Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Old Fencing Removal

[This article was originally published in April 2021 and has been revised and updated.]

That phrase from Robert Frost has some truth to it. But when you build a new fence to replace an old fence, you'll have a lot of old fence to get rid of. 

Few things spruce up an outdoor space like a beautiful, new fence. And few things can hold up progress on the job like old fencing removal. But someone has to do it.

Old Fences Often Mean the Need for New Fencing

The proverb, "Good fences make good neighbors" was popularized by Robert Frost's 1914 poem, 'Mending Wall,' and according to The Free Dictionary it means that,

"Neighbors are best able to maintain positive relationships when they don't intrude upon or harm each other's land. Fences, for instance, would contain one's livestock to one's own land."

One might add kids and dogs to that example, in addition to livestock!

But, the truth is, in our modern suburban and rural neighborhoods, a good fence is essential. And, depending on where you live, replacing backyard fences is a ritual that likely occurs every 10 to 20 years, or so, depending on the maintenance and environment.

Some areas, like northern Nevada for example, are notorious for being harsh on residential fencing.  Fences in these areas are routinely blown over by seasonal high winds, and the intense sunlight in high-desert areas, in particular, make for shorter fence lifespans.

Other regions suffer from too much dampness and humidity that leads to fences regularly rotting at the ground level. 

And here's the rub: at some point, almost every home that has a fence around their backyard (and sometimes the front yard, as well) will come to a place when the fencing has to be replaced. 

When is that?

According to one manufacturer,

Signs that your wood fence may be damaged include:

• Signs of mold and dry rot such as wood that gives when you press on it and white or gray spores.
• Wood posts that lean or bend to one side.
• Cracks in the bottom of the posts.
• Cattle panel clips or fencing staples that are starting to come loose.
• Signs of termites, which include bloated wood, bad odor, and visible termite mazes.

In addition, if you're constantly repairing your fences, replacing boards, or simply have missing boards and can see far too much of your neighbors, it is quite likely that you're in need of new fencing.

But no matter when you finally end up needing to replace the fences around your home, one result of fence replacement work will be stacks of old fence boards, rails, posts, and various pieces of old hardware. 

And they all have to be removed and disposed of.

Which is why Junk King specializes in the removal and green disposal of old lumber and wood debris.

But What if My Fence Isn't Built of Wood?

That is a fair question and the easy answer is that almost any type of fence will need to be repaired on occasion and, in some cases, will also need to be replaced.

The other popular building materials for residential fencing include the good, old chain link fence with galvanized steel posts and clips and other hardware.

In addition, another popular metal fencing material is aluminum.  As one builder notes,

Years ago, metal fences often consisted of wrought iron. Aluminum, however, provides all of the characteristics of iron, including durability, longevity, and an elegant look. Moreover, iron tends to rust more quickly than aluminum. Aluminum fences, similar to vinyl fences, require hardly any maintenance. 

While these may not require replacement within your lifetime, there are events that can occur which may bring about major damage to these fences.

Along with redwood, cedar, steel , and aluminum, there is the increasingly popular fencing material we commonly call vinyl.

One major manufacturer of vinyl fencing components has this to say on the benefits of this material,

Vinyl fence is a type of plastic fence made with PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The PVC resin is combined with special ingredients that give vinyl fence exceptional impact strength, durability and weatherability. Vinyl is an easy-care alternative to other fence materials.

When properly installed and maintained, most vinyl fencing can last for as long as 30 years in many places. While that's longer than wood fencing, the truth is that vinyl is no more able to withstand severe weather events than a cedar fence.

Nor do they hold up well against stray vehicles, falling tree branches, and any other catastrophic damage event.

The good news is that if and when these types of fences need to be replaced you can still call on Junk King for your debris removal needs!

Wondering When Should You Replace That Fence?

Although most fencing pros agree that a well-maintained wooden fence should last up to 20 years or more, that's more or less an ideal scenario. 

So, when should you replace your old fence?

According to many fencing contractors, there are a handful of signs it’s time to replace your fence rather than try to repair it:

Rotting
If there’s generalized rotting in your fence, it may be time to replace it. With a wooden fence, you’ll typically notice rot in the areas where the fence is closest to the ground. This is where the boards experience the most sustained moisture, accelerating rot.

Leaning
Wind, rain and shifting ground can cause your fence to begin to lean off to one side. This is because the general structure of your fence is losing strength after many years of service. Generalized leaning across the fence is usually a sign of irreparable damage.

Split and Missing Boards
Split and missing boards mean it’s time to start over. Even the best wood begins to crack and split after years under the sun and rain, and the freeze and thaw cycle is another culprit that ruins good fence boards.

Loose and Missing Fasteners
Screws and nails can be replaced, but eventually, the wood may not be able to withstand a new fastener. If your fence has grown wobbly due to loose and missing fasteners, at a certain point, it’s useless to try to replace them all.

Repairs Are Too Costly
When it makes more financial sense to replace a fence than to repair it. Estimate the costs of repairs. At a certain point, a new fence will offer you many more years of service for the investment than a fence that won’t survive more than a year or two anyway.

If you are considering replacing your home's fencing any time soon, or are already in the middle of your new fence project, you will inevitably be faced with the task of the old fencing removal.

But it doesn't have to be a burden on you or another major project itself.

 
Two Options for Your Old Fencing Removal

One great option is to call Junk King for our full-service old fencing removal.

It's quick and easy to book an appointment and our professional junk removal team will do all the heavy lifting for you. You simply show us where the old fencing and other junk is and we do the rest.

A second great option is to load your own fencing debris but let us come and haul it away when you're ready.

At Junk King, we can provide our customers with the perfect sized trash dumpster and a simple rental process.

Our MINI Dumpster rental features side doors for easy access. This means no lifting or throwing fencing debris over the sides to get it in the dumpster. In fact, our rental dumpster can be easily loaded by just one adult.

You simply toss it in and load it up with whatever you need to get rid of including:

• Old fencing, lumber and old outdoor furniture
• Landscaping debris including soil and sod
• Brush, tree limbs, and branches

And any other yard waste, debris, or unwanted junk.
 
Junk King's MINI Dumpster provides 12-cubic yards of space which the perfect size to hold all the waste from just about any yard clean-up or fence building project.

What does 12-cubic yards look like?

Picture a full-size standard pickup bed. When loaded level full, it can hold 2.5 cubic yards of material. And our MINI Dumpster can hold the equivalent of five pickup truck loads of trash and debris!

In addition, because of its size and construction, our expert Junk King team can place the dumpster almost anywhere you want it and with no damage to your sidewalk or driveway. That’s because it's a driveway-safe dumpster made with residential use in mind.

 
"Handing Off" Your Old Fencing Removal

Trash hauling and site clean-up might be considered “part of the job” for contractors, but it really doesn’t have to be.

And that's true for homeowners, as well.

Whether your new fence is a DIY project or you're a contractor working for a client, every hour you spend picking up debris, cleaning the site, and hauling and disposing of the material, is an hour NOT spent completing your project.

And the bigger the job, the more the opportunity costs add up.

Junk King provides efficient, safe and eco-friendly construction debris disposal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of the debris after your new fence project is complete.

And, whether you need our services several times during a construction project or just once after it is complete, our hauling professionals will ensure that the fence boards and other debris is out of your way so that you can get on with the job.

Our professional and insured hauling team will call 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive on site, and we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your debris takes up in our truck. You point and we haul the old fencing debris into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.

So, are you ready for old fencing removal? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

Just make an appointment by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865) or simply booking online above.