Summer feels like the perfect time to decorate your garden with sparkling fairlights and colorful hanging baskets – but you can cause damage worth thousands of pounds.
A fencing expert has shared how hanging decorative objects can cause serious structural damage over time – but there are some ways to prevent this.
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Dale Smith, founder of Face Guru, an Australian fence supplier, experienced the costly consequences of well -intentioned decoration decisions.
What seems to be a harmless decoration could actually affect the structural integrity of your fence, which leads to expensive repairs that homeowners never see.
He said, “People love personalizing their outdoor areas, and I completely understand that.
“However, you do not recognize that most residential fences are simply not designed for the additional weight and stress that is accompanied by hanging decorations.”
Expensive damage
The vertical posts and horizontal rails work together to withstand wind loads and their own weight. Adding decorations, however, changes this sensitive balance.
He added: “If you hang string lights, planters or decorative mirrors on your fence, you insert weight that the structure should never process.
“Even light objects lead to stress points that worsen over time.”
Popular decorative options such as slopes of baskets, filled with soil and plants that can weigh several kilograms in water, make the problem particularly acute.
The hanging planter deliver several problems beyond weight.
The constant moisture by irrigation can penetrate into fence boards, especially at fixed points at which holes were drilled.
This moisture creates perfect conditions for putrefaction and mold, especially in wood fences.
String lights may seem harmless, but their weight in combination with wind resistance creates a constant drawing power along the fence line.
In the case of storms or strong winds, this voltage multiplies dramatically and may tear completely fixed fixes of posts or snaps.
Fortunately, there are four ways to protect your fences.
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How to prevent damage
Instead of fully giving up their decoration rooms, Dale proposes these safer approaches that protect their fence:
1. Use free -standing plant supports
Install separate contributions or tripods near your fence to hang baskets and planters.
This gives them the visual influence without inappropriating their fence.
2. Install dedicated wall clips
If you have a brick or a rendered wall nearby, instead, assemble heavy decorations.
Masonry can handle weights that would damage wooden fences.
3. Build a simple pergola
A basic pergola structure can support string lights and hanging decorations and at the same time give your property added value.
4. Select fence -friendly lighting
Solar pile lights or LED strips that attach with removable clips, distribute the weight evenly and avoid voltage points.
Warning sign, your fence is under stress
Dale Smith, founder of Face Guru, recommends checking your fence every month for these treacherous signs of decorative damage:
- Leans or tipping posts – especially after windy weather noticeable
- Loose or rattling fence boards – Find gaps between the panels
- Sections – fence lines that no longer appear straight
- Visible moisture damage – dark spots or weaknesses around hanging objects
- Loose fixations – screws or nails that seem to move away from the wood