Help! My Fence is Damaged, What Are Some Temporary Quick Fixes? In Australia 2022
If your fence suffers some damage you might need to put some temporary quick fixes in place before you can arrange for it to be professionally repaired.
Your fence is (or should be) a robust, hardy structure. An effective fence will help to shield your household from strong winds and heavy rain, nosy or intrusive passers-by, pests and animals, as well as containing household pets, children and possessions within its bounds. Unfortunately, there may come a time when your fence is damaged, whether it be from a freak accident or long-standing wear and tear, your wall will need some TLC at some point. If you’re not in a financial position to replace your fence or simply don’t have the time, you may want to implement a quick fix to your damaged fence.
If your fence breaks at an inconvenient time, you may not have the resources to get it fixed professionally, or the time to get it fixed quickly enough. This is when a temporary solution is the best option for you. Remember, however, that this quick fix should only be used for a short period of time. Your fence structure being compromised for extended periods may cause more damage – for example, instead of just needing one section replaced, you’ll find yourself having to replace the entire wall. For professional fence repairs, contact Jim’s Fencing for a fast, professional service. They can help repair or replace fences with rot, impact damage, weather or climate damage, rust, and general wear and tear.
Tips and tricks
Before you begin any DIY project, make sure you are keeping yourself safe by wearing the appropriate headwear, glasses, footwear and gloves if necessary. If you are handling any sharp or dangerous objects, do so with the utmost care. Make sure to clear areas around the fence of any debris. It’s advisable to get the assistance of a friend or family member, just in case anything is to go wrong.
Help! There’s a hole in my fence!
Having a hole in your fence is likely the most manageable issue to temporarily fix yourself. All you need to do is patch it with a suitable material. This can be scrap wood lying around your house, scrap metal, mesh, or even thick cardboard or plastic. Consider your situation before choosing your material – cardboard would probably not work with a large dog, as they could easily tear through that. Also, if it’s winter, cardboard would not hold up well under constant rain. Also, be wary when using scrap metal that it doesn’t have any sharp edges that children could scrape themselves on. Patch your hole by stapling or nailing the material to the existing fence structure.
Help! One of my fence posts is broken!
The posts help keep the entire structure secure – this is definitely an issue that will need replacing by a professional. In the meantime, you want to support the broken post to not put more pressure on other parts of your fence and cause more damage. You can put a metal or wooden take into the ground next to the broken post and then tie the post to the stake for more support. You can also drive several smaller stakes into the soil around the unstable one, creating a bit of stabilising shell to keep it in place. This will only hold it for a short while, and it may not be a possibility if you have rough children or large animals you know will knock into the post.
Help! My gate is sagging!
Garden gates can, unfortunately, begin to sag from old age and wear and tear. When they sag, it can make the bottom of the gate scrape against the ground, and one side of the latch does not match up with the other for it to be able to lock. As with all issues, this will get worse if not fixed hastily. To temporarily get your gate working as intended, you can purchase an anti-sag gate kit from Amazon or hardware stores. These come with corner brackets and a cable – you install one bracket into the top left, and the other into the bottom right and attach the line taut enough to get the gate slightly lifted to be back in its correct position. This simple fix requires tools and a semi-decent DIY capability, so if you don’t feel like mucking around with screwdrivers and measurements, it may be easier just to get it fixed right away.
Help! My fence rail is broken!
Your fence post or pickets are vertical; the fence rails are horizontal and help to keep all the posts in place. As with all the fixes listed above, the solution to this one will not weather extreme conditions, and it should be fixed by a professional sooner rather than later. However, for your current solution, you should be able to find a rail bracket that fits the style or size of your fence. You line up the rail or a replacement spare piece of wood against the posts, secure with the brackets on either side and drill into place. You’ll definitely need another set of hands for this one to hold the wood in the correct position while you drill it.
