Fence Weather Treatment in Lubbock, TX

Why does an older Lubbock fence dry out so fast?

Low humidity, hard sun and wind that never quits pull the moisture and the natural oils out of unsealed wood faster here than almost anywhere in Texas. Ultraviolet light breaks down the surface fibers, which is what turns the boards silver-grey. Dust blown against the fence works like fine sandpaper. Then a storm drops an inch of rain in an hour, the dry boards swell, and a week later they shrink back. Every cycle opens the checks a little wider and backs the fasteners out a little further.

A fence that has baked through a few summers without a seal is still mostly good wood. It has lost its protection, and that is what weather treatment puts back.

Repair first, then seal

Sealing a broken board only preserves the break, so we do not treat a fence until it is sound. Before the treatment goes on:

• Loose pickets are re-fastened to the rails, and boards that have split through or cupped badly are replaced with cedar.
• A post that moves at the ground comes out and a steel post goes in.
• Rails that have pulled away from the posts are tied back in.
• Gates are squared and re-hung so they stop dragging.

Most of this is small work, but it is the difference between a fence that looks good for a few years and one that looks good until the next windy day. If the list of repairs runs long, see what a full wood fence repair involves; it is the same crew either way.

What the treatment does

After repairs, the fence is cleaned to strip the grey surface and the dust, then left to dry. The crew then works an oil-based treatment into the wood. It is the same product line we use on new fences, but on weathered wood the prep is the job: thirsty old cedar drinks the oil in, and a board that soaked up rain in the morning will bead it off by the next afternoon. The color evens out, the checks stop spreading and the fence stops shedding fasteners.

We use Wood Defender fence stain in nine colors: Cedar Tone, Redwood, Leatherwood, Oxford Brown, Desert Sand, Rustic Oak, Sierra, Sable Brown and Coffee Brown. The darker tones do the most to hide the patchiness of an old fence.

Is the fence worth treating?

Treatment works on a fence that still has solid posts and rails. During the free in-town estimate Blake pushes on every post, checks the rails where they meet the posts and tells you straight whether the fence is worth sealing or whether the money is better spent on a new section or a replacement. A treated fence usually comes out looking years younger at a fraction of the cost of a rebuild, and it is the right call more often than people expect when they first look at a grey fence.

Timing and the next coat

Spring and fall are the easy seasons, but the treatment goes on any dry, mild day, and Lubbock has plenty of those. Plan on another coat in a few years; runs that face south and west will tell you first. Keep an eye on the gate and the top rail, which take the most sun. The hub page for staining and weather treatment covers how the two jobs fit together.

Mention our website and save 5% on the repair work (up to $200, repairs only). Open seven days a week, 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Call (806) 535-5351 or ask for a free in-town estimate on the fence as it stands.