What To Pay Attention To When Inspecting A Wire Fence

Fencing plays an important role in keeping your animals within the limits of your farm. It also keeps wild animals like deer from accessing your farmland and grazing on your crops. One of the most common rural fences is a wire (barbed wire, high tensile wire or woven wire) fence. Over time, these fences weaken due to the weight of snow, the impact of animals or the effect of moisture on posts and wires. It is therefore necessary to inspect the fence frequently (for instance twice each year) and repair what has been damaged so that the fence remains effective. This article discusses the fence components you should give special attention to during your inspection.

Wire Tension

Pull on the wires lightly to find out if they are still as tense as when you installed them. If you find a section that is very loose, tighten it by using a hammer to twist a section of the wire until it is as tight as you want it to be. Also, remember to tighten the wire after it has rained. This is a time when the wire will not have expanded. If you tighten the wire during the hot weather, it will become very tight when temperatures drop and it contracts. The result of this contraction is that excessive strain will be put on the fence posts and weak ones may topple over.

Check For Rusted Wire Segments

As wire fences age, the wires start to rust due to prolonged contact with moisture and air when it rains. Cut out these rusted sections and put new wires in the sections where you have cut the rusted wire out. This will prolong the useful life of your fence.

The Fence Posts

Tug on the fence posts to establish whether they are still firmly anchored in the ground or whether they have weakened. Check for signs of termite damage (such as earth tunnels on the posts) in case you used wooded posts. Replace rotten or damaged posts before they collapse under the weight of an animal that rubs against them.

Post Staples

Check the staples securing the wires on the posts. Hammer in those that are loose and replace those that have rusted. This will prevent the wires from falling off the posts, thereby creating room for your animals to escape from their confines.

When you notice that your wire fence is too damaged to repair, contact a rural fencing company like PVC Ultimate Fencing for help.