A cedar post fence is a great investment, one which pays ample dividends over many years. In return, it only requires a minimal amount of care. The following tips outline the easy steps to follow for maintenance. Think of them as a guide to getting the most out of your new fence.
- Once a year or so, give your beautiful cedar post fence the care it deserves. Mix a few gallons of water with a cup or so of mild dish detergent and a dash of common household bleach. Apply the solution with a garden sprayer or a soft-bristled brush and bucket. Then rinse the surface with a garden hose and let it dry in the sun. Make sure to do small areas at a time so the cleaning mixture doesn’t dry on your fence. A more effective idea might be to purchase special cleaners for cedar lumber, which are available at many home improvement stores; these cleaners/brighteners contain oxalic acid, which is extremely effective on cedar and redwoods.
- About every three to five years, apply a sealant to your cedar post fenceto give it an extra degree of resistance to rain and other forms of moisture. Be sure to follow the directions on the sealant container – some of them require multiple coats while others will bubble or blister if a second coat is applied. Sealing your fence won’t take long, and it offers outstanding results, reinforcing cedar’s already formidable water-shedding properties.
- Keeping the area around your fence looking its best means weeding the ground alongside and beneath it. This will keep it safe from stains and splotches caused by plant-based acids. This advice applies only to weeds, of course. It’s perfectly fine to plant flowers, shrubs, and grass around your cedar post fence. In fact, this is a great way to enhance its beauty.
- After prolonged heavy rains (the kind San Antonio gets on rare occasions) or if your fence is often in the shade, you will want to give your fence a periodic look-over to make sure that no mold or mildew has formed on its surface. If it has, then remove it by adding a small amount of common household bleach or oxalic acid to a gallon or two of warm water. Apply this to the affected area and scrub it with a stiff bristled brush. This is a task that rarely needs to be done with cedar wood, but it’s good to know how to do it so you can keep your fence in top condition.
American Fence & Deck takes pride in its reputation as the finest deck and fence builder in South Texas. Call us today for a free quote.
