Take Proper Care of Your Wooden Fence

Robert Frost is known for saying, "?Fences make good neighbors." You know what? I used to live next door to some fences and they were lousy neighbors, always buying and selling illegally obtained goods. (Doy.) Anyways, fences are a part of suburban life, and if you are going to build a fence, you should take care of it. Do it for the sake of the trees that died going into that fence.

It's usually better for the environment to get as much use out of something old than it is to have a something new manufactured. Maintaining the things you own is part of smart and sustainable living.

Here are some tips that are, hopefully, better than my jokes.

1. If you have rectangular fence posts, make sure that top surface isn't flat. Either cut them at an angle or put sloping metal caps on top of them. This will reduce rot and keep water from standing on the top surface of the post.

2. Staining your fence is another way to extend its life. Use eco-friendly staining products. For example, Timber Ox touts itself as eco-friendly. They use castor oil instead of petroleum and exceed VOC standards.

Linseed oil makes a pretty good choice for wood as well.

3. Rake leaves and debris away from the fence. Don't let leaves pile up at the bottom of your fence. That will rot your fence. Make sure to keep vines and bushes from growing near the fence and/or trim them regularly. Plants will damage the fence as they grow.

4. Make sure your sprinklers don't constantly spray your fence. Water will pool up against the bottom of the boards and rot the wood.

5. Make repairs to your fence often. Don't shirk on this. You can fix boards with waterproof glue. Replace nails ASAP.

6. Clean your fence. Use a broom to brush off cobweb and loose dirt. Rinse with grey water.

7. Have adequate drainage. Make sure water doesn't pool up against your fence.