Video by Charlie DIYte. This walk-through is based on the video "How to DIY Repair Your Garden Fence" from Charlie DIYte, who rebuilt his own garden fence after it was flattened in a storm. It is well worth watching before you start pulling things apart — the section on anchoring posts so they will not fail again is particularly good.
1. Assess the damage before you lift anything
Walk the length of the fence and work out what you are actually dealing with. Is it just one or two panels blown out, or have several posts gone at the base? Prod each post with your foot — if it rocks, the concrete footing has failed or the timber has rotted off at ground level. There is no point re-fixing panels to a post that is going to go again next month.
Make a note of how many panels, arris rails, and posts need replacing before you go anywhere near a builder's merchant. Standard fence panels in the UK are 1.83 m wide and come in heights from 0.9 m up to 1.83 m. Measure your existing ones rather than guessing — not every garden has full-height panels throughout.
2. Remove damaged panels and rails safely
Pull the panels away from the arris rails first. Most are held with galvanised nails or screws — a claw hammer or flat pry bar makes short work of them. Stack the panels flat on the ground; do not lean them against the fence you are trying to fix or the next gust will have them over again.
Once the panels are out, inspect the arris rails. These are the horizontal timbers the panel sits on, typically two or three per bay. Tap them with a hammer — a dull thud means the wood has gone soft inside and needs to come out. If the rail is split or sprung at the mortice where it meets the post, replace it rather than packing it with filler.
3. Deal with failed or rotten posts
This is the part people try to skip, and it always comes back to haunt them. If a post has snapped at ground level, dig out the old stump and the concrete around it — a spade and a crowbar will usually shift it, though clay soil (common enough in this part of Kent) can be stubborn. Give yourself a hole at least 600 mm deep, ideally 750 mm for posts supporting taller panels.
For replacement, you have two choices: concrete in a new timber post or use a fence post spike driven into undisturbed ground next to the old hole. Spikes are quicker and often more reliable in soft ground, provided you get them in plumb. Concrete is better for exposed, windy corners. Whichever you choose, check plumb on two faces before the concrete goes off or the spike is fully driven — you cannot correct it easily once it is set.
4. Fit replacement arris rails
New arris rails are available in 2.4 m lengths from any timber yard or large DIY store. They have a triangular profile, with the flat face outward to accept the panel boards. Slot one end into the mortice cut in the post — if your posts are concrete, you will need galvanised arris rail brackets instead, which screw or bolt to the post face.
Space the rails evenly up the post. For a 1.8 m panel, three rails are standard: one near the top, one near the bottom, and one in the middle. Fix with 75 mm galvanised screws rather than nails where possible — they hold better and are far easier to remove in five years' time if one rail needs swapping out.
5. Refit or replace the fence panels
If the old panels are structurally sound, brush off any loose debris, check for soft patches, and re-use them. A lick of fence paint or preservative before they go back up is sensible — you have got them out already, so it would be a waste not to. Panels that have snapped, bowed badly, or have rotted boards need replacing outright.
Lift each panel into position between the posts and rest it on the bottom arris rail while you fix it. Work alone and you will be wrestling with it; a second pair of hands or a prop cut from scrap timber saves a lot of frustration. Fix through the panel boards into the arris rail using 50 mm galvanised nails or screws, spacing fixings roughly every 300 mm up each rail.
6. Finish, treat, and check the whole run
Once the panels are all back, stand back and check the fence line is consistent in height and that no panels are sitting proud of their neighbours. Small adjustments are easy now; they become a noticeable eyesore once you have painted everything.
Apply a good quality fence preservative or paint to any new timber, paying particular attention to end grain on posts and rails — that is where moisture gets in and rot starts. A couple of coats brushed in generously will add years of life. Mind you, if you have gone to the trouble of sorting the posts properly this time around, the rest of the fence should look after itself for a good while.
When to call a handyman
Call Richard if multiple posts have failed and the job runs to half a dozen bays or more, if you are on your own and need someone to hold panels while they are fixed, or if the ground is solid clay or chalk and you cannot shift the old stumps. Storm damage can also hide problems with fence lines that were never straight to begin with — sometimes it is worth getting a fresh pair of eyes before you commit to replacing like for like.
Need fencing or garden help?
The Sandwich Handyman can assist with storm fence repairs, post replacement, and general garden work around Sandwich and East Kent.
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