Wood fence maintenance is something you should learn how to do yourself, and doing it right will help ensure your fence looks new for very many years. If you have wood furniture in your home, then you know that you have to dust it and polish it several times or once a week. What you will need to do is stain it again after a few years, and of course, washing it down is recommended. If you do not like doing any work on these things, then a pre-stained wooden fence is the way to go, so this is up to you.
Early Detection
The best route here with your fence is to catch problems early before they get too big and costly, so just inspect it maybe once a month and it only takes a few minutes. Logging or writing down what you discover during the inspection will give you a track record. Records and logs about inspections are the professional way to approach fence maintenance. A picket fence will take a little more time because you have more parts to it, the pickets. Look into termite sticks because what they will do is go for the posts, first, and this means you have to look closely for damage.
Dealing with Molds
Be on the constant lookout for mold on your fence, and if you see then swing into action and eradicate it the best you can. Mold will usually not be able to work its way through the stain, and the very fact that you have stain will repel mold growth. If you have a good stain on it, then cleaning up the mold will be an easy task, but if the stain is thin or poorly applied, then there can be places where the mold can directly attack the wood. The only way you can stop this from happening is with good staining and then taking quick action if you see it.
Fence Cleaning
There are several approaches available to you if you want to clean your fence, and the best maintenance practice is regular cleaning so you can prevent mold, etc. Stains are not highly durable to some chemicals, and a good example of this is using water and bleach for cleaning purposes. Just read what the instructions say, and while the installation contractor is there you can ask him questions. Simply get your hose out and try it out and see if there is any difference between treated wood and dirty wood.
Create the maintenance plans and techniques that you know are right for your fence and will help you maintain it as it should be. The basic approaches are there for a reason, and the thing is that they are so simple that some people forget about them. Practice good time management skills and strategies, and that will make you much more efficient.