Unfortunately, wooden fencing doesn't last forever.

With the most modern and high-quality wooden fencing lasting just over a decade, there’s not a lot of hope for more traditional wooden fencing that’s likely to be made with lower-quality materials. 

Maintenance issues and costs pile up quickly, and the garden fence can easily become one of the most expensive upkeep jobs in your home; but when is it time to finally bite the bullet and replace your garden fencing completely?

Today, we’ll be running through the tell-tale signs that you need a new fence, as well as showing you the benefits of swapping to plastic fencing instead.

How to know you need new fencing:

1. The wood has started to rot and discolour

Wood deteriorates quickly if it isn’t frequently maintained, and rot and discolouring are two of the first signs that your fencing needs to be replaced.

Incredibly vulnerable to rot, a decaying wooden fence quickly deteriorates, weakening the structure significantly. Not only this, but rot makes the fencing look much less attractive than it once was, and can be hard to stop from spreading to the entire fencing. 

Similarly, once bright and visually pleasing wood quickly becomes dull and discoloured without proper protection and maintenance. As your garden fencing is likely to be vulnerable to elements such as the sun and other weathering, discolouration can happen quickly and be hard to cover up and keep on top of.

Sadly, wood maintenance on rot and discolouration can prove to be extremely costly, and cheap quick fixes just don’t do a good enough job to last a long time and make them worthwhile. While fence paint and fence treatment is easily available on the market, once the rot has penetrated the wood and discolouration has started happening, it’s going to continue to be an issue until the fence is finally replaced.

2. The fence leans

As wooden fencing weakens with age, it starts leaning one way or another as it can no longer hold itself up straight. 

One of the most annoying signs that you need a new fence, a leaning fence proves to be a major pain as fence posts and fence panels blow and rattle in strong winds and heavy rain, further weakening the already compromised fencing. 

Although this can be fixed by adjusting or replacing the fence posts, it can prove costly and time-consuming while not guaranteeing that it’ll be a permanent fix.

3. Fence panels are missing

Wood fence panels are quick to chip, crack and break away, meaning that over time it’s likely that fence panels are going to come away completely. 

Although a rustic fence can look good, a fence with missing pieces and obvious wear doesn’t, and stops the fence from being as effective as it should be. 

While fence panels can always be replaced, it’s important that the same fence panels are used throughout the fence, and finding the exact same panels can be incredibly tough, especially if your fence has been built for years.

4. It’s outdated 

If you’ve had your fencing up for a while, one day it’s going to become completely outdated and no longer match the same aesthetic as your updated home or garden. 

Fencing from 10 years ago looks different from today’s modern fencing, so if you’re wanting to keep up to date with appearances and not let your fencing ruin the look of your home, completely replacing the fence with something fresh and new is your only option.

5. Repairs are becoming too expensive

It isn’t always cheaper to repair than it is to replace. 

If you’re constantly repairing your fence and carrying out frequent and expensive maintenance jobs, replacing the fence completely will prove to be much more cost-effective.

To save even more money and time, replace it with a strong recycled plastic fencing that doesn’t require any maintenance.

Replacing your fence with plastic fencing

To prevent the majority of issues with wooden fencing from happening again with newly replaced fencing, we recommend replacing it with plastic fencing.

There are many benefits to using plastic fencing instead of wooden fencing, and using plastic fencing for gardens is the perfect solution if you’re wanting to save time and money on useless and ineffective wooden fence maintenance.

The benefits of using plastic fencing:

• It’s maintenance-free and doesn’t crack, chip or break

On average, a timber fence requires replacement every seven years. Plastic fencing requires no maintenance, and in comparison to the constant maintenance needs of wooden fencing, it makes a big difference when it comes to your time and effort. 

It also lasts a lifetime without maintenance, meaning it’s extremely durable and cost-effective.

• Consistent

There are no knots, splinters or splints in plastic fencing, giving it an overall clean and consistent look that keeps it looking good throughout its lifetime while still looking natural.

• Impervious to water and resistant to algae

While rot is generally caused by the likes of water and algae, plastic fencing is resistant to this and therefore means rot would never be an issue again. 

If you live in an environment that’s prone to rainfall and other damp conditions, plastic fencing is the perfect option.

• Handles like wood

Plastic fencing is easy to work with and can be sawn, drilled, nailed, screwed, glued and stapled just like wood.

• Environmentally friendly

Plastic fencing from Kedel is made from waste plastic collected from UK homes and businesses, helping to diminish the amount of plastic in dangerous landfills.

Our plastic fencing is 100% recycled, 100% recyclable and releases 250% less CO2 into the atmosphere during manufacturing than virgin plastic.

• Cost-effective

As plastic fencing is maintenance-free, you won’t need to fork out on expensive maintenance costs to keep your fencing looking good. 

Kedel’s plastic fencing makes your money back in 2-4 years and has a 5-year guarantee for reassurance.

Take a look at our extensive WRAP study that shows just how cost-effective recycled plastic really is in comparison to timber.

Want to see our recycled plastic fencing in use? Take a look at one of our case studies below of an installation we carried out for a local authority. 

Browse Kedel’s vast range of recycled plastic products today and discover recycled plastic fencing as well as plastic fence posts and recycled plastic gates to make the perfect garden fence. 

For more garden furniture and landscaping, check out our range of recycled plastic decking and recycled plastic planters now.