Before · After Guides · by Richard Cordrey, qualified carpenter
Should you repair or replace a fence panel?
The short answer
Check the posts before the panels. If the posts are sound, a damaged panel can usually be replaced on its own. If a timber post has rotted at ground level, it can often be repaired with a concrete repair spur. If most of the run is leaning, weathered and rotten, replacing the whole run is better value.
Step by step
- Look at the posts — Rock each post. Movement at ground level usually means rot below the surface.
- Rotten post base? Consider a repair spur — A concrete repair spur bolted alongside a rotten post can give it years more life without digging the whole post out.
- Replace single damaged panels — Storm damage often takes out one or two panels. If the posts are sound, the panel simply lifts out and a new one goes in.
- Know when to replace the run — If several posts are loose and the panels are grey, split and leaning, patching becomes a false economy.
- Treat or paint — Whatever you keep, treat or paint it — it is the cheapest way to extend a fence’s life.
When to call someone in
If more than a couple of posts are moving, or the fence is on a boundary you share with a neighbour, get it looked at properly. Cordreys repairs and replaces fencing across West Sussex and Surrey, and the visit and quote are free.
Questions people ask
How long does a fence panel last?
It depends on the panel and how well it is treated; keeping timber treated and off wet ground makes the biggest difference.
Can you paint a fence as well as repair it?
Yes — we paint and treat fences, including a whole Horsham garden’s fencing.
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