Colorado Springs Fence Repair: 9 Signs Your Fence Needs Professional Repairs

Your Colorado Springs home is your castle, which must mean your fence is the moat. Whether it's out front, in the back or both, it has some critically important functions that include keeping children and pets safely contained inside and blocking casual trespassers from wandering onto your property. But a fence can also be a big part of the exterior style of your property. Depending on its style and condition, it can do a lot to boost your curb appeal by making your home more attractive and welcoming—or it can turn off visitors and lower the tone of your entire property if you’re overdue for Colorado Springs fence repairs.

If your damaged fence is currently closer to the latter description, or it's deteriorated and becoming a liability, you need Colorado Springs fence repair services from a qualified local handyman. But how do you know if your property is due—or long overdue—for fence repair in Colorado Springs, CO? This guide explains some of the most common problems that indicate your fence really needs some help before it falls over from a strong wind gust.

When you notice some of the following signs on your property, get your fence back in safe, secure, appealing condition with the help of your local Colorado Springs handyman. You can depend on the team of fence repair professionals at Mr. Handyman of Colorado Springs, S. Littleton and Parker to deliver the highest standards of excellent customer service and exceptional workmanship.

Different Parts or Components of a Fence

Before we dive right into the signs that Colorado Springs fence repair services are needed, here are names for the various components of a fence, so we're all on the same page.

• Posts: Also called columns, these are the vertical parts that hold your structure up, usually buried a few feet into the ground and reinforced with a concrete footing.

• Rails: These are boards that are attached to your posts and run horizontal to the ground, usually positioned on the back of your structure.

• Pickets or Slats: These are vertical or horizontal boards that are attached to your rails and form the most visible part of your structure.

• Gate and Latch: A portal that swings open to allow entry or exit and usually latches shut. Sometimes there isn't an actual gate, just an archway or gap.

Some types of fences have additional parts such as trim, kick boards or lattice, and some types have fewer parts, such as chain link models that consist of just posts and stretches of chain link.

How to Tell If Your Property Needs Colorado Springs Fence Repair

Fences are an important part of both commercial properties and residential properties, but they have to be in good shape to keep your property secure and enhance your curb appeal. If you're aware of the symptoms that indicate you need Colorado Springs fence repair services, you can call your local handyman before the damage worsens and spreads. Here are a few common fence repair issues to be aware of:

1. Rotten Wood

Wood fences are a classic feature that symbolize Americana, whether they're white pickets or not. But as charming and attractive as wood fencing is, it does have a big weakness: wood rot, the enemy of any timber that is outdoors and exposed to the elements. Outdoor timber is so susceptible to rotting because wood rot is a form of decay that only affects wood with a moisture content of about 20% and up. That explains why timber that is kept completely dry indoors can last for well over a century while timber that is frequently soaked by rain and snow melt needs diligent maintenance to avoid rotting within a few years. That's why Colorado Springs fence repair and repairs for other outdoor structures like decks and porches often involve dealing with wood rot.

There's no way to restore rotted wood back to its former condition, so wood rot repair generally involves removing and replacing the rotten timber, then painting or staining it to match the rest of your installation and sealing it to help avoid moisture incursion in the future. That being said, if there are only a couple of minor patches of rot, your Colorado Springs handyman may be able to scrape out rotten patches and fill the holes with epoxy wood filler. Once the filler has cured, it'll be sanded down and then painted over to make your repair invisible. The best way to avoid wood rot altogether is with regular maintenance services that help restore your water-resistant sealant and prevent the moisture content of your timber from increasing.

2. Rust and Corrosion

If you have a wrought iron fence or another type of metal structure, it's going to be pretty impervious to a lot of the varieties of damage that affect other materials. If they get enough care and maintenance, they can last literally for generations. However, it is important to watch for signs of rust that can corrode and weaken the metal. Our iron fence repair strategy for corrosion is to remove the patches of rust and apply an anti-rusting sealant that will keep corrosion at bay in the future. Other types of metal structures such as a chain link fence can suffer from rust and corrosion as well.

3. Covered in Dirt and Grime

Maybe there's nothing technically wrong with your fence—aside from the fact that it's coated in a thick layer of dirt and grime that has been building up for years. Needless to say, that's going to hurt your curb appeal and give a really poor first impression to visitors. But it's not just a matter of appearance. That layer of grime also harbors harmful bacteria that eats away at the coating of sealant or paint protecting your surfaces, leaving the material underneath exposed and vulnerable to problems like wood rot and rust.

If you don't exactly relish the idea of going outside to scrub away at your structure with a brush and a bucket of soapy water, that's pretty understandable—but spraying it with a garden hose really isn't going to do the trick either. The best way to deal with built-up dirt and grime is professional pressure or power washing services. In fact, pressure washing and refinishing are two of the tasks on our Colorado Springs home repair checklist.

A pressure washer uses pressurized jets of water to blast away stubborn grime, stains and algae growth that other cleaning methods can't get rid of so easily. It's the "pressure" part that makes it so effective—these machines produce pressures that range from 750 to 3,000 psi (pound-force per square inch). That's strong enough to get oil stains off a driveway, eliminate thick moss growth and strip away peeling paint. In comparison, a garden hose delivers around 250 to 350 psi and a typical faucet is only about 40 psi.

4. Bottom is Touching Soil

Only one component of your structure should actually be touching the ground, and that's the posts. Rails and slats should be at least a few inches away from the soil, because the excess moisture from the soil and nearby vegetation will only accelerate deterioration for the structure. Over time, posts may sink or rails can weaken and break, causing slats and other parts to touch the ground. In that type of situation, your Colorado Springs fence repair handyman may be able to fix it up by securing parts that have come loose, but if they are badly rotted or corroded, or your posts are damaged, replacement is probably in the cards for a section or the entire thing.

It's also possible that your structure hasn't budged, but soil has just built up underneath it. That's a bad sign because it creates the perfect breeding ground for destructive insects like termites and carpenter ants, but it's usually pretty easily solved by simply sweeping or scooping the excess soil away until the structure is standing freely.

5. Damaged By Impact

Your fence is probably pretty close to the boundary line of your property, which means it's exposed to more than just harsh weather that might cause the need for fence repair. Colorado Springs fence repair services are definitely needed when your structure suffers damage from damage caused by factors such as a falling tree branch, vandalism or even a vehicle crash. Because it often is out in the open without shelter, sometimes very strong winds can blow slats or pickets clean off and send halfway across your lawn. If only one or two sections are crushed or otherwise damaged, your Colorado Springs handyman can likely replace just those sections. But if it's continuous or more than about 25% of the overall structure is damaged, it will probably be more cost-effective to replace it altogether.

6. Warped or Leaning Posts

The typical arrangement for most fences is that the structure is held up by posts that are partially buried in the ground and reinforced with concrete to ensure they are stable enough to support the weight. Concrete is pretty durable, but it doesn't last forever—over time, it can deteriorate and crumble apart, which naturally causes posts to wobble or lean to one side. You may also have a broken post that has been damaged by an impact or affected by decay such as wood rot that causes it to soften and break apart, compromising its ability to hold everything up. Your handyman will likely need to handle Colorado Springs fence repair by removing the damaged posts or concrete altogether and replacing them with new, strong material.

7. Difficult to Open and Close Gate

Screeeeeeech . . . if your fence gate makes that hideous, high-pitched noise every time you open it, you probably try to avoid moving it at all. Gates can be a charming and functional addition, as long as they're working correctly, and noisy gate repairs could be as simple as replacing or oiling the broken metal components such as the hinges. But if parts of the gate are broken, it's dragging on the ground, or it's warped and can't latch properly, replacement is likely the better option to get a functional, appealing entryway in place. When your gate is dragging because of a leaning post, or doesn't fit between the posts anymore because the supports are sagging, it's more of a post repair situation than a problem with the gate itself.

8. Violates Municipal Bylaws

While this might not strictly be cause for fence repair, Colorado Springs service professionals on our team can help get your fence in compliance with local bylaws. If you've received notice that your fence violates a bylaw or encroaches on municipal property, it makes sense to get it taken care of sooner rather than later so you can avoid future trouble. For example, in Colorado Springs a fence that is higher than six feet tall is considered an accessory structure and needs a building permit. It also has to be setback from the property line. If your structure is too high, we can shorten the height to get it in compliance so a permit isn't necessary, or we can relocate it by a few feet to ensure it complies with the setback rule if you are getting or already have a permit. Relocating is, however, a bigger project that involves digging up the posts and pouring new concrete footings, so new material may be necessary.

9. Want to Increase Property Value

When you're planning to put your property on the market, it makes sense to look everywhere for opportunities to raise your property value and impress potential home buyers. Colorado Springs fence repair might not increase your selling price, but fence installation definitely can. And, having a structure in great shape will help convince prospective buyers to seal the deal.

Trust Mr. Handyman for Expert Colorado Springs Fence Repair and Installation!

Whether you're in Colorado Springs or part of the surrounding area, you can rely on the team of fence experts at Mr. Handyman of Colorado Springs, S. Littleton and Parker for top-quality home remodeling, repair and maintenance services.

Pick up the phone and give us a call right now to schedule your appointment with us at a convenient time, or to find out more about why we're considered the best choice for reliable Colorado Springs handyman services.