Clearance under fence boards

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 damaged section. Note the significant rot on the right.

Fence section with damaged board ends.

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 the whole damage section between posts. It is a lot easier to replace everything at once rather than try to fit individual boards.

New boards installed. Even gap of about 1 inch left under the replacement fence.

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.

Dirt has been moved away from bottom of the fence. This yard needed some additional work for surface water management.