Despite strong winds being necessary to cool Florida’s hot climate, it can be your worst enemy if you have a fence on your property. Knowing how to keep a fence from blowing over is vital to its longevity.
Following best practices from a St. Pete, FL, reliable fence company like Gulf to Bay Fence will help you keep your fence stay up.
1. Trim Trees
Loose tree limbs tend to break and fall in windy conditions. This can cause severe damage to your fence and other belongings. Inspect your trees regularly, and be sure to trim them to remove loose branches.
If your trees haven’t reached a dangerous size yet, you may be able to transplant them. Choose an area well away from your fencing, buildings, and vehicles.
2. Perform Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance becomes a critical aspect of owning a fence. Whether you have a wood picket fence or a chain-link fence, you need to ensure its upkeep to prevent it from blowing over.
You should inspect your fence and make necessary repairs as soon as you notice them. By taking care of your fence well before storms and high winds arise, you won’t have to make last-minute fixes in lousy weather.
Proper fence maintenance includes patching holes, sealing cracks in fence boards, and securing fence posts. Wood sealants also go far in extending longevity and protecting wood from Florida’s humidity.
3. Use Braces and Supports
Florida ranks as the number one state for hurricanes. In addition to the force of the wind and rain, waves knock over fences. Lightweight fences are especially prone to blowing over. Adding extra stakes and implementing braces can help your fence withstand wind during high-category hurricanes.
Reinforcing fences with solid materials such as concrete and metal may also be effective. Get advice on securing your vinyl fencing by Gulf to Bay Fence to ensure you do it correctly and safely.
4. Bury Fences Deeply
Fence posts must be long enough to avoid blowing over. Homeowners should bury fence posts at least three feet deep to combat Florida’s wind. The windier your area, the deeper you should plant your fence post to ensure it stays secure.
Knowing how deep to bury fence posts isn’t easy when you have different length posts. To combat full force winds and prevent leaning, fences must have an adequate burial ratio.
Another best practice for how to keep a fence from blowing over is to bury each post in a post hole a third of its length. This ensures posts are securely in the ground while the rest of your fence sits at an ideal height for withstanding significant force.
5. Secure Fence With Concrete
In addition to burying fence posts at least a third of their length, you can add extra reinforcements such as concrete. When installing or resecuring your fence, pouring concrete into the post holes will add an extra layer of durability and weight.
Concrete’s additional benefit of protecting wood from excess moisture and pests makes it a no-brainer for securing fences. However, concrete will make your fence immovable. Be sure to consider this for the future.
6. Get Durable Posts
Durable posts are vital in having a secure fence. Using the wrong posts can result in a less durable fence that blows over easily. Be sure to purchase pressure-treated wood with a waterproof sealant to prevent your fence boards and posts from rotting.
Florida’s pests also wreak havoc on fences. Wooden fence posts should have treatment for termites. You can also implement fence post guards to protect the bottom of posts from damage.
7. Remove Hazards in the Yard
Children’s toys, yard equipment, bicycles, lawn decorations, and other elements cause severe fence damage when combined with windy weather. Hurricane winds can easily sweep your outdoor belongings up against your fence, leaving physical and cosmetic damage. Removing these hazards before the wind picks up prevents this.
If removing these objects isn’t possible, securing them will also solve this problem.
8. Keep Fences Low
Short fences have less area for the wind to affect. A low fence will withstand harsh winds much better than a towering one. Additionally, the lower center of gravity will help keep it upright.
With a taller fence, you’ll need to reduce its height to keep it from blowing over. If this isn’t an option, cutting openings in tall, solid panel fences will help them become more wind resistant and avoid tipping over. The wind can pass through these openings to reduce pressure and strain on the fences.
9. Get a Windproof Fence
One of the more obvious resolutions to keep a fence from blowing over is to get a windproof fence. While there aren’t any 100% windproof options, a chain-link fence or vinyl windscreen allows wind to pass through them instead of knocking them over.
While wood fences offer excellent privacy, a steel picket fence or chain-link option has the opposite problem. Be sure to learn about area fence requirements before installing. Decide if you can tolerate less privacy for fencing that stays upright on the windiest days.
10. Contact the Professionals
When all else fails, calling the professionals to install or maintain your fence is the best option. A professional fence installer knows the best practices for when to install a fence, how to keep a fence from blowing over, and what you can do to extend its life. In addition to offering valuable information, they can perform maintenance and make repairs.
We’re your leader in fence installations, maintenance, repairs, and more at Gulf to Bay Fence in Largo, FL. When you need a fence that stands up to Florida’s high winds, we can install a durable option that withstands wind. Call our experts today at (727) 543-3434.