Fence damage can happen, but wouldn’t you rather it didn’t? Your fence serves many purposes: it enhances your property’s security, it keeps your children and pets safe and it adds value to your home.
The top five causes of fence damage may not all be preventable, but you should be aware of them just the same:
1. Landscaping Equipment
A runaway ride-on lawnmower could wreak havoc on your landscaping and your fence, but that’s not the main piece of equipment you need to worry about. Weed trimmers are much more likely culprits.
If you’re rushing your weed-trimming and you get too close to your fence, the trimmer string can easily eat into the wood. It’s important to take your time and cautiously angle the trimmer downward to avert fence damage. You could also eliminate grass and spread mulch beds in front of your fence if you’d like to avoid the issue altogether.
2. Falling Trees
It happens: Trees fall. Whether felled by a windstorm or inner rot that went unnoticed, trees can be heavy and large enough to torpedo whole sections of your fence.
You can try to prevent this by hiring a professional arborist to inspect and trim your trees on a regular basis.
3. Harsh Weather
Strong storms can tear flashing off your roof and send it hurtling toward your fence. High winds can rip off sections of fencing or break gate latches. Stormy weather is a common reason you may need to visit the fencing supply store.
While you can’t control the weather, you can make sure to inspect your fencing immediately after a storm and quickly make repairs before another weather system comes along.
4. A Careless Neighbor
Sometimes neighbors do strange things, like hang their wet laundry to dry on your wood fence. If you are the full owner, it’s completely within your right to discuss such careless behavior with your neighbor.
In many cases, you may have joint ownership of the fence, but the damage will still affect you (and you may still be responsible for half the costs), so make sure to talk about your concerns with your neighbor in a respectful manner. If neighbors aren’t willing to cooperate with your requests, it’s also within your right to speak to a lawyer.
5. Destructive Insects
If you have wood fencing, then carpenter ants, powder post beetles and termites can all eat away at the material. You may not notice until the damage has spread. It’s possible to avoid this by treating and sealing your fence regularly, so make sure you stay on top of maintenance as best you can.
Making Repairs
If you have fence damage as the result of a storm, your homeowner’s insurance may pay for the repairs. You can handle all fencing repairs and replacements with ease when you trust Utah Fence Warehouse. With our wide product selection and knowledgeable staff, we’re here to supply the tools, materials and information you need to restore your fence. Call or visit us today!
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