The weather in Wichita Falls changes very fast. One day it is a 105-degree afternoon near Sheppard Air Force Base, and the next week a blue norther drops temperatures twenty degrees before lunch. A Wood Fence in a backyard experiences severe weather, and those brutal swings take a serious toll.
Wood is a natural material that reacts to extremes. During long stretches of dry heat in July and August, Wood Fence boards dry out fast. They shrink, twist, and start pulling away from the rails. Then autumn brings heavy rains that cause the wood to swell right back up. That constant expanding and contracting is what loosens posts and cracks pickets on a Wood Fence.
Dealing with Our Clay Soil
Here in Wichita Falls, we deal with heavy red clay that shifts constantly depending on how much moisture it is holding. When it rains after a dry spell, that clay swells up and pushes against everything buried in it. If your Wood Fence posts are not set deep enough into concrete, or if they lack proper drainage, that shifting soil will lean your whole fence line out of plumb.
- Dig your post holes past the frost line and deep into solid ground.
- Use plenty of concrete mix to anchor every single terminal and line post.
- Check for standing water near your Wood Fence line after a heavy thunderstorm.
Allied Fencing always notes that installation depth matters just as much as the quality of the lumber you choose for a Wood Fence. If the foundation is not locked in against our clay, the rest of the build will not survive two seasons of North Texas weather.
Year-Round Maintenance Routine
Homeowners cannot just put up a Wood Fence and walk away from it for ten years. Spring is a good time to walk the perimeter and look for loose nails or boards that warped over the winter. Tighten up hardware before summer winds start testing how sturdy your Wood Fence panels really are.
Sealing or staining is your best defense against moisture rot and UV fading for a Wood Fence. A good semi-transparent stain blocks the harsh sun rays from bleaching the cedar or pine gray, while keeping moisture from soaking deep into the grain during autumn dampness.
If you see a Wood Fence post starting to wobble or a picket splitting right down the middle, fix it immediately. Small repairs take ten minutes with a drill and a couple of screws, but ignoring them lets the wind get leverage and turn a simple fix into a total replacement job. Take care of your Wood Fence, keep an eye on how the soil shifts around your posts, and that Wood Fence will hold up for many years in the Wichita Falls climate.