Are Wood Fences High-Maintenance?

Wood fences are a staple across the United States. In Maryland, they are certainly very popular. Affordable, long-lasting, and beautiful, wood fences get the job done when it comes to marking your property lines and creating a protective barrier. One of the downsides of wood fences is that they require more maintenance than composite, vinyl, steel, or aluminum fences. However, are wood fences high-maintenance? Let’s see.

How to Maintain a Wood Fence

Staining the Fence

Staining your wood fence once every few years will restore its natural color and shine. It will also help protect it against moisture, insects, and dirt better, meaning you will get to enjoy your fence much longer. Fence stains can serve different purposes, like protecting your fence from moisture, mold growth, or UV rays. It’s best to use a stain that serves your wood fence best.

Sealing the Fence

If your fence is pressure-treated pine, then you may not need to seal the fence so often because it already has preservatives. Cedar and redwood fences have natural preservative qualities that protect them from insect damage, which is why they are of higher quality than pressure-treated pine. However, some fence stains contain sealers that help seal the fence off from dirt and moisture. Sealing the wood fence every few years can be beneficial.

Repairing the Fence

Repairs will be necessary over time, even in as little as a year. The fence will begin to crack or chip or splinter within the first few years of its life, but it is no big deal as long as it is not rotting. If it is splintering significantly, you can sand it down and that will prevent some nasty cuts and splinters. After around a decade, you might need to think about replacing wood boards or pickets that have rotted away.

Cleaning the Fence

Cleaning your wood fence can be as easy as spraying it down with a hose or even a pressure washer at a low setting. If you see stubborn stains, mold, or mildew, you can use a special cleaner to remove them.

Are Wood Fences High-Maintenance?

Wood fences might need a little more care than other fence materials, but they stand up well over the course of about 20 years or more. You don’t have to put in as much energy into your wood fence as you think!

Call Mid-Atlantic Deck & Fence For Your New Deck or Fence!

Mid-Atlantic Deck & Fence has almost 30 years of experience in building beautiful custom fences, gazebos, screened-in porches, and decks throughout the state of Maryland. We have the expertise to design your dream fence or custom deck and have it installed in a headache-free process. Give us a call at 1-800-833-9310 or visit us online for a quote today! We offer many different styles of fencing and decking, in addition to custom options designed specifically to suit your preferences and tastes. To see examples of our work and get more tips on how to choose the right decking for your family, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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