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Fence care
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Fence care 
The first step in caring for your fence is to ensure that it is installed carefully – all cross cuts on posts, rails, featheredge etc. should have been treated with Ensele end-grain treatment. Any bushes or undergrowth should have been cut back to stop abrasion or ivy/brambles forcing their way between the slats of the fence. Before any maintenance treatment is carried out it is recommended to begin by power-washing the fence to remove fungal growth, surface dirt and grit. Might be worth speaking to the neighbours too, fences have two sides and ideally should be treated both sides plus they might not apprecaite being power-washed or being speckled with fencing stain! Starting point=Quality timber At Southern Timber we stock products that have been pressure treated, usually with Tanalith E – we often refer to these products as tanalised. This is a vacuum process where the timber is pressure impregnated with a preservative to reduce fungal decay. While it proves far more effective than just dipping timbers a small amount of regular maintenance will give provide extra protection against fading and weathering and keep your fencing looking good for longer. Fading colours When our panels are supplied they normally have a green tinge to them, this is perfectly normal and is a green dye used in the Tanalith process. This green colour gradually changes into a more mellow light brown colour and then to a dullish grey. This discolouration is primarily caused by ultraviolet light. Customers wishing to maintain the original colour of the fence need to buy a product with a good UV inhibitor to slow down the effects of this process. However, some pigment is needed in the treatment to provide effective UV protection - clear treatments generally provide minimal UV protection. Treatments that contain a colour pigment will provide better UV protection as well as introducing extra colour into the fence. Rain, rain go away While we can’t stop the rain we can help slow down its decaying effects. Timber is a natural product and absorbs moisture from the surrounding air – this means timber tends to expand when wet and shrink when dry. In summer months this can lead to cracking in panel slats and rails, and this cracking can usually be seen most in post ends. This is perfectly normal and when the wet weather returns the timber will tend to swell and the cracks will close again. We stock a range of Sadolin and Ronseal products which penetrate into the timber to help preserve against rot & decay but also provide a surface coating to minimise penetration of moisture. It should be noted that different products are available for sawn products – our fence posts, Heavy Duty fence panels and featheredge slats- and smoother planed panel range and shiplap sheds and workshops. In every instance the manufacturers instructions should be followed carefully. |
