Photo: walknboston, Flickr.com

A metal fence is a durable, secure option. While it doesn’t provide visual privacy, it can keep out intruders and protect your family, as well as preventing children and pets from wandering off. However, metal fencing is subject to damage and need fence repair over time. A wrought iron fence can rust easily, while an aluminum fence won’t. Nevertheless, an aluminum fence is not as strong as a wrought iron fence.

No matter what kind of fence you have, it needs to withstand pressure, the elements, and the wear of time. If, for whatever reason, your fence becomes damaged, find a professional fence contractor and get it taken care of as soon as possible. A broken or rusted fence is an eyesore as well as an invitation to burglars. What’s more, pets or children can run out of the yard if your fence is damaged.

Paint Your Fence

If your fence is in need of repair, the question of whether or not to replace it depends on a few factors. First of all, how bad is the damage? Second, what type of damage is it? Third, what is your budget? If the only problem with your fence is the way it looks, this can be easily solved with paint.

Contact a qualified painter and tell him what type of fence you have and what you want. The painting procedure for a rusted iron fence is an involved process, so be sure to hire someone with experience. Your fence will need to be either scrubbed with a stainless steel wire brush, power washed or sandblasted in order to remove the rust and dirt. Then the fence should be washed with a non-ionic detergent. After it dries, a rust converter that’s phosphoric acid- or tannic acid-based must be applied, followed by an oil-based primer. Now the fence is ready to be painted with an oil-based paint approved for use on metal.

Repair a Damaged Section

If a section of the fence is warped, broken or missing, it’s possible to fix just that portion without replacing the entire fence. For iron fences, a damaged section can be sawed off and a new replacement fencing section welded on in its place. Railings might sometimes become detached or fence posts fall out as a result of rust and wear. These may be welded back together. However, if much of the fence is warped or if it’s rusted to a dangerous degree, it may be best to completely replace the fence.

Repair Aluminum vs. Iron

Broken aluminum fences are easier to repair than iron ones. Because the parts are usually screwed together and not welded, if a crossbar or fence post needs to be replaced, it’s a relatively simple procedure. The damaged part is unscrewed and the replacement part is inserted.

For any repairs it’s best to contact an experienced fence contractor. He can tell you the cost of the repair and you can decide whether it’s worth it to you to replace the entire fence or not.

Updated March 5, 2018.