January 22, 2011
Make Your Wood Fence Last With Proper Maintenance! 
Proper maintenance of your wood fence will make a huge difference in how long it lasts.  It's really a shame to see beautiful wood fences deteriorate and fail long before they have to.  As a builder I'm of course happy to have the work to build new wood fences.  But I'd like to see homeowners take proper care of their new wood fences, especially the ones I've built, so they last a very long time!

I've planned to author a pamphlet about this but never seemed to have the time.  So here's what I recommend!

First, keep soil out of contact with the wood, especially the bottom of the posts immediately above the concrete.  This is where almost all fences fail first.  Over the years people add top soil for gardening and landscaping, plant roots grow larger sometimes displacing soil and driving it upwards, rain and irrigation moves soil.  All these factors in concert can make the soil cover your concrete post foundations and surround your wood posts with soil before you know it.  Then the clock starts ticking against your fence.  Subterranean termites now have an off ramp (with a sign) directly to your fence and rot will begin as well.  A 50 year fence then turns into a 5 or 10 year fence. 

Same thing applies to the wood bottom of the fence between the posts.  Don't let the ground touch the fence!  Whether you've got a $2,500.00 fence or a $25,000.00 fence, why not spend a tiny amount of time to make it last so you can save your hard-earned money for something more worthwhile?  Right?

Keep the plants and plant droppings/dead leaves off the fence.  Plants growing on the wood fence is a very bad idea if you want your wood fence to last.  Termites will definitely be coming over, to populate and eat your wood fence inside out, without any R.S.V.P.  Trust me-I've seen it so many times.  If you're letting the plants touch the wood fence then you are encouraging and accelerating termite infestation.  I've replaced wood fences that only remained erect because they were being supported by large plants/vines/ivy, and they were super-infested with termites as well as rot!   

When plant droppings and dead leaves land on the fence and decompose, they turn into mulch which is enough like soil for flying termites to call a new home!  This may sound like a stretch to some, but I've seen it enough times to recognize it.  Again a 50 year fence turns into a 10 year fence!  What a waste!  Just sweep it off every week or two or have your gardener blow it off with their blower. 

Adjust/reposition irrigation so you don't water the fence.  Municipal water usually contains chlorine which will bleach and accelerate the weathering of the wood.  Well water may not have chlorine but just the added saturations and subsequent dryings accelerate the weathering and deterioration of the wood.  I've seen a 50 year fence appear 30 years old in 2 to 3 years when the owner did not move the sprinkler.  Again, what a waste!

Don't store or lean ANY objects against the fence!  Yes even rocks and garden stepping stones.  Doing so encourages rot and infestation.  I've seen it too many times.  Keep everything off the fence. 

A thorough application of an oil-based, true penetrating stain will also do wonders!  Oil-base is much better because of the toxicity of the solvent within the stain to termites.  It will help to hold them off for a longer period vs. not staining, latex staining or painting. 

I know some of you don't want to hear one or more of these points.  So let me ask you a question or two.  You want the truth about the matter don't you?  Don't you want an honest and complete answer about how to make your wood fence last with proper maintenance? 

I'll address the subject of staining over time in a coming post on this BLOG.  The above factors alone are by far the most important.  Please follow them to enjoy your wood fence to it's potential.



DIY - Do It Yourself Wood Fence?

Let Me Help You Build It Right!

Get My Full, Undivided Attention on Your Project With a LIVE 1-on-1 Phone Consultation with Me!  

Step 1
Sign up for a Dwolla account, like PayPal but much better!  Set up Your Dwolla account and put enough money in it to cover the time block that you want.  Please be advised that it takes a couple of working days to fully set up the account, with their verification deposits into your account, etc.  Here's the link!  https://www.dwolla.com/

Step 2
Call me on my cell at 310-717-2000 to schedule our consultation so we can get going on your project!  It's a very good idea to email me a couple of photos and/or drawings if possible, send them to me at Stefan@WoodFenceExpert.com.  This way I can have them in front of me while we talk so our time is as efficient as possible.

Step 3
Purchase a Time Block for your LIVE 1-on-1 Phone Consultation with me.
15 (Fifteen) Minutes:       $20.00
30 (Thirty) Minutes:        $40.00
45 (Forty-five) Minutes:   $60.00
60 (Sixty) Minutes:         $80.00 
After you've got your Dwolla account you can pay here:
https://www.dwolla.com/hub/woodfenceexpert

Step 4
Please remember I'm in Los Angeles, so I'm in the Pacific time zone.  I'll need up to a day maybe two, to verify your payment and review your photos and/or drawings, especially if I am building a project here in LA which I usually am doing.  Often this goes very fast and I can do our consultation the same day that I verify your payment.  If you really have set up your Dwolla account and purchased the time block, payment verification only takes a few minutes.  

Step 5
I will call you or you can call me at our scheduled time.  I will have your photos and/or drawings right in front of me.  Please have a pen and paper ready so we can go fast and not waste your money.  It also may be best to be at your laptop or computer with a high-speed connection.   

Note 1:
If we don't use all of your time block on the call, I will note and track the unused portion for you to have on account with me for a future 1-on-1 consultation with me!  
Note 2:
I'm in construction, I'm not an accountant.  Please don't ask me to transfer an unused, left-over slice of your time block to somebody else.  Pizza?  Sure I'll take a left-over slice.  But let's not pass around slices of time blocks.
Note 3:
You early birds got it for free (You know who you are!).  No problem, I love to build them right; I also love to help other people build them right too!  But now this is part of my job so I've got to charge you like everybody else.  
Note 4:
It's very common for me to email links, photos, or other information during our consultation.  I have even texted photos during consultations.  A picture is worth a thousand words and I don't put ALL of my building secrets on this website or blog!  But I do make sure that you totally get your money's worth!  
Note 5:
I promise to do my very best with you! 


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