We recommend that in order to keep your fence looking good for many years that you apply a good quality stain as soon as possible after the wood has dried sufficiently. For additional information on finishing read this guide. [2.8MB, PDF format]

When a cedar fence goes gray it is an indication that the surface of the wood is decaying. Left this way you will still get many years of enjoyment but eventually the sun wind and rain will cause your fence to fail. To extend it’s life without adding color, simply apply a good quality water repellant. Depending on the brand chosen, some can be applied right away while others require a few weeks of drying first. This small step will add many more years of enjoyment without changing the character of the graying wood

Cedar is a very expensive wood. The only way to make a very low cost panel is to use very thin boards and cheaper methods of assembly. If you only have a short term need for a fence, perhaps this is suitable for you but if you expect more than a few years of useful service, you will be disappointed. Simply put larger profile, thicker boards and in particular rough material will just last longer and look better along the way. We use Jumbo posts for all our fences and in styles where kick boards are used, we recommend 2x6 to minimize sagging. Both these items are more costly but provide a better structure to build on.

Before you can stain weathered wood, you must clean and prepare the surface to accept and hold the stain or paint. There are many good exterior strippers on the market, just visit your nearest building supply yard to see what’s available in your area. Remember to use a wood brightener after you’ve stripped your cedar fence, this will reinvigorate the wood surface to avoid a washed out look.

See above for finishing tips and recommendations but one thing you can do to keep your fence structurally sound for a long time is to simply keep grass and other vegetation away from the bottom of your fence. Allowing the bottom of your fence to dry out and not stay in constant contact with ground moisture will add many years of useful service to your fence. It’s amazing how many 10 year old fences we come across where 75-80% of the fence is just fine but the bottom 6” has rotted away.

Unless specifically stated all of our fencing jobs follow established guidelines to provide our customers with a quality installation. All post holes are dug approximately 2ft. deep and posts are installed with a minimum 1.5 bags or equivalent of concrete. We only use pressure treated posts and kick boards (where applicable) and all fasteners are hot dip galvanized or stainless steel. Post tops are trimmed as required and exposed posts are fitted with post caps.