Mays Way Painting and More | Experienced Fence Installation in Niles, OH

This is a classic sign of rot at or below the ground line, common in the Mahoning Valley due to our wet springs and frost heave in winter. Moisture gets trapped against the wood, especially at the post-soil interface, causing the wood to decay. We can fix this by extracting the rotted posts, setting new, pressure-treated posts in concrete below the frost line, and replacing any damaged rails or pickets. We’ll match the style to your existing fence as closely as possible.

It can be. New fences often settle as the posts set. In Niles, where clay soils are common, posts can shift slightly after heavy rains. The biggest sign of a future issue is a gate that sticks or sags after a few months. This usually indicates a gate post set too shallow or without enough bracing. We can reinforce the gate with corner bracing or adjust the hinges. If the main line posts show movement, we may need to reset them properly to ensure your fence stays square for years.

Peeling paint on fences here is often caused by moisture trapped behind the paint—a classic issue with our humid summers and snow melt. The solution starts with proper prep: power washing to remove all loose paint, letting the wood dry thoroughly (which can take 2-3 dry days in our climate), and then applying a high-quality exterior solid stain, not paint. We use a stain that penetrates the wood rather than sitting on top, which breathes better and resists peeling. This gives you much longer-lasting protection against Niles' freeze-thaw cycles.