You may think that the best time to think about putting up a fence or maintaining the fence you have are the months between March and November. I would argue that now, December through February is the optimum time to plan a fence as well as to look and access the damage your fence incurs during the harshest time of the year.
You know what they say about making plans. But try making plans when you are too busy to think, and you'll be glad to have a few slower months in the winter for walking the area you want to enclose and finding the issues you'll be dealing with soon. Tree stumps. Rocks. They stick out on the barren winter landscape, don't they?
Forget about the digging and concrete post setting for now. The ground is too hard and it's cold outside. But you can measure. Research the kind of fence you need for your space. Would pre-built panels get the job done faster, or is it really more of a scratch job. You might even find that you could do a little of both to get what you want.
You will want to consider the materials available for fencing in your part of the country. Remember that not all types of wood are suitable in all climates, due to issues with water or insects. Your local library, the internet, as well as various books and magazines all offer good advice as you conduct your research.
Next, consider your budget, and determine what materials options you can afford. In the event that you need to use cheaper materials, leave enough budget for a good all-weather sealer to apply to the wood. This will increase its lifetime of service, but is also a pretty time-intensive step.
A second alternative is to invest in fence post caps. While most believe these caps are purely for decoration, the fact is that post caps are designed to protect the top of the post from water and insect penetration. While these can be installed during the winter months by using finishing nails, most manufacturers recommend that you glue them to the top of the post.
This is a great time of the year to go out and inspect your fence and deck posts for damage. If you see swelling and or splitting of any kind then you know water or insects may have gotten into the posts. One of the harshest things that happen to these posts is a rain that has seeped into the wood then freezes and thaws. Every time the water inside the pots freezes it expands and causes the wood to be pushed out from the inside. Can you say split?
Though wood is definitely still the most preferred type of fence there are other options as well that include metal fencing such as wrought iron or aluminum and vinyl fencing. Though metal tend to be made up of open slats, the vinyl more closely resembles what you can get in a wood fence whether that be a picket or privacy fence. Whatever you choose to use, now is the time to make plans for the coming year. - 16492
You know what they say about making plans. But try making plans when you are too busy to think, and you'll be glad to have a few slower months in the winter for walking the area you want to enclose and finding the issues you'll be dealing with soon. Tree stumps. Rocks. They stick out on the barren winter landscape, don't they?
Forget about the digging and concrete post setting for now. The ground is too hard and it's cold outside. But you can measure. Research the kind of fence you need for your space. Would pre-built panels get the job done faster, or is it really more of a scratch job. You might even find that you could do a little of both to get what you want.
You will want to consider the materials available for fencing in your part of the country. Remember that not all types of wood are suitable in all climates, due to issues with water or insects. Your local library, the internet, as well as various books and magazines all offer good advice as you conduct your research.
Next, consider your budget, and determine what materials options you can afford. In the event that you need to use cheaper materials, leave enough budget for a good all-weather sealer to apply to the wood. This will increase its lifetime of service, but is also a pretty time-intensive step.
A second alternative is to invest in fence post caps. While most believe these caps are purely for decoration, the fact is that post caps are designed to protect the top of the post from water and insect penetration. While these can be installed during the winter months by using finishing nails, most manufacturers recommend that you glue them to the top of the post.
This is a great time of the year to go out and inspect your fence and deck posts for damage. If you see swelling and or splitting of any kind then you know water or insects may have gotten into the posts. One of the harshest things that happen to these posts is a rain that has seeped into the wood then freezes and thaws. Every time the water inside the pots freezes it expands and causes the wood to be pushed out from the inside. Can you say split?
Though wood is definitely still the most preferred type of fence there are other options as well that include metal fencing such as wrought iron or aluminum and vinyl fencing. Though metal tend to be made up of open slats, the vinyl more closely resembles what you can get in a wood fence whether that be a picket or privacy fence. Whatever you choose to use, now is the time to make plans for the coming year. - 16492
