Finding a good fence to secure your property can be overwhelming with the many options available today. If you have come across this page, you may be considering a wooden material for your fence. Wood is a popular choice by many homeowners for their fence, mainly because of its price, versatility, and aesthetic appeal. Apart from that, a wooden fence can also provide you the privacy you need, keep your children and pets safe within your property, and even help block strong winds and noise from the busy street outside. 

The good thing about wooden fences are the many styles and designs available — you can go for the good neighbor fence, shadowbox, or even the classic picket style wooden fence. Not only that, wooden fences can be painted or stained too, adding colors to your property. 

Unfortunately, wooden fences are not as durable as other fencing materials and require regular maintenance too. Besides that, wooden fences are also susceptible to moisture and other imperfections such as rotting, peeling, and sagging. Woods are not immune to termite and insect infiltration too. All these greatly affect the wooden fence’s durability.

How durable is my wooden fence?

The answer to this question depends on the type of wood you use for your fence, the climate in your location, and the treatment used. The most commonly used wood types for the wooden fence are cedar, cypress, and redwood.

• Cedar
  If you are looking for a durable wood material for your wooden fence, then cedar is the right option for you. It is a go-to wooden fence material for residential properties. Cedarwood contains natural oils that repel insects. It is also rot-resistant, making it more durable compared to other wooden materials. The life expectancy of cedar fences ranges from 15-30 years. However, chemical treating cedar wood will make it more resistant to external factors; thus, increasing its lifespan by up to 40 years.

• Cypress
  If you don’t have cedarwood in your area, then Cypress is the best alternative for it. Cypress is another durable wooden fence material that is also insect repellent because of its natural chemical called cypretine. And if you reside in the areas around south of the United States, then this is the best wooden fence option for you because of its abundance in the location. Cypress wooden fences can last for 5 to 10 years, but treated ones can last for up to 20 years.

• Redwood
  Another very popular wooden fence choice by many homeowners is the redwood. The quality of the wood, its durability, and the aesthetic appeal it gives to your property makes the wood the best high-end option for wooden fences. Redwood can last for 25 years or so with little to no maintenance. It is highly resistant to external factors that deteriorate the wood such as rot and insects. You can opt to keep the wood to preserve its natural beauty or have it painted or stained.