Climbing Vines and Wooden Fences

Having climbing vines gracefully spilling over a wooden fence might have been a dream of yours and give your house a certain rustic charm to become the envy of your neighborhood. However, if you want your wood fence to last to its maximum lifespan, you may want to think twice about allowing vines to crawl all over it. They are more damaging than they look.

There are a number of issues with climbing vines. Some will have claws that dig into the wood, damaging the protective stain or paint as well as the wood itself. Others seem to harmlessly wrap around the wood fence itself. However, the real issue with all types of vines is that they invite moisture and humidity right up against your wood, something that wood doesn’t take kindly to. Even wood like cedar that resists rot will eventually succumb to rotting faster when wrapped in vines that are releasing moisture.

However, if you are set on having vines decorating your wood fence, you do have options. The first option is to keep the vines contained to a sturdy trellis, which gives them something to climb on that isn’t your actual fence. In this case, you will have to be diligent to make sure that the vines don’t take over your fence, too. Without proper care, the vines can become highly invasive. If you choose the wrong ones, they can be so invasive that they eventually could take over your entire garden if you don’t police them almost every week.

While climbing vines may be your dream, when it comes to wooden fences, you may find them more of a hassle than something that’s bringing you joy. However, if you choose non-wooden fences, it can take some of the worry away. While it still won’t replace the work of tending to the vines, contact us today to learn about fence options that work well under climbing vines.