If the fencing around your home or business is old and outdated, you may be wondering when and how often should it be replaced or restored? The answer isn’t a clear-cut number. We can give you a range, but it’s better to know the signs that it’s time to replace or restore.
When to Replace a Wood Fence
A well-kept wood fence can last over 20 years. This is dependent on regular upkeep, like staining every year. Not keeping to the recommended maintenance schedule will shorten the life of your wood fence. Harsh winds and other weather can also shorten its lifespan.
When deciding if your wood fence needs replacing or restoring look for these three things: a leaning fence, broken or missing boards, or off-color boards.
A leaning fence is due to a problem with the support. Whether the concrete has shifted, or the support post is rotten, this spells a replacement in your future. You can repair a few spots and add support to squeeze a few more years out of your fence if you aren’t quite ready to replace it.
When you start to notice more gaps in your wood fence than wood panels, it’s time to replace it. Sometimes missing or broken boards happen because of a one-off accident. Those individual boards could be replaced in that case. If it seems like the boards are breaking just because this means the fence has reached the end of its life.
Discolored boards mean the boards are weathered and maybe starting to rot. Some colors could indicate a bug infestation too. Definitely, time to replace.
When to Replace a Chain Link Fence
The average length of time for a chain link fence is 15 years. Just like with wood fences, you need to do regular maintenance to have your chain link fence last that long. When considering the health of your chain link fence, you want to look for excessive rust or a leaning or sagging fence.
Chain link fences are especially prone to rust. A little bit of rust isn’t a big issue and is expected. Small sections of rust can be handled by taking a wire brush to it and spraying it with a rust-resistant paint. If you are seeing large sections of your fence covered in rust, it is likely time to replace it.
Just like with wood fencing, a leaning fence means there are issues with the support. With a chain-link fence, this likely means the posts have come loose from the concrete. Sagging also indicates the tension wires have been stretched out. Your best bet is to replace a leaning or sagging fence.
When to Replace a Precast Concrete Fence
A well-made precast concrete fence is expected to last up to 100 years. This is 5 times longer than a wood fence and almost 7 times longer than a chain-link fence. That is a lot of time and money saved.
If you start to see cracks or spalling (where the concrete is falling away in pieces and exposing the rebar), this could be a sign your precast concrete fencing was either not well made or is nearing the end of its life. This is the most commonly seen sign.
Another sign you could need to replace a precast concrete fence is a car crashed into it. We are sort of kidding here. Unlike wood or chain link fencing you probably won’t see sagging or leaning. The most damage you will start to see is cracking and spalling. Again, if you are seeing this on a newer fence it’s a sign the fence wasn’t well made.
American Precast Concrete Inc.
If you think you need to restore your fence, contact American Precast Concrete today. Precast concrete is weatherproof, fire-resistant, pest-resistant