How To Mend Splintering Sections Of Your Wooden Fence

Are parts of your wooden fence getting rough and splintery? You don't want to just leave them like that, since you and your guests may get splinters in your hands if you touch the fence. Yet, it seems silly to replace an entire fence rail just because the wood is getting a little rough in some places. With these instructions, you can smooth the splintery sections in just one day.

Gather your materials:

• Coarse grit and fine grit sandpaper
• Protective gloves
• Wood putty in the same color as your fence
• Matte polyurethane spray (this must be matte – glossy varieties will look obvious when applied to your fence)
• A damp cloth

Directions:

Your first step is to sand down the rough areas of the fence. Use the coarse grit sandpaper first, followed by the finer grit paper. Sand with the grain of the wood, since this will help you avoid removing too much wood from the fence. When you're done sanding a section, wipe it down with a damp cloth to make sure all of the wood dust has been removed from it.

Let the sanded and wiped-down sections of your fence dry for about an hour. Then, apply wood putty to any areas where the wood is pitted or has dings. These areas tend to develop rough splinters if left unaddressed, and filling them with wood putty will prevent this from happening.

Many formulas of wood putty are now fast-drying, so you should be able to get back to work in just an hour or two. Do make sure the wood putty is dry before proceeding. If the putty is not flush with the wooden beam, you can wait until it dries and then use sandpaper to smooth it out so it's less obvious.

Once the wood putty has dried, take your can or spray polyurethane sealer and spray the sections of the wood that you previously sanded and filled. If you chose matte polyurethane, the spray should dry without a sheen, and it should not be obvious that only some areas of the fence have been treated. The polyurethane protects the splintery areas of your fence so they don't become splintery again.

If your fence seems to be developing a lot of splintery sections, you may want to repeat this process every year. Identify and treat all of the splintered sections before they get too bad, and your fence will not only look better, but will also be safer. If it's time for a replacement, you can contact a local wood fencing contractor, such as Buyrningwood Farm Inc, for information.