Fence Post Repair and Fence Repairs in Southampton

Repairs Ashley takes on

Most fence repairs fall into a handful of jobs, and many fences need more than one of them at once. A storm that blows out a panel often reveals the post beside it was already soft, and a sagging gate is frequently a symptom of a gate post that has started to move. On the visit, Ashley looks at the whole stretch so you know what is failing and what still has years left.

• A single snapped or rotten post
• One or more panels blown out or split
• Gravel boards rotted or broken at the base
• Close board rails and boards come loose
• A run leaning towards a neighbour or the lawn
• A side or garden gate that sags or will not latch

Replacing a snapped or rotten post

Timber posts tend to fail at ground level, where the wood stays damp. Replacing one means taking down the panels either side, breaking out the old post and its base, setting a new post to the same line and height as its neighbours, and refitting the panels. It is careful work, because a post set even slightly out shows along the whole fence.

Where one timber post has gone, those of the same age are often close behind, so the others are checked at the same time.

Refitting or replacing blown panels

If a panel has blown out in the wind but survived in one piece, it can usually be refitted into sound posts with new fixings. A panel that has split or warped is swapped for a new one of matching size. New timber will look fresher than weathered panels beside it at first, and this usually evens out as it weathers.

Gravel boards and rails

A gravel board is the plank at the base of a fence that keeps the panel off the soil. When it rots, the panel above sits in the damp and starts to fail too. Replacing rotten gravel boards early protects the rest of the fence. On close board fencing, loose or broken rails are renewed so the boards stay fixed and straight.

Straightening a leaning run

A fence that leans along its length usually has posts that have moved or rotted at the base. Pushing it upright and propping it rarely lasts. The cure is to deal with the posts holding it, which may mean resetting some and replacing others, so the whole stretch stands true again.

Gates that sag

A sagging gate is often blamed on the gate itself, but the hinge post is frequently the cause. If it has moved, rehanging the gate on the same post will not help for long. Ashley checks the posts, hinges and frame, and either rehangs, repairs or rebuilds the gate so it swings and latches properly.

When a repair isn't worth it

If several posts along the run are rotten, the panels are failing in different bays, or the fence has been repaired again and again, a new fence is usually better value than another round of repairs. You may also want to change to concrete posts or close board fencing on an exposed boundary. Our guide to repairing or replacing a fence explains how to judge it, and the fencing page covers full replacement.

What happens on the day

Before work starts, it helps to know which side of the boundary is yours, and to have spoken to your neighbour if the fence is shared. Clear plants and pots away from the fence line where you can. On the day, the damaged section is taken down, the posts dealt with, and the panels, boards and rails refitted. Old timber and broken post bases are cleared away and the area is left tidy.

Local fence repair, without replacing the whole run

When people search for fence repairs near them, the worry is usually that a small problem will be turned into a quote for a whole new fence. A snapped post, a blown panel or a sagging gate is often a repair, and Ashley says so when it is. Where the rest of the run is failing too, you get that honestly as well, with the repair and replacement costs explained side by side so you can choose.

Fence replacement only makes sense when the structure along the run has genuinely reached the end. Our guide to repair or replace sets out how to judge it before you spend anything.

Repairing close board fencing

Close board fences repair well because they are built from separate parts. A split board, a failed rail or a rotten gravel board can be swapped on its own, and the repaired section blends back into the run as it weathers. If you are considering a new close board fence rather than more repairs, the close board page explains how it is built.