Even if you have dedicated time to maintaining your fence, you may still find damage. If you’ve spotted some damage to your fence, it is crucial you repair it immediately to prevent the rest of your fence from collapsing, too! Whether you need to mend a fence post or fence panel, our step-by-step guide on how to repair a fence will guide you through the process.
- Before You Get Started
- How to Repair a Fence
- How to Repair a Broken Fence Post
- How to Repair Concrete Fence Posts
- How to Remove a Fence Panel or Fence Post
- Need to Replace Your Fence? Call FM Fencing
Before You Get Started
Before you begin repairing your fence, you should remember to do your research and gather all the tools and materials you need. You don’t want to start a project without having all the required equipment readily available!
We also recommend you have a quick look through our instructions before getting started so you have a vague idea of what steps come next, and you can organise your tools and materials accordingly.
Safety Comes First
Nothing is more important in a DIY project than safety. That’s why you should always wear protective gear when needed to keep yourself safe. When it comes to big projects, such as a fence post repair, we also recommend you ask for help from a friend. If needed, they can help pass you tools and hold up the fence post or panel.
Concrete can be dangerous if not handled properly. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using concrete and take extra precautions, such as washing your hands immediately after use, as wet cement can cause burns to the skin. Remember to clean any tools you have used with concrete with a clean, stiff brush!
How to Repair a Fence
If your fence has only suffered from minor damage, you can easily repair the broken panels without replacing the fence completely. One of the most common ways to repair a fence is to use arris Rail Brackets to repair a damaged arris rail. The arris rail is the horizontal beam of timber on the back side of the fencing. If you have recently had bad weather, you should check the arris rail of your fence for any damage.
There are two ways to repair this form of damage. You can either use a flanged (cut with ridges) or a non-flanged arris rail bracket. Flanged brackets are usually used to fix arris rails that have damage close to the fence post, whereas non-flanged brackets are ideal for repairing arris rails that have broken near the centre of the beam.
Made from galvanised steel, an arris rail bracket is designed to fit the post smoothly and provide support for the damage. With its pre-drilled holes, an arris rail bracket can be easily attached to existing fence posts.
If you need to repair an arris rail, you must first collect all the necessary tools and materials to get started.
Materials and Tools Needed:
- Arris Rail Bracket
- 50mm Decking Screws
- Spirit Level
- Power Drill
- Twist Bits
- Rigger Gloves
Step-by-Step Guide to Repairing a Fence
- Support the wooden fence and the broken arris rail with something. You could use concrete blocks, or it would be even better if someone could hold them.
- Place the arris rail bracket where the arris rail is damaged.
- Make sure the fence is level by using a spirit level and adjust if needed.
- Screw the arris rail bracket into position using decking screws and a drill driver. There’s no need to drill pilot holes if you are using decking screws.
- If you are using a flanged bracket, you should screw the bracket into the post as well.
- Make sure the arris rail bracket is secure, and you’re ready to go!
How to Repair a Broken Fence Post
Repairing a broken fence post requires a little more work, as most fence post repairs are due to rotting wood. The rot often starts at the bottom of the fence post as this area is buried under the ground. The moisture from the ground then seeps into the wood, causing it to rot over time.
To mend the fence post, you will need to dig it up and fit a concrete spur onto the fence post in question to repair the stability of the fence.
Materials and Tools Needed:
- Timber
- Wood Preservative
- Concrete Spur
- Coach Bolts (Carriage or Cup Square blots)
- Pre-mixed Concrete
- Panel Saw
- Digging Spade
- Timber Brush
- Spirit Level
- Hammer
- Power Drill
- Twist Bits
- Spanner
- Trowel
- Rigger Gloves
- Dust Mask
- Safety Goggles
A Guide to Fence Post Repair
- To keep the fence sturdy, support it with lengths of timber on either side as you make the repair.
- Using a shovel, dig a hole around the base of the fence post where you want the concrete repair spur to go. The hole should be about 45-60cm deep, but the deeper it is, the better.
- When you reach the rotten section of the post, use a panel saw to cut off the rotten part.
- Coat the healthy area of the fence post with a wood preservative.
- Place a concrete spur post in the hole against the old fence post.
- Brace the wooden post with wooden props made from timber, or ask a friend to help prop it up if they can. To make wooden props, simply combine two pieces of wood into an L or T shape with a spike on one end.
- Drive the props into the ground with a club hammer and screw the fence post and wooden props together to keep the post stable.
- Use a spirit level to check the fence post is level.
- Insert the coach blots through the pre-drilled holes of the concrete spur and tap them with a hammer to mark the fence post.
- Remove the concrete spur and drill holes all the way through the fence post, where you have left marks with the coach bolts. Remember to keep the drill level!
- Replace the spur and push the coach blots through the spur and post so that the tails appear on the post side.
- Attach the nuts and secure them with a spanner.
- Mix your concrete and fill the post hole by following the manufacturer’s instructions. You should generally pour enough concrete so that it is level with the ground.
- Use a trowel to smooth over the concrete a create a taper downwards so that any rain will drain away from the wooden post.
- Leave the props in place whilst the concrete sets.
- Once the concrete has set, you can remove the supporting props.
- Your fence post is now repaired!
How to Repair Concrete Fence Posts
Concrete posts are a bit trickier to repair, but it is not impossible, depending on the level of damage. If there are only small cracks and chips in the concrete fence post, you can easily patch these up with concrete grout.
This type of repair is more for looks than to restore the structural integrity of the fence post, but it will still prevent water damage and improve the post’s overall appearance.
If there is slightly more damage to the post that can’t be repaired with grout, then you could invest in a metal bracket. Similar to the arris rail bracket, this metal bracket can be used to reinforce and repair damaged posts. You can simply attach the bracket to the fence post with screws or bolts. This will improve the structural integrity of the fence post, but it may not be a permanent solution, so you should continue to keep an eye on the damaged area.
If your concrete fence post is severely damaged, it is best to replace it to prevent the whole fence from becoming damaged.
How to Remove a Fence Panel or Fence Post
If your wooden fence panel or fence post has severe damage or rotting, it may be best to replace it. To start the process, you must remove the fence panel or post. Here’s a step-by-step on the process.
Materials and Tools Needed:
- Concrete Blocks (or similar) – for leverage when using a crowbar to remove the fence post.
- Crowbar
- Hacksaw
- Claw Hammer
- Combination Pliers
- Demolition Bar
- Digging Spade
- Electrical Breaker, if needed
- Rigger Gloves
Steps to Removing a Fence Panel
- Use a crowbar to separate the side of the fence panel’s frame from the post. Leave a big enough gap so that the nails are exposed and accessible.
- Saw through the old nails with a hacksaw. Remove any nail remnants with pliers or claw hammer or hammer them into the fence.
- Repeat with the opposite end of the fence panel.
- Carefully remove the whole fence panel. You may need a friend to help you with this step.
- To replace a fence panel, check out our step-by-step guide here.
Steps to Removing a Fence Post
- Remove the fence panels as described above.
- Use a shovel to dig out the base of the fence post and remove any concrete.
- To make things easier, you can cut a notch in the fence post with a panel saw about 20cm above the ground and then lift it out using a demolition bar and some blocks for leverage.
- Place the top of the demolition bar into the notch and slowly lever it out.
- If removing the remaining concrete is hard, you can break it up with an electrical breaker.
- Now, you have a clean space to replace your fence post.
Need to Replace Your Fence? Call FM Fencing
If your fence cannot be repaired and you’re looking for a new one, why not explore our range of fences at FM Fencing? From Agricultural Fencing to Security Fencing and Gate Installation, we have something for you. Contact us today for more information!
FAQs
Who is responsible for fence repair?
You are responsible for any fence that you own. You can find out if you or your neighbour owns the fence in your house’s Title Plan or Land Registry.
Unfortunately, if you are having issues with your neighbour’s fence, they are not legally obligated to repair it, even if it is broken or damaged.
If you are a tenant, generally, the landlord is responsible for repairing any damage to fencing or gates as they are responsible for maintaining the structure of the property.
How to repair damaged fence panels?
There are two ways to repair a fence panel depending on the level of damage. If there is minor damage to the arris rails on the back of the fence panel, you could install an arris rail bracket to provide support in the damaged area.
If the damage is more extensive, you might need to replace the fence panel completely. This would mean following the steps above to remove the panel and then replacing the fence panel by following our Step-by-Step Guide to Installing a Garden Fence.
Can you repair a rotted fence post?
The short answer is yes! But this does depend on the level of rotting on the fence post. If the rotting is only minor, you can simply dig up the fence post and carefully use a panel saw to remove any rotting. Don’t forget to seal the remaining wood to ensure the rotting doesn’t return!
Following the steps above, you should install a concrete spur to maintain the fence post’s structural integrity.
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