How to repair a fence panel

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This walk-through is based on the UK tutorial "Fence panel repair. Rotten or broken fence panels", which shows the practical approach to replacing rotten framing batons and individual boards without pulling the whole fence apart. Useful viewing before you start, particularly for the part about identifying what needs replacing and what doesn't.

1. Assess the damage carefully before buying anything

Walk the full length of the fence and press each panel firmly. A sound panel won't flex much. Check the arris rails (the horizontal timbers that run between posts) by pressing along their length — rotten arris rails are the most common cause of a sagging or collapsing panel.

Prod the post bases at ground level. Posts rot from the base up, usually at or just below the soil line. A post that wobbles or snaps when pushed may need replacing rather than repairing, which is a bigger job.

2. Remove the damaged panel or broken sections

If you are replacing a whole panel, lift it out of any panel clips first. If it is nailed in place, use a claw hammer or pry bar to free it from the posts without damaging the posts themselves. You will need the posts to remain solid for the new panel to fix onto.

For individual featherboard repairs, prise off the damaged boards one by one with a flat bar. Take care not to split the boards either side of the one you are removing.

3. Replace broken or rotten arris rails

Arris rails are the most important structural element of a close-board fence. If one has snapped, the fence will sag no matter how good the boards are. Take the dimensions from the old rail and cut the replacement to the same length.

Fit the new rail into the mortice slot in each post (if the slots are present) or use galvanised arris rail brackets if the post is solid. Screw the brackets in with exterior-grade screws — nails will rust through and work loose over time.

4. Fit replacement featherboard slats

Featherboard panels are made up of overlapping slats, each one slightly overlapping the one before it. When fitting replacements, match the overlap of the existing boards — usually around 25 to 35 mm. Start from the bottom and work upward.

Use galvanised ring-shank nails, not ordinary wire nails. Ring-shank nails grip far better in softwood and won't pull out in the wind the way smooth nails eventually will. Two nails per arris rail crossing, driven in at a slight angle, is the standard approach.

5. Fit or re-fit lap panels between posts

If you are replacing a whole lap panel (the kind with the interlocking horizontal boards), slide it into the panel clips on both posts or rest it in the morticed slot and secure with screws. Lap panels are standard sizes — 1.83 m wide by 0.9, 1.2, 1.5 or 1.8 m tall are the most common.

That said, always measure before you order. Gaps between posts vary, and a panel that is 20 mm too wide will not go in without forcing it, which can crack the posts.

6. Treat the wood before and after repair

Any bare cut ends of timber should be treated with a wood preservative before going in. Treated timber is still vulnerable at the cut ends where the treatment doesn't penetrate fully. Pay particular attention to the ends of arris rails and any boards sitting close to the soil.

Once the repair is done, apply a coat of fence treatment to the whole panel. It is worth doing the whole run while you have it accessible — this is the maintenance step that makes fence repairs last rather than needing repeating every couple of years.

7. Check all remaining panels for early signs of trouble

While you have tools out and your eye in, walk the rest of the fence and identify anything that looks like it might fail in the next season. A wobbly post, a cracked board, or a loose rail is much cheaper to fix now than after it collapses in a winter storm.

If you find a post that is rotten at the base, consider a fence post repair spur — a metal spike that bolts to the remaining sound post timber and concretes into the ground beside it. Cheaper and quicker than replacing the post entirely, and almost as strong.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if multiple posts need attention, the fence run is long, or you need gravel boards fitting at the base. A full fence repair assessed and done properly in one visit is usually far cheaper than tackling individual problems one at a time.