Five Simple Ways to Prepare Your Fence for Winter
Our deer fence system requires little to no maintenance, but there are a few things you can do each fall to help your fence last longer.
Walk your fence line. Check for any damage especially at the top and bottom. Check the top where tree limbs may have fallen or any sagging fence. The bottom is another common place for damage. Make sure the fence is tight to the ground and no critters have tried to lift or dig under the fence. If you have an all poly fence, check for rodent and lawn maintenance damage along the bottom. If you fence is more than 5 years old or has a lot of sun exposure, check that all of your zip ties are in good shape.
Fallen tree limb on poly deer fence with cable support.
2. Remove summer vines and fall leaves. Fall is the perfect time to clean up anything that has been growing up your fence all summer. You can simply cut the base of any weeds and or vines that have been using the fence as a growing medium. No need to remove them from the fence, just let them die off and by spring they should have fallen back to the ground. Take care to remove any fallen leaves that build up along the bottom of the fence.
3. Check all gates. Make sure all of the gate latches are working properly and that the gate hinges are tight. Also check that the fence is well secured to the gate frame. You may also tighten up the tension leveling cable if needed. If you have a cane bolt, be sure that it is secure in the receptacle.
Detail of double gate corner and hinge.
4. Inspect termination points. Examine all termination points of the fence to make sure everything is secure. Check that all brace pipe are secured and haven’t shifted. If cables need tightening, adjust them using the gripple at the end post location.
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5. Examine cables. Over time, the cable can stretch and become less tight than when it was installed. Check to see if any cable supports need to be tightened. To tighten, hold the gripple in one hand and use a multi-tool pliers in the other hand to pull the cable back towards the fence line. This will tighten the cable the same way it was tightened during the original installation.
Gripple used to secure and tighten cable.