We repair a lot of fences and decks, and the causes repeat. Weather gets the blame, but weather is only the trigger. The real causes are a handful of design and construction shortcuts that leave a fence or a deck with no margin when the weather comes. Here they are, roughly in order of how often we see them.
1. Ground moisture
Wood that touches wet ground rots. Posts set shallow in dirt, pickets sitting on the soil, deck posts on the ground instead of on footings, mulch piled against a fence. In the lake humidity it takes a few seasons. Prevention: posts in concrete crowned to shed water, a rot board under privacy fence, pickets clear of the dirt, deck posts on footings and standoffs, and the base of the fence kept clear.
2. Shallow posts and no bracing
A post that is not deep enough leans the first time something pushes on it: wind, a dog, a cow, a gate. A wire fence corner without an H-brace leans under the pull of the wire alone. Prevention: posts below the soft layer, corners and gate posts deeper, real braces on every wire fence.
3. Storms
Wind across the lake pushes on solid fence like a sail and drops pines on wire. A well-built fence takes most of it; a shallow one goes over. Prevention: everything in item two, plus tighter post spacing on exposed sites, airflow in the design where it is practical, and trees kept off the line. Insurance claim repair covers the aftermath.
4. Fastener and hardware failure
Bright nails rust and back out, pickets loosen and flap, the fence streaks. Light hinges wear and the gate drops. Electroplated deck screws corrode and boards lift. Prevention: hot-dipped galvanized ring-shank nails, coated or stainless screws, hinges sized to the gate, galvanized hangers and bases on a deck.
5. Neglect
Unstained wood dries, checks and soaks up water. A dragging gate pulls its post over. Slack wire gets slacker. Vines and brush grow into the fence. None of it is dramatic until it is. Prevention: stain every few years, walk the line twice a year, fix the small thing while it is small. Fence inspection and maintenance tips is the routine.
Decks specifically
Decks add a few of their own: a ledger board lagged into siding instead of framing, which pulls away from the house; joists undersized for the span, which bounce; boards laid tight with no gap, which hold water; stairs built without a proper stringer. Prevention: a flashed ledger lagged into framing, joists sized and spaced correctly, decking gapped, stairs and rails built to code whether or not anyone inspects. Deck construction covers how we build them.
Repair or replace
When the cause is one of the above and it is localized, repair. When the whole fence was built with the shortcut, replacing the run is usually cheaper than chasing it. What affects fence repair cost explains how we decide, and fence and gate repair covers the work.
Frequently asked questions
What fails first on a wood fence?
The posts at the ground line, then the bottom of the pickets if there is no rot board, then the gate. Rails and upper pickets usually outlast all three.
What fails first on a deck?
Fasteners and the ledger where the deck meets the house, then boards that stayed wet, then railings. Posts on good footings last longest.
Can most of this be prevented?
Yes. Deeper posts, concrete, a rot board, coated hardware, a stain schedule and a walk down the line twice a year prevent nearly all of it.