your fence posts and make sure they are sturdy and secure in the ground. Any movement now could lead to a failure in high winds damaging more than just the post so it really is a false economy to wait until the post fails.
If the post appears loose, it may be worth digging out around it and pouring additional post mix around it. If you are concerned about the condition of the post itself, it may be worth fitting a concrete spur to bolster the fence.
And don’t forget the post caps. Too often overlooked, post caps can play an important role on any fencing run. A decorative finishing touch, they also help to prevent moisture ingress through the top of the post and extend its life.
Finally, if you do need to replace a post, try to limit any re-working of the new post as this will break the treatment barrier. If cutting is unavoidable, make sure the cut end is NOT put in the ground as this will void any warranty and reduce its longevity.
Checking fence panels
When it comes to fence panels, it’s a good idea to get the paint brush out and give them a good coating with preservative to pro-long their life. Any damaged panels should be repaired or replaced before the bad weather is upon us as the damage will only get worse. This is also the time to cut back any branches or vegetation that may cause damage during extreme weather.
If installing new fence panels consider using a gravel board to protect the bottom of the panel or keeping it slightly raised off the ground to reduce moisture ingress.
Checking closeboard fencing
If you don’t have fence panels, you are most likely to have a run of closeboard fencing. Again, timber should be re-treated at this time of year to extend it’s life as well as maintain its appearance. If individual boards have become loose they should be re-fixed or secured. Sometimes a tap with a hammer on the existing nails is all that is needed.
It’s also a good idea to check your gravel boards as these will protect the bottom of the boards. Like fence posts, we recommend you make sure your fencing run is finished off with capping rails to help extend its usable life as well as smarten it’s appearance.
Our local installer network can help
If you do need to replace some fence posts, panels or any part of your fencing run, we can help put you in touch with our local network of installers who will do everything for you.
Right now, if you prefer to do the work yourself, we have a promotion running until Christmas 2017 where you get free post caps every time you buy 5 or more PermaTimber fence posts in one order. Well worth it when it comes to ensuring you have a professionally installed run of fencing that will last for many years to come.