Landmark Fences | Professional Fence Builders in West Nyack, NY

Fence rail separation is typically caused by the wood swelling and contracting with our humidity and temperature changes. Over time, the nails or screws that hold the rails to the posts can loosen, pull out, or break. This is very common on older pressure-treated pine or cedar fences that have been through a few West Nyack winters.

Look for rust, flaking metal, or a greenish-white powder on hinges, latches, and gate posts. If a gate is sagging, sticking, or hard to close, the hardware is likely corroded. In our damp climate, standard steel hardware can fail in just a few years, especially if it wasn't galvanized or stainless steel.

For rail separation, we recommend pulling the rail back into place and securing it with corrosion-resistant screws or carriage bolts, which hold much better than nails. For corroded hardware, the best solution is to replace it with new, heavy-duty galvanized or stainless steel parts. This addresses both the immediate problem and prevents it from happening again soon.