How long does Colorbond fence last?

If it is installed properly and according to the manufacturer’s instructions with well-installed footings, a colorbond fence should last over 20 years. This is the estimate in case the colorbond fence is not mechanically damaged in any way. Some even go as far as to say that this could be the only fence you’ll ever need.

There are different warranties and estimates given by different manufacturers and colorbond fence installers. Here is the list of most common warranties on certain parts of your colorbond fencing:

• Colorbond fence panels: over 20 years
• Colorbond colour fastness: 10 years
• Other steel attachments like plinth and lattice: 10 years

Your installer should give you some warranties on their work. Some professionals give a 12-month warranty on their colorbond fence installation. The question of warranty is definitely something you should ask your installer before they start with their work.

Get quotes from colorbond fence installers from all over Australia and ask them about their warranty policy. That is the surest way to find the best man for the job.

How to Maintain Colorbond Fencing?

One of the best things about having colorbond fencing on your property is the fact that you are getting rid of all those boring maintenance expenses and tasks that you have with other types of fences. Namely, all you need to do with colorbond fence is to wipe it down or just hose it down when you see there is a need for that. That’s all when it comes to regular maintenance.

However, the most important part of colorbond fence maintenance is actually the prevention. Since colorbond is steel, highly resilient and durable, but steel, you need to do your best to install it in a way that helps it fight off corrosion-inducing elements. Here are some tips about that:

Post-installation – your posts need to have a base that slopes down a bit so that the water isn’t retained on the fence. This is achieved during the installation when pouring the concrete into the base of the posts. In that situation, the posts are held on with braces while the concrete is poured.

As the concrete fills the hole and reaches the ground level, make sure that there is more concrete next to the post and that it is much lower at the borders of the concrete. The rain and water will naturally slide away from the posts.

Holes in the bottom rails – This is another detail to work out if you want to make sure that the water isn’t retained and in constant contact with the colorbond fence. The colorbond fencing is protected from corrosion with two out of its four coatings.

Still, it isn’t manufactured for conditions in which it is submerged in water. That is precisely what happens if the water builds up against the fence. The holes in it will enable the water to pass through, and there will be no buildup.

No contact with soil – Soil is moist. Especially if we are talking about garden soil that is constantly and regularly watered. That is why prolonged contact with the garden soil can be problematic for the maintenance of the colorbond fence. Avoid having your garden fills, flower beds and other soil buildups leaning on your colorbond fencing.

No contact with abrasive chemicals – There are many abrasive chemicals that can find their way into your property and then to your colorbond fence. Those are mainly chemicals that are used to treat the plants for protection. If those chemicals reach the colorbond fence, they can damage the protective coatings that keep the steel of your colorbond fence out of the reach of corrosion-inducing elements.

If your fence comes in contact with such chemicals, you should use water to remove it. Ideally, you should use your garden hose to wash it down, or just use a bucket of water and a cloth.

What to Do with Scratches on Your Colorbond Fence?

If your colorbond fence gets scratched, the best thing to do is – nothing. If the scratch is not that big and it isn’t visible that much, the best idea is to just leave it there. The worst thing you can do is to try and cover it up with some paint – especially the spray paint.

The colorbond colours are baked into the surface of your colorbond fence. This means that the colour applied in that way has special properties, and it reacts differently to the environmental conditions. On the other hand, later applied paint reacts in a totally different way – shrinking, peeling off, cracking, etc.

Therefore, if you apply such paint on your colorbond scratch, it will start to deteriorate, but it will damage the fence itself, as well. What used to be one tiny scratch will now turn into a big blotch of damaged fence with uneven colour that cracks and peels down.

Of course, if you are extremely unlucky, the scratch will be big, visible and annoying. For that sort of scratch to disappear, you should simply replace the entire panel. That is the most effective and, actually, the only right way to deal with this. For this to happen, call your colorbond fence installation expert and ask them about their quote for colorbond fence panel replacement.

Can You Paint Over Colorbond Fencing?

It is possible to paint over your colorbond fence but keep in mind that you will not be able to use the warranty given to you if you decide to take this step. The colorbond fencing comes in more than 20 different colours, and it is best if you can just pick the colorbond colour from that range.

Due to the specific process used to apply paint to the colorbond fence, you have to make sure that the preparation for painting over it is well done. The colorbond paint is not just there for decorative reasons, but it also has protective properties that will be rendered useless if the paint is damaged and/or removed.

You need to sand the fence gently and wash it before the entire repainting project. It is important to choose the acrylic paint. Still, think twice before starting this project because it is quite possible that you will lose more than you will gain by compromising the colorbond fence for purely aesthetic reasons.

This is the tip that most colorbond fence installers will give you. Those same professionals will tell you that in order to have a long-lasting colorbond fence, you need to install it properly. Get quotes for professional colorbond fence installation, and make sure you keep your warranty.