The Best Time to Upgrade Your House Fence

Table of Contents

1. When It’s Already Damaged Beyond Repair[+]
   1. Widespread rotting
   2. Leaning
   3. Missing fasteners
2. When It’s Violating Zoning Laws
3. When It’s Not Complimenting Your Home
4. When It’s No Longer Serving Your Needs
5. When Fall or Winter Comes

Upgrading your house fencing is no mean feat. For one thing, you’ll have to decide whether or not to switch to a new type of fence.

Depending on the project’s scale, you might need to call the best fence company Westchester, NY has to offer. To top it off, you need to pick the best time to do the renovation.

So when’s the best time to upgrade your home fencing? Well, if it’s under the following circumstances:

When It’s Already Damaged Beyond Repair

Even the sturdiest, most durable fences can be damaged. Aside from the harsh elements, it’s vulnerable to mold, mildew, rusting, and pests.

As the homeowner, it’s your job to regularly inspect your fencing and fix any minor damages you find. Constantly monitoring and maintaining your fences also helps you save money on repairs.

Still, there will come a day when the damage to your fence is so great that it can’t be repaired anymore. You should look out for the following signs that herald the need to replace or upgrade the fencing:

• Widespread rotting

Wood can warp and rot over time. This is a direct result of exposure to moisture and molds. There’s no need for an overhaul of your fences if the rotting is limited to one or two boards. However, if you find that 80% of your fence is rotting, it is time to call in the experts and have it replaced.

• Leaning

Leaning is a sign of structural weakness. Sooner or later, the fence system will collapse. Just like rot, a huge part of your fence leaning means that the ground and the structure are both unstable. Thus, it needs to be reinforced or replaced.

• Missing fasteners

Screws and nails can be dislodged by constant exposure to wind, or even human height leaning against the fence. They can be easily replaced.

However, wood could weaken over many years of replacing these fasteners. If nails or screws are lost and the wood is cracking, it’s time to replace the board or the entire fence.

These five instances above mean that your fences are beyond repair. Mending it can be more expensive. It’s better to be economical and have them replaced with brand-new boards or even a new design.

Now you should tread carefully when dealing with heavily-damaged fences. Based on the fence’s size and the scale of the damage, you might need to call your trusted fence company.

If the damage is caused by pests, then you should contact your nearest pest control, too. That way, you can protect your home as well as your new fence.

When It’s Violating Zoning Laws

Many cities and towns have ordinances regarding a homeowner’s fence. While some are simple enough (i.e., how tall your fence should be), others are especially strict and can result in fines if disobeyed.

Again, it’s your responsibility to make sure your home’s fences abide by these rules. So if you find your fences violating one or more of these ordinances, best have them upgraded immediately.

In case you decide to do the renovation yourself, you first need to learn as much as you can about your area’s fencing regulations. Drop by your city hall, visit the appropriate office, and ask for a copy of those rules.

Alternatively, you can opt to have your fences upgraded by a good contractor instead. This will save you time and effort, as the installer should already be familiar with your city’s fencing by-laws.

When It’s Not Complimenting Your Home

Your fences should always complement your home. Otherwise, it won’t add any aesthetic value to your house. Dissonance in visuals also tends to stand out, which means your neighbors will notice and say something you might not like.

Worse, a fence that’s out of place visually might even cause the monetary value of your property to go down. Prospective buyers are likely to get turned off by bad visuals as well as by the prospective cost of improving the look of the property.

In other words, resale value can be negatively affected by a house and a fence that don’t complement one another.

If you find yourself having a home with incompatible fencing, you can choose to have it switched to a better one. Chances are, this poor fencing is probably due to the previous owner’s bad taste.

If you have a poor eye for decoration as well, then better leave it to experts. Developers have a good sense of aesthetics and can make valuable suggestions to improve the visual synergy between your fence and your home.

But should you choose to install the fencing on your own, you need to follow some good advice. These include understanding your needs, setting a budget, and checking out various fencing options.

When It’s No Longer Serving Your Needs

Fences don’t just serve to add aesthetic or monetary value to your property. You can also rely on it to provide security and privacy for you and your loved ones. If you find your current fencing no longer serving your needs, then it’s time to have it replaced.

The biggest red flag is when robbers are able to bypass your fence and forcibly enter your property while you are away. You’d need to upgrade and strengthen your house’s fences to prevent the same thing from happening again. You might also want to think about installing a security camera system to try and act as a deterrent against these occurrences.

If privacy is your issue, then you best get fencing that doesn’t give people a glimpse of your home and garden. Great options include pallet or slat wood fences, solid tiled walls, and old-fashioned brick walls.

On the other hand, if you need security, then better go with sturdier fencing options. These also include solid tiled and brick walls, but you can also choose wrought iron fences and another metal fencing.

When Fall or Winter Comes

If the damage to the fence could wait for a season more, you could also wait until Fall or Winter to embark on your renovation or upgrade project. These two seasons are the best times of the year to undergo property improvements.

One reason to do your renovation during these seasons is finance. Many fence installers offer their services at discounted rates during these periods.

Moreover, winter and fall are low seasons for these businesses. They can devote more time to your project than they could during peak times. This allows you to save money while ensuring that you still get top-notch services from the experts.

Winter is also the harshest time of the year for your fences. This is a great opportunity to assess the damage to your fence and have your fences replaced with brand-new materials and boards. By the time the project is finished, your fences will be ready and looking good just in time for spring.

Conclusion

Upgrading your home fencing may not be as hard as rocket science, but you should still go through it carefully. First, you need to inspect your fencing and see if it can still be saved, or if repairing it proves to be more expensive than replacing the fence altogether.

Second, you should also consider if you’re going to undertake the project by yourself or to call the experts. The second option is definitely ideal because professionals know how to properly design a sturdy and practical fence.

Lastly, to ensure that you save money and get the best fences possible, you need to pick the best time to start your project. Winter and fall are the most ideal seasons to undertake the replacement of your fences because of lower costs and the higher availability of tradesmen.

Thank you for reading!