The wintertime can bring an overwhelming amount of snow to your yard. One of the most critical parts of your yard to protect from the detrimental effects of a pure-looking blanket of snow is your fencing. Typically, fences made of vinyl and aluminum materials are more resilient against the moisture from snow than fences made of wood.
That being said, there is still room for damage to occur to your aluminum and vinyl fencing. One of the primary sources of damage occurs from the moisture that builds up from snow around the base of your fencing posts. This moisture can disrupt the integrity of the concrete holding your posts in place and provide an ideal environment for mold/fungi to grow in the soil surrounding your fence posts. Given the extent of vulnerability that snow can bring to the strength of any fencing, some steps ought to be taken to protect your fencing throughout any severe winter weather.
Preventative Measures
Some preventative measures can be very helpful in protecting your fencing upfront when you are expecting an onslaught of snow in the forecast soon. These measures can be straightforward and can still positively affect the attempt to keep your fencing safe. For example, you can remove any dead branching from trees or bushes that lie directly above your fencing. When snow lands on these branches, in particular, it can easily weigh them down and either dump a good deal of snow on your fencing or cause the branches themselves to break and strike your fence. By making sure to trim the dead branching of your trees and bushes that can damage your fence from the added pressure of snow, you can easily save yourself from having to repair or replace sections of your fence.
Another preventative measure you can take to keep snow safely off of your fence is laying tarps over your fencing before heavy snowfall. This easily separates your fence from the snow and its moisture and also allows you to readily remove the snow that falls on the edges of your lawn.
What to Do After Snow
Removing snow from around your fencing can be a little more tricky than shoveling it off of your driveway or pavement walkways around your yard. There are some essential things to consider when trying to remove snow and ice from right around your fence.
To avoid damage to your fence, one major tip is using a plastic shovel instead of a metal shovel. A metal shovel can easily damage your fencing posts due to the nature of the metal material. Furthermore, whenever possible, you should avoid shoveling the area around your fencing aggressively as you would typically shovel the snow located somewhere like your driveway. This will also aid in your attempt to prevent careless damage to your fence posts.
Another major piece of advice for ineffective snow and ice removal around your fencing is to use noncorrosive salts specifically to break down any sturdy ice built up around your fence. By using noncorrosive salts, you will be able to more easily remove any ice present while also preventing the metal material of your fence from being broken down at all.
How to Skillfully Maneuver Your Snow Removal
An additional evident difficulty in removing snow from around your fencing compared to shoveling it from an open area is the added maneuvering necessary to protect your fence. When shoveling snow from around your fence, be sure always to pile up the snow a significant distance from the fence. If you pile it up against the fence posts, this can add pressure to the fence and make it prone to damage.
Also, be sure not to create too hefty of piles of snow once you remove it from the area surrounding your fencing. Spread out the banks to reduce the amount of moisture soaked up by the grass and soil beneath the piles.
Some Snow Removal Secrets
A few life hacks can assist you immensely when you are working on clearing your lawn of excessive amounts of snow. After digging the snow away from the fence, you can use an instrument such as a leaf blower to disperse the snow built up around the fence posts. One massive benefit of using the leaf blower over a standard snowblower is that the leaf blower is much smaller and easier to handle when dispersing snow. Make sure to get a leaf blower that has high ratings, as it will need to be significantly powerful to push some layers of snow further away from your fencing. Take care not to aim the snowblower at the fence, though. Use the space you have dug out from your fence to blow the snow away from it.
Another well-kept secret involving shoveling snow from your yard is the power of cooking oil. When using a plastic shovel (as opposed to a metal shovel that can damage your fencing), you can first spray all surfaces of the shovelhead with cooking spray. This layer of cooking spray will ensure that any snow picked up by the shovel will slide right off when you are dumping it into a pile away from your fence. Using this hack will certainly reduce the amount of time you spend knocking off any residual snow sticking to the shovel between scoops.
The Battle Against Winter Weather
Though the process of preventing snow from damaging your fence and removing snow from around your fence can seem to be extremely daunting, with proper preparation, you can make sure that you are ready to battle any amount of snow that comes your way during the winter weather season. Remember the importance of keeping snow and its moisture away from the concrete base of your fence posts to prevent damage at a vulnerable area and any mold/fungi growth. Also, be sure to implement the variety of strategies others have used in their snow removal to make your life easier when you tackle whatever problems winter weather may potentially cause for the well-being of your lawn and fencing.
If winter weather has damaged your fence, fear not. You can always buy fencing supplies from Fencing Direct at low prices.
