Homeowner’s Restoration of Rotted Fence in Sea Ranch, CA
George T. lives in Sea Ranch, a development of custom-built houses situated along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Sonoma County, California. In 2019 he noticed the wooden fence posts and handrails on the decks around his 40-year-old house were becoming unstable from dry rot. He checked the cost to replace the structures with new lumber and was quoted $12,000 for the lumber, plus the costs of demolition, transporting the old wood to the landfill, and construction.
The dry rot was caused by moisture and rainwater entering around the screws in the 4x4’ posts supporting a 2”x8” handrail, and into the mitered corners of the handrail. When George called Allen, Restore-Rite’s owner, he explained he wanted to restore the old-growth redwood rather than replace it with new, less rot-resistant lumber because he knew the new wood would not hold up well in the wet coastal weather and he would have to rebuild the fence in 4 or 5 years. Allen advised him where to find the closest Restore-Rite dealer and walked him through the process of measuring, mixing, and applying the products. George purchased a 2-Quart Kit of StrongBond Sealer and a Gallon Kit of StrongBond Filler for $300, and did the repair work himself – saving his old-growth wood and thousands of dollars.
Before
Dry rot damage inside the fence post and on the underside of the mitered corner handrail, caused by moisture and rainwater entering around the screws connecting the handrail to the post.
After
The restored old-growth fence post and handrail.
Project In Process:
01.
Dry rot debris was broken down inside the post before it was removed to apply StrongBond Sealer.
02.
With all debris removed, the post was ready for an application of Sealer to harden the wood.
03.
The deep-penetrating Sealer continued to be brushed into the wood until it would not accept any more.
04.
The underside of the mitered handrail was also saturated with Sealer.
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05.
The mixed Filler is ready to apply, slightly overfilling the area. After it hardens, the excess filler can be sanded or sawed off.
06.
The post is ready to drill pilot holes for the screws to reattach the handrail.
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07.
The restored fence will be protected from wet coastal weather for many years to come.
