When to Replace or Repair a Fence for Vancouver Homes
In Vancouver B.C., rot and mold are common reasons for home owners repairing or replacing their fences. Unstable or broken fence posts and panels are other common reasons.
In this first part of our two-part series on fence repairs, we will look at each of these common issues and recommend the best course of action on whether to repair or replace your fence.
Zoning Laws & Call Before You Dig!
Two things before you even start, make sure your plans are legal and feasible.
- If you’re doing this yourself, be sure to check the zoning bylaws for your Vancouver Lower Mainland Municipality. You may need a permit to replace an existing fence.
- And second, for B.C. residence you need to “click or call before you dig.” Even if you plan to put the fence posts into the same place as before, you don’t want to risk injury or person by discovering hidden cables or gas lines the hard way.
Replacing or Repairing a Damaged Fence
Acute physical damage is usually worth exploring the cost to repair if the rest of the fence is well built and in otherwise good condition. For instance, if your neighbor backed into your fence post with their car, it’s probably a good idea to look at repairs rather than replacing the fence.
Exceptions here depend on the root cause of the damage. If the damage is caused by underlying rot or underlying structural weakness we would normally advise replacing the fence with a new metal fence installation.
Inadequate strength or design for the conditions may be another reason to look at installing a new metal fence. For instance, if your fence panels take a lot of abuse from neighborhood kids, installing a chain-link fence with privacy slats might be the better long-term solution. We’ll look at fence panels in more detail bellow.
Replacing or Repairing Fence Panels
Loose panels can often be repaired easily and affordably. If the wood panels are still in good condition, a quick fix may simply be screwing the panels securely back in place.
Sometimes repairing loose panels is more of a temporary measure however, as loose panels are often symptomatic of deeper structural weaknesses such as wood rot or a poorly constructed fence.
Broken panels can also be easily replaced if it’s an isolated issue. If broken panels is a regular thing in your area, again moving to a metal fence like chain-link with privacy slats or aluminum panels provides an excellent long-term solution.
Your Fence Repair Company in Vancouver
To get your fence repaired in the Vancouver area, or for a professional opinion from our fence repair contractors, contact QS Fencing at 604-345-5145.
