As the snow comes down this winter people will start reaching for rock salt to de-ice their driveways and walks. The city will be reaching for it too: snow plows and snow blowers will spread it just about everywhere.
You might be wondering whether or not the salt can damage your fence. After all, it’s been known to damage cars, plants, soil, and more. It’s pretty caustic stuff!
The answer depends largely on the type of fence that you have.
If you have a vinyl fence or an aluminum fence there’s just no cause for concern. Neither type of fence will take any damage from the rock salt whatsoever. In fact, a vinyl fence with no gaps can be a nice salt shield for the rest of the plants in your landscape.
However, a cedar fence will take some damage from the salt. Salt can dry it out, cause it to crack, and discolor it a great deal.
Thus, if you have a fence that’s facing high-salt areas (like the road) you might want to take some steps to protect it. For example, you might want to cover that particular section of fence with burlap on days where heavy snow is expected.
Burlap isn’t the best landscaping visual feature to be sure. But it will help you keep your fence beautiful for the times of year when you’re spending time outdoors, looking at it.
You might also think about reducing your own salt usage. Shovel before you salt, and turn to alternatives like sand if you can. Your lawn and plants will thank you for this in the summer, too.
Winter can be a bit rough on fences. But with a little time and care you can make sure that yours survives just fine.
We install fences, pergolas, and gazebos in Menomonee Falls, Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, and the rest of the Milwaukee metro area. We install until the ground gets too frozen to do it, so contact us today for a free estimate on your new fence.
