Checking on the condition of your fences this month may not be the first thing on your mind, but it’s worth doing.
It makes sense on both cost and security grounds.
First of all it’s often possible to repair minor damage or wear and so extend the life of the fence if you catch problems early. A small repair cost now means you get much more out of your original investment and don’t need to come up with the funds for a full replacement.
Tips on what to look for
What are the sort of problems you should look for? It depends on the material and type of fence of course (timber, palisade, weldmesh etc) but it’s mostly down to common sense.
Anything loose – be it a post, a panel or a fixing – should be dealt with. If it’s not fixed early a slight wobble will only get worse, and eventually the affected sections of the fence will probably fail. It may happen with the next high wind.
Think how many times you see an otherwise reasonable looking fence leaning over or with sections completely collapsed. Small repairs at an earlier stage would usually have prevented this.
A good fence will last for many years – decades sometimes – but it will last for even longer with a bit of prudent attention along the way.
Improved security and safety
The second benefit of regular maintenance checks is improved security and safety for your premises. It’s not only a legal responsibility but is an issue that can affect your insurance premiums too.
There are good reasons for keeping fences and boundaries well repaired, including keeping out intruders and stopping young people from wandering into potentially dangerous areas.
Given this responsibility, you can save yourself cost and bother with some sensible good housekeeping at the perimeter. That includes keeping undergrowth under control and pruning back overhanging branches as well as watching out for any damage occurring in the fence fabric itself.
If you have an electric security fence it’s important to keep foliage clear to avoid the risk of nuisance alarms; the same goes for removing wind-blown litter, plastic bags etc. In our experience an electric security fence is a great deterrent (Orchard installs the PulseSecure system). But look after your investment – routine care will keep it working trouble-free.
Keeping your fence-line in smart order also sends a powerful signal to would-be criminals that your site is well cared-for and therefore probably secure. A shabby perimeter sends exactly the opposite message: ‘if they can’t even be bothered to keep their fence repaired they probably don’t worry much about the alarms and CCTV either&hellip’
So if you have invested in a security fence, then it’s really important to keep an eye out for damage of all kinds. Has somebody deliberately created a break in the fence? Could they be intending to come back when the site is quiet? You won’t know if you don’t look.
Good timing
And a final point to think about. Now is a really good time to make a quick inspection, as one of the worst weather periods for years comes (we hope) to an end. Bad weather and waterlogged ground are no friend to fences, and you probably haven’t been tempted to spend much time walking the perimeter over winter so damage may have occurred that you didn’t notice.
But go out now and take stock before the spring undergrowth starts to cover things up – with better weather ahead it will be the perfect time to put things right.
