Clean by material, not by habit
Wood should be washed with a wood cleaner and a soft brush; a pressure washer above roughly 1,500 PSI tears the fibre and leaves permanent striping. Vinyl takes mild soap and water, with a magic-eraser style pad for scuffs. Aluminum needs nothing beyond a hose rinse to clear pollen and dust from the powder coat.
Manage UV fade
UV is what turns cedar silver and dulls stain. South and west-facing runs fade fastest, so check those sections first — they set the re-coat schedule for the whole fence, not the shaded north side.
Correct a sagging gate now
A gate that drags in summer will be unusable once ice adds to the problem. Tighten hinge hardware, add an anti-sag cable kit across the diagonal, and confirm the hinge post has not shifted.
Keep sprinklers off the boards
Irrigation that sprays a wood fence daily accelerates rot and strips stain far faster than rain. Re-aim heads so the spray pattern stops short of the fence line.
Quick checklist
- Cleaned with the right method for the material
- South and west runs checked for fade
- Gate hardware tightened, sag corrected
- Sprinkler heads aimed away from the fence