With the beautiful weather we had this weekend and the rise of COVID, many homeowners opted to stay home to enjoy their backyard oasis. Being outside is an excellent opportunity for homeowners to inspect the exterior of their home and the fence that keeps it all secured. If you happen to notice such things as sagging, rotted fence posts, or sections of a wooden fence that look worse for wear and tear, you may wonder if repairing or replacing your wooden fence is the best option. Here are a few suggestions from our Katy fence company that will hopefully help to make your decision a little easier.
Simple Fence Repairs in Houston
Depending on what type of fence you have, some fences are easier to repair than others. Here is a brief overview of some of the fences homeowners in Harris and Fort Bend County have and the issues that occur most frequently.
Chain Link Fence Repairs
While these fences do not get damaged easily when they do it's most generally because of an impact from a recent storm that bends the top of the fence rail, on a chain link, the weakest part of the fence is the post and/ or rails. Some of the posts are wood which is more susceptible to rot, but metal fence post can also become damaged. In chain link fences, other repairs may include holes in the link, snapped links, or sagging. Repairing a chain link fence is relatively easy, and many do-it-yourselfers can make minor repairs; however, once a chain link fence begins to need frequent repairs or is over 12 years of then replacing it is likely the best option.
Common wood fence repairs
Wood is a natural material, making it more liable to need repairs than synthetic fence materials. Our subtropical climate with heat, rain, and humidity takes a toll on wood fences can split, warp, rot, and turn gray or silver. If you have a wooden fence you want to walk the perimeter of your wooden fence every 3 months to check for insects, damage, and discoloration. If you have splits or cracks in the wood, the least expensive way to repair the fence is using a wood filler, but it’s much like patching a tire. It's only temporary. The best way to repair your fence is to replace the pickets or braces that have become damaged. If you are replacing large sections, then your fence is going to have different colors so you may want to add a wood stain that will make your fence match. If you decide to go with a stain, make sure to spend a few extra dollars and buy a stain that is two-in-one combined with a wood sealer to keep your fence protected from rain and prolong the life of your wooden fence.
PVC Vinyl Fence
These fences do not have much need for fence repairs unless you live on a golf course where the fence is being whacked every day by golf balls or other impact damages such as fallen trees, lawn equipment that runs into it, or a car. We have seen all 3 instances occur, and when they do you can use patches to repair your vinyl fence, whatever you do don’t just paint over the damages. When you have your PVC vinyl fence installed, ask for an extra panel or a couple of pickets just in case of such emergencies.
Wrought Iron Fence Problems
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The biggest problem with wrought iron fences is rust, if you let this issue go on long enough this can lead to the rust eating through the iron. The good new is you do not need to replace an iron fence to restore its luster you can remove sections of the fence, replace it or you can sand over the holes and paint the rusted areas. You can also use a bristle brush and scrape off the flakey particles of rust.
Aluminum Fence Repairs
Most homeowners around Houston have aluminum fences or ornamental steel, not accurate wrought iron fences. Like PVC vinyl fences they do not have too many issues. Still, if the soil shifts this can cause your aluminum fence post to become loose or another common aluminum fence repair is rust, both are easy to fix but do require the skills of a Katy fence company that knows how to weld.
Budget for a new fence
One of the first things a homeowner wants to do is determine what it would cost a fence company in Houston to replace your fence rather it's wooden, wrought iron, chain link, or vinyl. Then compare that cost to what it would cost to do the essential fence repairs you will need to keep your fence structurally sound. If your fence needs extensive repairs to entire sections and you are going to need fence repairs to keep it from falling over during the next windstorm, then replacing the fence is likely the best option because continuing to do repairs is going to be a waste of money that you could roll over into having a new fence installed. Depending on what type of repair you need you can expect to spend somewhere in the ballpark of $300 to $700 on basic fence repairs, this is why most fence companies in Katy suggest replacing a fence that needs more than 20% of the fence repaired. A new fence depending on the type of material you use and the linear footage of the fence can range from $10.00 to $20.00 a linear foot for a chain link fence in Houston to $30.00 a linear foot for wrought iron and compost fence can be as much as $100 a linear foot. The best way to know the exact price for your fence repairs or replacement fence is to have a few Katy fence companies come out to provide an exact quote.
Need fence repairs or a replacement fence in Katy, TX, or the greater Houston area?
If after reading these suggestions, you are still on the fence about which type of material is best suited for your needs we would be happy to answer your questions or meet you on-site to provide you with an estimate. Call our Katy fence company, Emerson Exterior Home Enhancements today at (281)-545-7740.
Our company offers a wide variety of materials including chain link, aluminum, wrought iron, PVC Vinyl, and wooden fences. We have been in business for over 20 years and stand behind the quality of our work with a five-year craftsmanship warranty. If you would like to learn more about gate repairs
click the blue link above.
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