Privacy Wood Fence Lifespan

If you are planning to install a wood fence, it's best to know how long it's going to serve its purpose. It has something to do with the lifespan of the kind of wood you have chosen and how soon before you will need to change it. 

Natural Life of Wood
The natural life of wood mainly depends on its species. The most commonly used in fencing are cedar, spruce, and pine. Among the three, cedar can last up to 15-30 years while spruce has 4-7 years, and pine has about 5-12 years. 


Treated Wood Lifespan
Treated wood lifespan is longer in comparison to the natural life of the wood. Spruce and pine can last up to 20 years with treatment, while pine can last 40 years. 


Considerations in Installation
Moisture is one of the components that contribute to the premature aging and reduction of 3 years in wood's lifespan. Make sure that none of your fence panels or pickets touch the ground to avoid immense contact of moisture. Before installation, make sure to provide concrete or gravel to your post holes to keep out the dampness.


Wood Maintenance
To get the best and long-lasting service from your wood fence, you should maintain it. Wood maintenance is an essential thing to upkeep your fence and obtain a much longer life of service. 

Make sure to apply stain and paint to your fence. Re-application is vital for the best upkeeping. It is important to remember that you will need to re-apply the fencing stain after two years or re-paint in 4 years.


The following are the life expectancy for different kinds of wood and the factors that can affect their estimated life count.



SPRUCE 
UNTREATED

• Life expectancy  4-7 years   
  
• Is properly installed? 
  
  • If no, deduct 3 years.
    
  • If yes, its life expectancy won’t be deduced
    
• Is it properly maintained?
  • ​If no, it can reduce 2 years of your fence lifespan. 
    
  • If yes, the lifespan will be the same.
    

TREATED           20 years           If no, it can reduce 2 years of your fence lifespan. If yes, the lifespan will still be the same.












CEDAR 
UNTREATED
TREATED

Life expectancy
15-30 years
40 years

Is properly installed?
If no, deduct 3 years. 
If yes, its life expectancy won’t be deduced.

Is it properly maintained?
If no, it can reduce 2 years of your fence lifespan.
If yes, its life expectancy won’t be deduced.

PINE
UNTREATED
TREATED

Life expectancy
5-12 years
20 years

Is properly installed?
If no, deduct 3 years. 
If yes, its life expectancy won’t be deduced.

Is it properly maintained?
If no, it can reduce 2 years of your fence lifespan.
If yes, its life expectancy won’t be deduced.


CONCLUSION
When it comes to the lifespan of the privacy wood fence, this mainly depends on the type of wood used. However, each expected lifespan can be longer than usual with treatment, proper installation, and maintenance.

Always remember to consider the longevity of service each wood can provide, so you can assess which wood type is perfect for your project and budget. Also, evaluate the place where you want to install the fence so you can provide a proper solution if the ground is typically moist.

​