Rural Fences: Livestock, Vermin, Repairs, Expenses and More

Boundary Fence Repair: 2 Things You Should Know

11 July 2016 by Connor Peters

In many Australian neighbourhoods, a paling fence demarcates the common boundary between adjacent homes. An old/damaged paling fence is often considered an eyesore. More importantly, such a fence compromises residential security, hence the need to have it repaired/replaced with a new fence as soon as possible.

Undertaking repairs on a boundary fence is supposed to be a team effort between you and your neighbour. This article discusses two things that you might want to know as you make preparations for the repair exercise.

You Don't Have To Pay Extra Costs

In the ideal situation, the cost of repairing/replacing the boundary fence should be shared equally between you and your neighbour. There's a clear line between fence repair costs that are justifiable and those that are extra (and often unnecessary). Justifiable costs include, but they're not limited to the following:

• The cost of timber palings
• Paling treatment costs (where applicable)
• The cost of paling installation

Extra costs may include, but they're not limited to the following:

• The additional cost of longer palings/fence extensions if your neighbour wants a fence that's higher than the maximum height dictated by your local council
• The cost of getting a permit required to erect the higher fence
• The extra cost of more expensive fencing materials. In many jurisdictions, a paling fence is considered the standard type of fencing for common boundaries. If your neighbour wishes to replace the paling fence with a more expensive type of boundary (e.g. a concrete wall), they should pay the extra cost of the fencing material and the associated extra costs.

Treated Timber Palings Are Worth The Extra Cost

Palings used on boundary fences are often made from pine trees. Because pine is a softwood, the palings need to be treated to improve their resistance to twisting, warping and moisture penetration. However, treated palings are often more expensive than their untreated equivalent.

Buying untreated palings (with DIY treatment in mind) might not be as cost effective as you or your neighbour might think. For DIY treatment, you'll need copper sulphate and sodium chromate or you'll need creosote. Weigh the cost of creosote or the two mentioned chemical compounds against the price difference between an untreated paling and one that's treated. The savings (to be) gained might not be significant enough to justify the time and effort you (and/or your neighbour) will need to put in so as to treat the timber palings by yourselves.

Share