The fence can be a multifunctional feature that works as a protection and decoration such as giving privacy between your house and neighborhood, preventing unwanted intruders, and beautifying the outdoor look. Wood is one of the favorite materials when it comes to fencing since it attracts many homeowners who love using natural materials.
As a natural material, wood fences need extra maintenance because some problems may occur if you don’t take care of them properly, and one of them is sagging. It can be caused by two factors which are aging and weather condition.
In this article, we have an easy tutorial on how to fix a leaning fence by yourself.
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How to Fix Leaning Fence
You will need these supplies:
- 2 x 4 timbers
- 3-1/2″ and 2″ exterior timber screws
- Treated pickets (if necessary)
- 4 x 4 treated posts
- Concrete mix
Tools to prepare:
- Tape measure
- Wrecking bar
- Circular saw
- Drill
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Position the Fence
The first step is to straighten up the position of the fence by using 2 x 4 lumbers.
- Push the heel of the lumbers into the ground about 5 feet away from the sagging fence.
- With your hands or shoulders, push the fence until it stands straight.
- Keep pulling down the lumbers until it gets a plumb position.
Fix the Rails
The rails of the fence with nail-fastened methods are often loosened from their place.
- Inspect the sagging part in the worst condition.
- Examine whether the existing posts are still firm or not.
- Clamp the loosened rails back.
- Use 3-12 inches screws to secure the rails.
- Cut the exposed nails if necessary.
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Find the Broken Posts
The common cause of leaning fence is the damaged posts, so what you can do is to find and fix them.
- If the back part of the fence is easy to access, you can fix the posts from behind. You may need to remove some pickets if you have to fix the posts from the front side.
- The parts of the fence which are mostly sagging are the section where the posts may be broken.
- Check the base of each broken post to find out whether that has rotted or not.
Install New Posts
Installing new posts close to the old ones is a better alternative because you may cause more damage by removing the damaged ones.
- Dig the hole for the new posts by using a wrecking bar.
- The rule is that the depth of the hole should be around 2 to 3 times the diameter of the new posts.
- Measure the length from the bottom of the hole to the upper rail, then use this measurement to cut the posts.
- Attach some screws to the bottom of the post (the part that will be buried in the ground) to give more strength.
- Put the posts to the holes, use a 4-foot level to plumb, and secure it to the rails with 3-1/2 inches screws.
- Pour the concrete mix into the hole and make sure not to overwater it because it needs a dense consistency to make a strong post base.
- Wait until the concrete is dry (at least about 48 hours on a windy day).
- Last but not least, you can test the strength of the fixed fence.
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Put Back the Pickets
You may need this step if you have to remove the pickets to fix the posts and reattach them to the fence.
- Use a couple of 2-inches exterior timber screws to attach the rails to the rails and posts. If the current pickets are old or not good enough to use, you may need to buy new ones.
- Make sure that the size of the pickets fits the space.
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So, those are a few steps that you can do to fix a leaning fence by yourself. If you are familiar with a DIY job that includes wood as the main material, you will have no problem doing this one. Just make sure that you are well-equipped with safety equipment during the job due to some sharp parts of the wood.
Using natural material to make a fence requires extra maintenance due to several factors. We hope that this quick tutorial can help you to keep your wood fence stays longer.