Repairing vs. Replacing Wooden Fence Posts in Utah

February 13, 2018 3:19 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Have you been wondering whether you should repair your wooden fence posts in Utah, or just replace them altogether? There are a variety of factors you should weigh in your decision, not the least of which is the cost to do the project.

Here’s a brief overview of some of the factors you should consider when making this decision, and how you can evaluate the condition of your fence.

When it’s better to repair

There are some types of repairs that are easy enough to make, so you shouldn’t waste the money replacing your whole fence.

The elements can take their toll on wood over time. Wood fences can experience discoloration, splintering or warping. If you are able to determine the cause of the damage, you can prevent more damage from occurring by eliminating an insect presence or stopping water from pooling in the area. If there are small holes or cracks, you can fix them with wood filler and putty. For more severe damage, you can replace individual posts and pickets.

The repairs will be noticeable until some weathering occurs. Wood filler can be quickly concealed if you paint your fence, but if not, it will be visible forever. A new board will look different in color at first, but over time will likely weather to have a similar appearance as the old board. Regardless, even if these repairs are visible and highly noticeable, it makes a lot more sense to make these repairs than to replace the entire fence if the problems are relatively small.

Sometimes all a fence needs is a fresh coat of paint or stain to look great, as well. Remove paint chips or give the fence a good power washing before applying the new paint or finish.

When it’s better to replace

A good general rule is that if you have to repair or replace more than 20 percent of the fence panels, pickets or posts, it’s a better use of your time and money to just replace the entire fence. This is especially true if the repairs that need to be made are mostly significant ones.

Remember: replacing fence posts is much more difficult and expensive, because those posts need to be dug out from the ground. Depending on the type of fence and the company that installed it, those posts might be mounted in cement below the ground, which makes the process even more difficult. If several of these posts need to be replaced, it’s also a good time to consider replacing the entire fence, especially if the fence is already very old.

If you engage in proper maintenance, your fence can last you for decades, depending on the material. So if your fence is extremely old, it’s probably better worth your time and money to replace it rather than trying to keep extending it past its intended lifespan.

For more information about whether you should repair or replace your wooden fence posts in Utah, we encourage you to contact us today.

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *