Is My Fence Water-Damaged?

Fence in a flooded area

Your fence should be your stalwart defense for your home for years and years. But what happens when the elements start to wear it down? Since fences are outdoors, they’re exposed to all manner of weather, from rain to snows to winds, and all the myriad problems those elements bring with them.

The most pernicious of the elements is water. Water erodes even the mightiest mountains, and it can do a number on your fence. You must catch water issues fast if you want to prevent long-term structural damage that could lead to a fence repair or (even worse) a complete replacement. What do you need to watch for?

Mold on the Fence

Mold is a 100 percent certain sign that your fence has a water problem. If you see anything that looks like mold starting to grow on your fence, you know you’re inundated with water. Mold is usually green or brown and grows on wood because it eats the cellulose in the wood.

Mold grows on the surface, but the problems don’t end there. It penetrates the material and eats it from the inside out.

To prevent mold, your fence needs to be waterproof. Mold needs a constant source of water to grow, so you have to make sure that you’ve kept up with the stains and paint. Wood fences require regular maintenance on a regular schedule to keep the water out. You should also ensure there are no piles of leaves and debris around the fence. Debris leaves a place for water and moisture to congregate around your fence.

If you do have a mold infestation on your fence, the first thing to do is clean it off. You can use a mixture of detergent and water but only do so on a sunny day so that your cleaning solution dries off. You might use a low-power pressure washer if you have a vinyl fence, although the mold issue is not as big a problem with vinyl because mold does not eat vinyl material.

Complete Structural Failure

When pieces are falling off of your fence, you know you’ve got a big problem. If a whole panel has fallen off and you do not have any evidence of impact damage, then mold may have gotten through the structure of the fence.

One section of a fence falling off can indicate a pernicious problem that may have spread to the rest of the fence. Check the entirety of the fence for signs of damage before you call for a fence repair technician because you may need a lot more help than you think. An ounce of prevention gives your fence years of life down the road.

After you’ve checked the rest of your fence, call a fence repair company near you for a quote. You want a company with a sterling reputation and the trust of the community for a job like this. Look at ratings on sites like Google Reviews to find out who has given great customer service in the past and who has not. Check around for who gives the best quote on fence repair, but do not settle for the lowest price. You will get what you pay for when it comes to fence repair. You want a company that has credentials and a long history in your area.

Minor Damage from Water

Sometimes it is not as simple as a whole section of your fence falling off. Water seeps in and works its nefarious magic over years. The fact is that you might only see superficial signs of water damage on your fence before the problems start.

Vigilance is the only protection from this kind of water damage. You should be conducting yearly inspections of your fence anyway to find cracks and holes. Water damage will cause cracks and breaks before catastrophic failures.

If you’re getting this kind of water damage, your whole structure could be at risk of damage when the next storm comes through. Wind can blow over a weak fence. Or a flying tree limb can crash right through a wood fence compromised by water damage.

Don’t let that happen to you! After a storm, everyone needs repairs. You do not want to wind up on a waiting list months long because you did not handle minor issues when it was simple to do so.

Water-Damaged Fence? We Can Help

Have you seen these signs of a water-damaged fence? Call Long® Fence today! We are fence repair experts with decades of experience in the field. We’ve been trusted to repair fences in the Mid-Atlantic for over 75 years!

We offer free estimates on fence repairs. Contact us today to speak to qualified technicians who can put you in the best position to successfully repair your fence today.