If you’re looking to get rid of your worn out wooden fence, here are some useful tips to help you out.
A wooden fence can last for years. But once it has reached the end of its life, what can you do with it? A wooden fence can wear out for many reasons: weather, physical damage, and the passage of time. Maybe the fence was there when you first moved in, left behind by the home’s previous owners. You might find the fence ugly, and it’s past time that fence was gone. If you’re looking to get rid of your worn out wooden fence, here are some useful tips to help you out.
Remember Fence Etiquette
One of the first things you should do is remember fence etiquette. Whatever you do with your wooden fence, chances are it’ll affect your neighbors too. Thinking about fence etiquette when removing a fence is just as critical as when you’re putting one up. The fence you’re looking to remove might belong to your neighbor, too. So, ensure that your property lines are known before doing anything else. Once you’ve ensured you can take action about the fence, you can move on.
Safety Matters Too
Remember to keep safety in mind once you begin tearing down the wooden fence in question. Safety matters too. Removing a fence, even a wooden one, will probably require the use of tools like saws, and then you’ll have to move large pieces of wood across your yard. Taking the proper precautions will make the entire process quicker and easier. Have a friend or family member rather than trying to do it all by yourself. The fence panels and fence posts might also be held together by nails or screws, so be aware that these can present hazards as well. The nails and screws should be taken out if you plan on reusing the wood for something else. Whatever you plan on doing with the pieces of the dismantled fence, find and pick up all the nails. You don’t want other people, or your pets, to step on them by accident and hurt themselves.
Removing Panels from Wooden Fences
The next step to consider is if you want to disassemble the entire fence, or just remove the individual panels. Posts that are in solid, stable condition can be reused. If they’re unstable, they might have been damaged by termites or rot. Use a hammer to dislodge nails from fence panels. Once the nail is exposed you can extract the nail with the claw on the back of the hammer. The board should come free.
Removing Fence Posts
If fence posts can’t be reused, they’ll have to be removed. If they are set in concrete, there are special techniques to get them out. These techniques involve creating piles of concrete and wooden 2x4s to create a fulcrum and lever setup. If the fence posts are set in the dirt instead, all you have to do is shift them until you can pull them straight out of the ground. If you can withstand all of the effort involved, you can feel proud of yourself, and feel ready to put in the wooden fence, or any other fence, that you actually want.
Get in Touch with Hercules Fence of Virginia Beach Today!
Call Hercules Fence of Norfolk and Virginia Beach for your fencing needs. We have decades of experience in the fencing industry and can offer you the best in ornamental steel, chain link, wooden fences and more. Our dedicated teams of fencing professionals are highly trained, skilled, and experienced in providing quality fence installations of any type. We’ll work with you to find a fence that bests suits your needs and budget.
Contact Hercules Fence of Virginia Beach at (757) 321-6700, drop in, or contact us on our website to learn more about spring fence construction! You can keep up to date with offers and information from Hercules Fence of Virginia Beach on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
