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Clearance under fence boards

5/12/2017

13 Comments

 
Replacing some fence boards this spring? As I discussed last week, rot often occurs at the ends of fence boards due to prolonged contact with the earth. Dirt is great at retaining moisture in the Northwest and prolonged contact with moisture containing earth is a guarantee that your fence will rot prematurely.

Close up of rotting fence board
Close up of damaged section. Note the significant rot on the right.
Fence section with damaged board ends.
Fence section with damaged board ends.
Rotting fence boards. Rot caused by contact with moisture retaining dirt.
Dirt retains moisture which leads to rot in wood contacting the earth.
As you can see from these pictures, this fence section needs some work. The board ends have been buried by dirt for a few years and are slowly rotting away from the bottom.
Easiest fix for this problem?

1. Remove the old damage fence boards. Easiest to do a whole section at once.
2. Remove excess dirt and earth from the fence line. Earth movement caused by water can be a challenge. You will often need to remove dirt and re-slope the yard to provide a relief gap under the fence.
3. Measure and cut replacement boards. Plan for about an inch gap under the fence. By leaving the gap you will help prevent future water damage to the wood. This will help avoid premature rot of the replacement boards.
Remove all damaged boards at once. Image of board replacement process.
Remove the whole damage section between posts. It is a lot easier to replace everything at once rather than try to fit individual boards.
Replacement boards on fence with a gap left under for dirt clearance.
New boards installed. Even gap of about 1 inch left under the replacement fence.
1 inch gap between replacement fence board and ground.
Plan on a gap of about 1 inch to allow for clearance and avoidance of water being in contact with the board in the future.
Fence boards with 1 inch gap and yard landscaping to keep dirt away from board ends.
Dirt has been moved away from bottom of the fence. This yard needed some additional work for surface water management.
13 Comments

Fence damage caused by contact with dirt

5/5/2017

 
Fence board ends buried in dirt.
Fence board ends buried in dirt. Evidence of prolonged moisture contact with rot and moss growth.
Ever hear the advice to keep dirt away from the bottom of your fence boards? There is definitely a reason to keep a clear space for any piece of wood that is close to the ground. Dirt and earth in contact with the bottoms of fence boards are a perfect place for water and moisture to be in prolonged contact. 
Grass and dirt in close contact with fence boards.
These fence sections have close contact with dirt and earth. Lots of moisture retention capability in Washington state.
Fence board end buried in dirt with water damage and rot.
Board ends buried in dirt. Note all the retained moisture.
Any kind of wood in prolonged contact with moisture will eventually rot. The fence boards in these pictures had their ends buried in the dirt for the past few years. The moisture retained in the dirt has been slowly rotting away the ends.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
The middle fence board is a bit short. Rotted away from prolonged dirt contact.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
You can see the progression of the rot in the ends of these boards.
Fence board end rotting away from prolonged earth and dirt contact.
Extensive rot damage on this board. Not much holding it to the bottom rail at this point.
This fence section is fairly damaged and the affected boards need to be replaced. To prevent future damage, the homeowner should keep a clear space between the bottom of the boards and the earth. The easiest solution is to raise the replacement boards up by an inch or so on the rails. Alternatively the dirt could be removed and sloped away from the fence line. By keeping a clear space under the boards, water contact is kept to a minimum and the fence will last a lot longer.

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    Brian Jovag, owner of Jovag Home Inspection.

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