How to revive an old fence - tips for updating a wooden fence
A wooden fence is a practical and reliable fencing for the local area based on natural materials. It blends perfectly with the landscape of the surrounding area, while at the same time offering an attractive appearance. However wooden fence deteriorates much faster from climatic influences (wind, rain, snow), wood-boring beetles and fungus than metal or stone fencing, so it should be revived from time to time. Minor repairs, washing and regular painting also help keep it in perfect condition.
Extending the life of a wooden fence is quite easy if you understand the reasons that cause its destruction. So what to do:
Boards that are severely damaged by fungus will have to be replaced. They are removed using a nail puller and a saw, replacing them with new pickets, adjusted to size. The appearance of fungus on the lower part of the fence means that the soil in this place is excessively wet, so when installing new boards, a gap of 5-10 cm is left between the surface of the soil and the lower edge of the fence. The width of this gap is sufficient to dry the soil and ventilate the wooden components.
In the case when the base of a wooden fence rests on the ground, the lower part of the boards is insulated with roofing felt or roofing felt to a height of 20-30 cm. All pickets are pre-treated with antiseptic impregnation. It is also not recommended to plant bushy plants along wooden fences when the soil is wet.
2. If the fasteners on a wooden fence are rusty
First of all, the fasteners are treated with an anti-corrosion agent, although such treatment does not always help. In case of severe rust, all that remains is to replace the fasteners and it is better to choose products made of galvanized steel.
3. If the base of a wooden fence is rotten
To replace a rotten fence base with a new one, you need to carefully dig a small trench along it, cut out the damaged part and insert a concrete block of the appropriate size into the vacant space. After this, treat the base with bitumen and an antiseptic. You can also install formwork and fill the vacated space with concrete.
4. If the paint has peeled off the wooden fence or the color has faded
Firstly, it is the use of planed boards. They are easier to paint and look more aesthetically pleasing.
Secondly, this is the installation of metal support pillars. They are much stronger and do not rot.
Thirdly, the swaying of the pillars when the soil thaws will be minimized by spreading the joints of the lower and upper veins across different pillars.
Fourthly, veins planed by one slope are less susceptible to rotting, since water drains easily from them.
For every landowner, one of the burning issues is the fencing of the plot. Sometimes fences are one of the first to appear when houses are still under construction. Sometimes owners think about fencing after completion of construction and planning, sometimes there is a need for reconstruction or complete replacement a fence that is outdated in all respects. But, in any case, you always want to get both attractive and relatively inexpensive fence, which will last for more than one year. Wooden fences on metal posts are quite common. This is a picket fence, and various variations from unedged boards, for example, like one of our craftsmen with the nickname buka23. He made a fence from burnt unedged boards, which will be discussed in the material.
- Materials.
- Installation of poles.
- Preparation of lumber.
- Implementation of an idea.
Materials
buka23
I’ll tell you about my fence - a plot of 15 acres, the length of the fence along the perimeter is 110 meters. Three-meter pillars, made of profile pipe 60×40×2 mm, prepared. Covered with epoxy primer, which is usually used to protect metal structures (bridges, supports), the bottom was additionally coated with bitumen mastic.
To fill the spans, the craftsman purchased 6 m³ of unedged wood boards with natural moisture content. Immediately after the purchase, it was debarked, treated with iron sulfate and stacked with pads for ventilation. This is one of the most important moments– thanks to treatment with vitriol, the board is protected from pests and blue stains. Moreover, this same product will help transform wood already damaged by microflora. buka23 I was convinced of this from my own experience by purchasing a batch of lumber (150x30 cm board, 2 meters long) for the vertical.
buka23
I would also like to say something about iron sulfate - due to the start of the summer season, I couldn’t buy a board anywhere and at any price without being affected by blue stains. But, well coated with vitriol, after drying for 2.5 months it looks like new! True, the board itself takes on a dirty gray-yellow tint, but before firing this is irrelevant. Vitriol is diluted with water 1/10 and applied liberally with a brush.
Installation of poles
After studying the thematic section of the forum, the craftsman decided to abandon concreting in favor of butting. I drilled holes with a hand drill (200 mm) in increments of 3 m, to a depth of 1.3 m, filled in a 10 cm layer of crushed stone, compacted it and installed the pillars. Layers of sand and crushed stone with tamping and pouring filled the holes to the top. The pillars became strong, “like stone.”
As often happens, practical thoughts come late: after installing his pillars, the craftsman began to think about the durability of the supports and how he would have to change them in ten years due to insufficient wall thickness. For those still preparing, he advises the following:
buka23
If you need a fence that will last for decades, immediately think about the appropriate supports. What I came to: it is optimal to cover tubing pipes with a wall thickness of 5.6 or 7 mm, cover them with soil and protect them with bitumen. It's practically forever. If it's cheaper - wooden beam 100×100 mm, burn intensively and do not coat, but actually soak in pine tar and linseed oil. During installation, there is no need for concrete, only backfilling with crushed stone for “ventilation”. There is no need to fight the forces of frost heaving - it is easier to neutralize them.
Preparation of lumber
After two and a half months, when the boards were thoroughly dry, buka23 I started firing using bottled gas, a torch, my hands and common sense. In one weekend I burned all eighty vertical boards, and it turned out decorative even without applying the planned impregnation.
Six-meter boards were the next to fall under the burner and skillful hands.
I washed the boards for fastening to the posts from carbon deposits with a brush, manually, and cleaned the six-meter ones using a high-pressure washer.
Before applying impregnation, it is better to wait a couple of days, although a washed burnt board in the sun dries out in a few hours, but we are talking about pre-dried wood, and not initially wet.
To impregnate the wood, the user bought technical linseed oil - with the first layer he generously coats the boards with pure oil, and with the second layer he will apply oil with the addition of wax. As for the proportions, the wood cannot be spoiled by wax, but due to its decent cost, the mass fraction was first reduced to one hundred grams per liter of oil, and there are plans to reduce it to fifty grams. According to estimates, this amount is quite enough to protect wood from the external environment.
Recipe for preparing impregnation for the second layer:
- Melt the wax in a water bath.
- Pour into hot linseed oil.
- Simmer on the fire, without bringing to a boil, for a couple of hours.
- If the resulting composition is too viscous, dilute it with gum turpentine to the desired consistency.
There was a debate on the topic about the application method - a flock roller was proposed to speed up and simplify the process. As more experienced comrades explained, speed is not the main thing.
Green0568
You can’t apply a greasy layer with a roller, but pine and all similar woods absorb a lot of oil after firing. I even practically pour larch, and I need a brush to disperse the oil over the surface. It’s better to remove the unnecessary stuff than to go through it several times.
U buka23 The oil consumption turned out to be about 4-5 l/m², since some boards are practically like a sponge, and some are almost not saturated, depending on the structure and intensity of firing. About 2/3 of the total volume goes to the first layer.
Regardless of the purpose of using the wood, be it a fence or a facade made of larch, it is necessary to “oil” it on both sides.
Implementation of the idea
Force majeure was not canceled, and it was not possible to finish the fence in one construction season. The first stage, in addition to installing the pillars, was completed by treating the entire volume of wood (6 m³) with the first layer of linseed oil. It took seventy liters and a week of brush work from morning to evening.
For storage, the boards were stacked in the same way using pads and covered with roofing felt from precipitation - this method works with dry boards.
The topic also included a discussion of the method of attaching a board to a metal pole, and one of the participants proposed his own option.
vip_makar
I used a pin bent in place, no difficulties in fitting. I did this in the absence of welding; if there had been welding, I would have welded the plates. As for reliability, this is the third year of normal flight. The strength was confirmed by a “combat test” - pulling up on a finished structure without consequences.
AnnaRich– as a think tank, with a teenage son as a performer, we used the “instructions” and express our gratitude to the author for his creative approach and detailed presentation. They are very pleased with the results.
Wood, on the one hand, is environmentally friendly and durable material, but on the other hand, it has a short service life, especially if wood products are located outdoors. Old wooden fences become unusable after 10-15 years from the moment of their installation. There are two options for further action - restoration or dismantling of the fence. We will learn further about how to dismantle the old fence and install a new one.
Dismantling and installation of a fence - methods for restoring wooden fences
Before proceeding with the actual dismantling of the old fence, carefully inspect the fence; perhaps it just needs restoration. Wood is a fairly durable material. However, wooden products require high-quality and proper treatment with special compounds. Otherwise, they wear out very quickly under the influence of moisture, solar radiation, temperature changes, etc. In addition, high humidity often causes the development of fungus, mold and various microorganisms on wood.
If a wooden fence is still subject to restoration, then it is cheaper to carry out a number of actions aimed at restoring it. Otherwise, you will need to dismantle the fence to install a new fence.
If there are strong connections on the fence, it is enough to improve its presentability and use it for several more years. First of all, remove paint or any other coating from the wood. After work, the wood should remain perfectly smooth. It is preferable to grind all elements with sandpaper or a special machine.
To speed up the work, sanding sandpaper is mounted on a block. To remove paint or varnish, use special compounds called removers. Using this product, you can quickly remove old paint without destroying the structure of the wood. To remove old dark stains from the fence, use gasoline.
If there is a greenish color on the fence, this indicates that the fence is covered with moss. To remove it, just use a regular spatula. Wear a mask while working, as fungal spores are quite dangerous to human health. Or use special preparations that will significantly speed up this process; simply apply them to a previously moistened fence. Then, after a few minutes, the moss can be easily removed with a brush.
After cleaning the base of the fence from paint, moss and fungus, the process of protecting the wood from their reappearance follows. First of all, apply a protective impregnation. This composition should protect the wood from moisture, solar radiation and mold. It is recommended to use universal compounds that do not require more than two layers.
Impregnation is most often applied with a brush; if the fence area is large and it is a solid base, then a roller can be used. After this, the wooden fence is coated with paint or varnish. Type this or paint composition determined by the final requirements for the appearance of the fence. Some compositions are universal in application and perform the function of impregnation and protection.
Dismantling a wooden fence, prices and technology
The initial stage of dismantling the fence is the complete destruction of all its sections, as well as the transverse joists. If the boards on the fence are located in a horizontal position, then each of them must be removed separately.
The principle and technology of operation depend on whether the boards will be used in the future. It is easier to dismantle the fence whose boards will not be used. In this case, you can use special equipment that will complete this work in a few hours.
In the process of dismantling the old fence you will need:
- nail removal tool;
- levers and hammer;
- hacksaws;
- various types of keys and screwdrivers.
If it is necessary to dismantle fence posts, you should inspect their appearance. The phases of their dismantling depend on how the supports were installed. If the supporting elements were filled with concrete, you will have to work hard to remove them. If the pillars were simply buried inside the ground, then it is enough to dig up the soil around them and remove them.
In some cases, metal supports are reinstalled after dismantling the fence. However, in this case, it is recommended to carry out their restoration. If there is rust on the pillars, they are sanded with a special device. Next, the surface is coated with an anti-corrosion compound. The lower part of the post, which is located in the ground, is additionally coated with mastic based on rubber bitumen.
You can use a regular metal brush to remove rust or paint from posts. However, in this case, this process will take a long time. To apply the coating, use a hard brush. Additional protection of fence supports is carried out using phosphoric acid and other components.
If the fence supports are made of wood, then the rotted part is removed. If it is necessary to restore the supports, they are first of all sanded and treated with compounds that allow you to remove mold, moss, plaque, etc. from the wood. In addition, the lower part of the wood that was in the ground must be thoroughly dried. If, when cutting off the lower part, the pole becomes short, then the method of increasing the support is used. On the bottom of the post, boards are nailed, which were previously covered with an antiseptic composition.
The supporting part of the pillar is also treated with protective compounds, which primarily protect it from moisture. In order to prevent rotting of the support, it is additionally burned with a blowtorch. A cut at an angle of 45 degrees is arranged on the top of the support column. Thus, moisture will flow down the post without getting inside it. For more reliable protection of the support pillar, a special cap is put on it.
If asbestos-cement based pillars are used as support, they cannot be restored. This material It is quite unstable in the face of moisture and is easily destroyed under its influence. Before installing such supports, their upper and lower parts are insulated to prevent water from getting inside the pipe.
Do-it-yourself dismantling of a wooden fence
Before you begin dismantling each section of the fence, number them. This is done if the fence will be installed in place after restoration. All rotten parts need to be replaced. The extreme areas of the boards are especially susceptible to moisture. Rust is removed from metal fasteners and, if necessary, they are also replaced. Use nails or screws to connect cracked parts. The second method is more reliable.
After cleaning the fence sections from dirt, dust, mold and old coating, they undergo additional drying. For additional cleaning, use a soft-bristled brush. Do not leave wood in direct sunlight. It should be located in a well-ventilated canopy. After drying, the boards are replaced and new elements are installed. Therefore, stock up on a hammer, plane, knife and chisel in advance.
If there are loose fasteners, take care to replace them. Watch the fasteners, they must be well tightened and hammered. Special tools will help you unscrew old screw connections. Please note that the nails are driven into the wood strictly perpendicularly, and their heads are not recessed too much to avoid damage to the wood.
A fence that has been previously repaired is treated with an antiseptic composition, impregnation and stain. Treat especially well the places where the boards are fixed, their end and corner areas. Apply at least two layers of antiseptic composition.
The steel parts of the fence are treated with anti-corrosion impregnations; for these purposes, use a brush or spray.
At the final stage of restoration, the fence is installed in place, according to the previously numbered parts. To further protect the fence from moisture, apply two layers of varnish or paint to it.
Dismantling the cable on the fence - features of the process
A wooden fence is the easiest to dismantle; a chainsaw or other similar tool is used to cut the wood. The pillars are dismantled depending on the material from which they are made. The estimate for dismantling the fence is negotiated individually and directly depends on the area and range of work. The cheapest dismantling of a chain-link fence, then in second place is a wooden fence.
If the pillars are just driven into the ground, then dismantling them is quite simple. Removing concrete pillars is a very complex process that will require special equipment.
It is even more difficult to remove the pillars that are part of the strip foundation; the cost of performing such work is the highest of all the above options.
Wood is the simplest and most affordable material for building a fence. Therefore, wooden fences are most often amenable to dismantling. Most often, wooden fences are made of larch or pine. These types of wood perfectly withstand weather conditions and high humidity.
The initial stage of work on dismantling a wooden fence involves determining the following criteria:
- design features of the fence;
- the material from which it is made;
- material from which they are constructed support pillars;
- individual characteristics of customers - whether the material from which the fence is constructed will be used in the future;
- the interval between the fence and the house or other buildings, the possibility of access by specialized equipment;
- the presence of wires in the fence, the dismantling of these devices is carried out first.
Standard mechanical or manual equipment is used to disassemble wooden fencing. There are two ways to dismantle wooden fences:
- cutting them down using a gas or electric saw;
- dismantling with a nail puller and alternately disassembling the fence into separate fragments.
Dismantling and installation of a wooden fence
The installation of a wooden fence should begin by marking it. To do this, several wooden pegs are installed in the ground at intervals of 250 cm. A rope is stretched between them. Next, you should determine the height of the fence; the optimal value is from 150 to 230 cm.
A more economical option is to use a purchased edged board, which has previously been sanded and coated with special compounds. Next, you need to remove the pegs, and in their place, drill holes for the support pillars.
Previously prepared supports are installed in their places. Pillars made of wood, metal or asbestos are used as supporting elements. Please note that to obtain a high-quality fence, special attention is paid to its supports. To level the height of the fence, install a nail on each supporting element and pull a rope along them.
Next, the boards are fixed to the supporting elements of the fence. For these purposes, nails or screws are used. The top board is installed at a distance of 30 cm from the ground. It is possible to make a palisade or install boards close to each other. After installing the wooden fence, it is sanded and coated with an antiseptic solution.
Pay special attention to the installation of support posts; if the height of the fence is more than 200 cm, then the supports should be buried one third into the ground. In this case, it is recommended to concrete it. The supports take on the entire load from the fence. Therefore, they must be very durable. If the supports are made of wood or metal, it is recommended to install caps on them. They will protect the pipes from moisture.
Although in a distant village, near an old house, a grey, slightly rotten fence may seem to some extent charming, however, as a fence for a modern site, it will probably not evoke positive emotions. Therefore, it is necessary to refresh from time to time wooden fence
, return it to its original appearance. Unfortunately, wood is susceptible to biological decomposition; extreme heat and severe frosts cause it to age quickly. In addition, moisture entering the wood structure promotes the development of mosses, fungi, lichens, and insects may appear in the cracks that form as a result of constant swelling and contraction of wood. However, there is a procedure for eliminating and preventing the occurrence of all of the listed flaws.
Surface cleaning
The first operation to be performed is P starting to restore a wooden fence , is to check all its elements. It may turn out that serious enough damage will entail replacing the entire old fence. If everything looks secure and the joints are strong, we can remove the top layer of the old coating and eliminate all imperfections so that the surface of the wooden elements is smooth and even. For small fences and small surfaces it will be enough to take sandpaper with grit 150-200.
You can attach it to a block, then the grinding will take place relatively quickly and efficiently. For large surfaces, a sanding machine is perfect. To make your work a little easier, you can use a means to remove old paint coatings. This product will effectively remove a layer of paint, varnish, the glaze does not destroy the surface, and the wood does not fade. To remove oil stains and dirt, we can use purified gasoline.
Removing moss and fungus
If greenish moss appears on the wooden surface of the fence, you should get rid of it before restoring the fence. Although it is tempting to simply scrape off the growth with a spatula when it is dry, it is not recommended to do this. During removal, the moss disperses the spores, which not only increases its spread, but is also harmful to health. You should then use a special preparation to remove moss from wooden surfaces. On sale you can find products for moss and lichen, which are sprayed onto the moistened surface of the fence. Then, after waiting for some time, you need to clean the wooden fence with a brush. After this procedure, it is necessary to rinse the fence generously with water. Suitable for this. Another threat to our fence is fungus. The wood affected by them has a visible gray coating. Fortunately, there are a large number of drugs on sale that destroy the fungus while preventing their reappearance. Additionally, they have wood preservation properties.
Wood protection
After sanding the surface, you need to clean the fence from minor dirt; a natural horsehair brush will do. A protective impregnation is applied to the thoroughly cleaned and leveled surface of the raw wood. The best products are those that not only protect from atmospheric influences (sun and moisture), but also from biological ones - fungi, insects or mold. A product that guarantees adequate protection after applying one layer will be convenient. Others need to be applied in two or three layers, sanding between layers.
For impregnation, it is best to use a brush that is designed for materials based on organic solvents. The impregnating agent should be applied to a large area, and when it begins to fade, rub it along the fibers with a slightly damp brush. We can cover the impregnated wood with stain, varnish, glaze, or wood paint. The choice of the appropriate drug will depend on the effect we want to obtain, incl. on the type of surface design (matt, gloss), or the appearance of the fence (visible fiber pattern, color). Stains and varnishes preserve the pattern of the fibers, while paints and varnishes hide them.
To reduce working time and the number of layers applied when restoration of a wooden fence it is worth using e.g. azure, which combines the advantages of impregnation and varnishing - impregnates, protects and decorates wood, giving it a long-lasting and attractive appearance.
How to paint a wooden fence and still make money from it:
Dismantling fences is a set of activities that require careful execution. The demolition of the structure will have features depending on the type of fence, the materials from which it was made, and the installation scheme. These factors influence pricing, duration and labor intensity of actions.
When is fence removal required?
Fences are dismantled for a number of reasons:
- the structure has lost strength and integrity;
- the fence has weak protective characteristics;
- the fence was installed temporarily;
- planned demolition of the structure is provided by decision of the owners/court;
- the boundaries of the site are transferred;
- for aesthetic reasons.
How is the fence removal service provided?
The fence dismantling service is one of the offers of specialized companies, which will seriously reduce the time required to demolish the fence. Specialists will carefully and quickly disassemble the sections and support pillars. If necessary, you can contact the same company to install a new modern fence and receive a discount for a comprehensive service.
What tools and equipment are used to demolish fences?
For demolition of structures, construction tools are used: sledgehammers, nail pullers, saws, construction hammers. As well as special equipment: tractors, bulldozers, excavators. Freight transport is used to remove waste.
Photo No. 1: special equipment is used to dismantle fences - truck cranes, bulldozers, tractors
How different types of structures are dismantled: stages of work
The progress of work depends on what type of fencing needs to be dismantled. Let us describe the sequence of actions for structures frequently installed on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Final part of the work
After the fence is demolished, workers collect and remove the debris. At the request of the customer, parts of the old structure are stored on the site. Then the area is prepared for the installation of new fencing.
Do-it-yourself fence dismantling
Dismantling a fence yourself takes a lot of time. In addition, you will need a tool to remove parts of the fence and a vehicle to remove debris.
What tools and equipment are needed
At the first stage, sections are removed. To disassemble sheets of corrugated sheets, use a drill-screwdriver, brick fences - a hammer drill and a sledgehammer. You may also need:
- nail pullers;
- hacksaw and saw;
- keys and screwdrivers.
Special equipment that can be rented speeds up the dismantling of fences. So, to remove pillars from the ground, machines with metal cores are used. To remove supports, the end of the chain is fixed on a pole, the second - on a puller. Check the reliability of the fastening and start the lever.
Where to start?
Dismantling the old fence takes place in several stages. The sequence of actions depends on design features structures. Initially, it is necessary to assess the volume and complexity of the activities and examine the existing infrastructure. The process takes into account:
- proximity to the house and other buildings;
- the presence of plantings and buildings that may make it difficult to use equipment;
- the presence of electrical equipment and wiring on the fence - these elements are dismantled first.
Important points
When demolishing a fence, the following factors are important.
- The material from which the structure is made. Fences made of wooden picket fences and chain-link mesh are easier to dismantle than concrete and brick structures.
- Type of base. Strip foundations and concrete pillars are removed using special equipment. The supports driven into the ground are dug out manually.
Safety measures during dismantling work
When demolishing the fence, wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Be sure to wear work gloves, safety glasses and a hat. If you use welding machine, do not forget about a special mask/glasses.
Prices for fence removal
The price for fence removal depends on the type and size of the fence. In the table below we present the average tariffs for Moscow.
|
The cost of demolishing the old fence (for 1 linear meter) |
|
| Profiled sheet | |
| Wooden picket fence | |
| Euro picket fence | |
| reinforced concrete fence |
By agreement |
| Rabitz | |
| Brick |
By agreement |
| Profile sections | |
|
Prices for dismantling supports and foundations |
|
| Pillars driven into the ground |
100–150 rubles/post (at a depth of up to 120 cm) |
| Concrete supports |
150–200 rubles/post (at a depth of up to 70 cm) |
| Strip foundation | |
|
Construction waste removal |
|
| 1 car |
RUB 7,000–12,000 |
*Prices in the table are based on regional averages. They are not a public offer. You can check the cost of demolition work from the Masterovit company if you order a turnkey corrugated sheet fence or other type of fencing from us. To do this, write to a specialist using the feedback form or call by phone.