So you just purchased your new, beautiful fence but the weather man says there are heavy winds headed your way, or possibly even a hurricane! What do you do? Here are a few ways you can make sure your investment is safe.
Securing Large Objects
This is something you should be doing in preparation for a hurricane anyways and that is storing or securing any large objects in your yard. The wind can quickly grab them and sling them directly into your fence, destroying it.
Check For Dead Trees
Check out all the trees near your fence. You want to make sure none of them are dead because with strong enough wind, that tree is coming down and with it, your fence. The more likely thing you need to look out for are limbs hanging over or close to the fence. These can be broken by the wind and can collapse right on top of your fence, destroying it. These will all need to be cut off prior to the storm to prevent this.
Check Your Fence Posts
Now for the fence- take a walk along the fence line and double check that the posts supporting your fence are secure. A wobbly post becomes a broken fence in heavy winds and we do not want that. If you see a post that is loose, dig out around it as best you can and buy a small bag of concrete to fill around the post to further secure it in place.
Bracing
Further support for your fence can be bracing. This is alot more work but it will offer a much higher likelihood of your fence surviving. Adding another post along the middle of the fence between the already existing posts will help support the middle from giving in and an angled brace off of that new post into the ground will prevent the wind from blowing the fence completely over thanks to the extra support.
Have Evidence Prepared
Plan for the absolute worse. Some weather will be so bad there isn’t much you can do. What you can do is protect your pockets by taking pictures and recording your fence prior. Having absolute proof that it was the storm itself that ruined your fence saves you a fight with your insurance company when it comes to the expenses of fixing a destroyed fence.
Some circumstances you can’t plan for. The best you can do is prepare. First, by making sure your fence is built as sturdy as possible from the start by digging the posts deep and using concrete for hold, but once it’s up these few tips can help increase the protection of your fence from the bad weather to come.
