The snow storm all of us experienced here in the Milwaukee metro area this weekend actually broke an 100-year record. Most of us got 9 to 10 inches of snow, which means there’s plenty of digging to do.
Unfortunately, it’s not a good idea to restrict that digging to your car, driveway, and sidewalk. If you have a wooden fence there’s one more area of your yard that needs some serious attention.
As we discussed in “How to Care for a Wood Fence in Winter,” snow can trap moisture next to your wooden fence. It’s harder for your fence to dry out when you’re letting snow pile next to it and on top of it.
An oil based stain can certainly help, and if you did this task this summer you’ve got a bit of leeway. But on the whole, your wooden fence is going to be healthier if you take the time to get the snow off of it and away from it.
Obviously, be safe and stay warm. Don’t hurt yourself trying to dig out your fence. Take breaks, and go in periodically for a hot drink. Stay bundled up and warm.
But as you get time, do take the time to remove the snow, so that your fence can breathe. Hopefully this will be our last major snow storm of the season, and you won’t have to do too much more of this in the future.
Fortunately, northern white cedar fences are relatively maintenance free. They need their dig out in the winter, and they need their cleaning once a year and their staining once every two years.
The ground is all frozen up now, but never fear. If you don’t have a fence yet, you can still set up an appointment with us for a free estimate so that we can build your new wooden fence
