subject: How To Repair And Replace A Wood And Iron Fence [print this page] Fences are effective tools for any number of applications, although their primary use has always been blocking and impeding movement of animals and people. Fences naturally undergo a significant amount of wear and tear, primarily because of the fact that they are (almost always) outside, exposed to weather and sun, and subject to attempts to bypass them by people and animals. Humans are obviously more of a threat to the integrity of a fence, and some security fences can be seriously damaged by a single person. It is therefore important to maintain and repair any fence on a regular basis, and here we will go over some tricks to keep fences in good condition.
The type of maintenance that a fence requires depends largely on the material from which it is made, as well as the application for which it is being used. The materials fences are most frequently made from include iron, wood, chain link, and vinyl. Iron fences are the easiest to maintain but the most difficult to repair if they are damaged (fortunately, they are very difficult to damage). They can be coated to resist corrosion and weathering, although if they are near an ocean they are subject to frequent salty air, which will rust them eventually. This can be slowed through the application of an anti-rusting agent, and can be further prevented by a coat of paint or corrosion resistance material.
Wood fences are also difficult to damage, although with enough force they can be broken completely. Since they are often made from panels that are set into a backbone on the interior, individual panels can be replaced relatively easily. If the backbone itself is damaged, the entire section will need to be replaced, or you will need to replace the backbone and reattach the panels. They can be made resistant to weathering by a good coat of paint.
Chain link fences are relatively easy to damage through deliberate means, but are very resistant to weathering. Unfortunately, chain link security and privacy fences can be cut apart with sufficiently strong clippers, and in this event the section will need to be replaced. They can also be bent and mangled, and will need to be reinforced or replaced. Vinyl fences are very easy to maintain, never require paint, and are not frequently damaged (because they are easy to get past). Fortunately, vinyl is cheap and easy to replace.
