Having a home with a fenced yard can help with security and privacy concerns and increase your home’s value. That’s why it’s essential to keep up with fence maintenance.
Proper fence maintenance
Whether it’s a vinyl, wood, or metal, if not properly maintained, a fence can deteriorate, making it more prone to damage. While wear and tear to your fence from lack of maintenance won’t be covered by your homeowners policy, there are things you can do to properly maintain it.
Inspect fence regularly
Check your fence often for damage like rot, loose boards, cracks, or rust.
Clean fence
A fence should regularly be cleaned with a hose or power washer to remove dirt, grime, and mold. If it’s metal and showing signs of rust, use sandpaper or rust remover.
Repair damage
After you have inspected and cleaned your fence, look for any spots that need to be repaired. Broken, warped, or rotted boards should be replaced, and any loose screws or nails should be tightened. For metal or vinyl fences, cracks or dents should be repaired as they may indicate deterioration or instability.
Apply protective coating
To protect your fence from water damage, rot, UV rays, and insects, apply a sealant, paint, or wood stain to touch up minor chips and cracks.
Maintain vegetation
Trees surrounding your fence should be trimmed to prevent limbs from falling on top. Plants, vines, flowers, and weeds should also be cut and maintained to decrease the chance of overgrowth, which can damage your fence.
Keep sprinklers pointed away
Because water can damage wood and rust metal, sprinklers should be pointed away from your fence to maintain longevity.
Homeowners insurance and fence damage
A standard homeowner’s policy with MAPFRE Insurance will usually cover losses should certain events like a major fire, windstorm, or heavy snow damage your home’s interior or exterior. The Other Structures portion of your policy may pay for damage to structures on your property that aren’t attached to your house, like a fence. Some examples of damage may include:
- Fire or lightning
- Vandalism
- Snow or ice damage
- Damage caused by a vehicle
The type of fence damage your policy would not cover would be general wear and tear, damage from a lack of maintenance, or damage from an earthquake or flood.
If your fence was damaged by a neighbor’s tree, you might be covered, but it could depend on the property line. In some cases, both you and the neighbor could be equally responsible for the fence’s replacement or repair.
Sedgwick Repair Solutions
Should you need to install a new fence or repair an old one, you can always turn to Sedgwick Repair Solutions. Sedgwick has partnered with MAPFRE for many years on claims through the Select Home Restoration ProgramSM and has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s most trusted names in the industry. Sedgwick also offers MAPFRE customers concierge home improvement project management services and matches you with one of 2,000 certified local, regional, and national contractors, monitors the project for quality and timeliness throughout the process, and guarantees the work for 5 years.
Ensure your MAPFRE home insurance and auto policies are current by contacting an independent agent in your state. If you’re not insured with MAPFRE yet and live in Massachusetts, you can get a fast, free quote today!
