The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Purchasing Windbreak Netting

Nature is always going to do its thing, but it sure would be nice if it left our fences out of it. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can protect your garden fencing against the brutality of nature and ensure that your fencing remains intact. In this comprehensive guide to windproof fencing, we'll break down the best types of fences for wind resistance as well as what to do if yours has blown down.

Windproof fencing needs to allow for wind to pass through it with ease. Fence designs that incorporate gaps allow for wind to disperse through them, thus reducing the pressure put upon the panels.

Whichever type you choose, it's important that you source strong fencing posts from a reputable supplier who can provide you with a reliable guarantee.

If your garden is particularly prone to exposure to the elements, there are some extra precautions that you need to consider. It's worth considering hiring a local fencing contractor to help you install your fence for maxmium reliability.

Post anchoring and spacing

It's generally recommended that you have 2ft (60cm) of your fence post buried beneath the ground to ensure efficient stability. However, if the wind is a particular concern in your area, then you should secure your posts a little deeper than this for extra protection (up to half the total length of the fence post). Digging such deep, narrow holes can be a pain, but Postsaver Post Hole Digger is designed specifically for posts of a 6-inch diameter, allowing you to remove exactly what you need with limited backfill.

It's also a good idea to keep the space between your fence posts to a minimum if your garden is particularly prone to gale-force winds. Between 4-6 feet is ideal if your garden and panelling allow for it.

Gravel boards

Gravel boards can also help to provide an extra layer of stability against wind and seasonal movements. These concrete or wooden boards sit in between your fence panels and the ground beneath, which also helps to protect your fence panels from moisture damage and rot caused by direct contact with the wet ground.

It's important to cut holes in your gravel boards to allow wildlife such as hedgehogs to roam freely and travel between gardens. You can fix these wildlife corridors with frames such as our Hedgehog Highway, which add a creative flare to your garden whilst helping to support local wildlife.

Loose and wobbly fence posts can threaten the structural integrity of your entire fence and make it particularly vulnerable to wind damage.

Are you interested in learning more about Court Fence? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

To fix this issue, you first need to identify the point of weakness in your fence post. Can you see signs of rot in your post? Or perhaps a piece of hardware such as a bolt or nail has come loose? It could also be loose soil in the ground, or that your fixing foam or concrete is no longer anchoring your post efficiently.

Even if the damage seems minimal, these small points of failure have a tendency to snowball into larger problems that can cause your whole fence to come loose or fall down. It's important that you catch these issues early so that you can reinforce your fence and ensure that it retains its structural stability.

Reset your posts

If the fence post itself shows no sign of damage, the issue could be with the anchoring of your post in the ground. If your post is fixed in soil or soft ground, you may simply need to dig around the post and re-apply fixing foam or concrete to secure it in place.

Use a post spirit level to straighten your post into the right position before you secure it in place.

If your fence has already succumbed to high winds and you're wondering how to go about repairing it, there are some important things to consider. For more advice, visit our page on Fence Repair Following High Winds.

Insurance and guarantees

Most building and home insurance policies will cover some level of protection against damaged garden structures such as gates, fences and sheds. Generally, these policies will cover the cost of repairs required from unexpected events like fire and vandalism, however, damage from high winds and storms is often not included.

If you are lucky enough to have a policy that includes fence damage caused by storms/extreme weather, you'll have to make sure that your fencing is properly maintained for your claim to be accepted. It's always best to check the details of your plan with your specific insurance provider and to keep hold of any receipts of items you may need to use in your claim.

Nowadays, most suppliers will also offer guarantees or warranties for the fencing that you purchase from them. These typically mean that if your fence or post is damaged due to a design and manufacturing defect, the supplier will replace the item free of charge. If you believe that your fencing has been damaged due to a design or manufacturing defect, get in touch with your supplier.

Repairs

If your fence is salvageable and has simply come loose during high winds, you can repair the damaged areas and secure it back in place.

Replace any broken panels or boards and reattach any displaced components. Use screws instead of nails where possible to ensure that they stay in place in the future, and tighten any existing screws that may have come loose. Once you have your fence back in place, it's a good idea to re-treat your posts and panels to protect them from future water damage.

You can purchase concrete or metal post repair spurs, which provide a solution to posts that have succumbed to rot at the base. These are short posts that bolt into your post and anchor into the ground next to it. These may be ideal if you're planning to replace your fence in the future but want to ensure that it stays intact until you get around to it.

So there you have it - everything you need to know when it comes to windproof fencing! None of us want the hassle and costs of having to repair or replace a blown-down fence, but sometimes mother nature gets the better of us. Luckily, there are things that you can do to amend your garden fence when things go wrong, as well as ways to protect against damage occurring in the future. Prevention is better than cure, as they say, so it's always a good idea to regularly inspect and maintain your garden fence, as well as repair any damages promptly to prolong its lifespan.