The ultimate guide to maintaining your bamboo fence
As winter draws ever nearer, we want to share with you our bamboo maintenance tips—particularly in relation to fences, which will need your attention at this time of year.
We recommend you clean and seal your fence one year after installation and then every 18 months to two years after that. This will depend on where you live — fences in wetter, colder parts of the UK will need maintenance more often, and less often in the south east of the country. Exposed sites or those facing south or west may need wood preservative more frequently in order to prevent splitting from wind or sun exposure. The best advice is to assess each area of fencing and act accordingly.
Autumn means there are lots of leaves around and these should be cleared away from the fences on a regular basis, especially where water and shade are abundant.
Here are the instructions for cleaning and sealing your bamboo fence:
- Spray the bamboo with a cleaning solution—you can use a dilute solution of vinegar and water or a mild soapy solution.
- Allow the solution 20-30 minutes to dry completely.
- Use a stiff bristle brush or broom to scrub the surface.
- Wash the bamboo to get rid of the debris using a power hose or pressure washer.
- Allow two days for the bamboo to dry—it’s wise to check the weather forecast before you start this job! We recommend you use Barrentine’s wood preserver or something similar, and apply according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Barrentine comes in a range of colours, and bear in mind that after five to seven years, you can bring back most of the natural colour or change the look of the bamboo completely – as shown in the photo above. Barrentine protects the wood against wood-boring insects, fungi and blue stain. It also contains wax and water repellents.
A restored bamboo fence looks as good as new and the fences are robust, sturdy and long-lasting. If you want to replace an old fence with bamboo, we have a large selection of fences we sell by the metre that can be used and we are happy to advise.
