Bristol is a green city. From the tree-lined streets of Sneyd Park to the leafy gardens of Stoke Bishop, we love our trees.
But while falling leaves look great in a park, they are a disaster for your fence.
Every winter, we replace hundreds of fence panels that have rotted at the bottom. The homeowner often says, "But I treated the wood\!" The problem isn't usually the treatment; it's the environment. If you let wet leaves pile up against the bottom of your fence, you are essentially building a compost heap against the timber.
Here is why it happens and the simple upgrades that stop it.
The Science: The "Compost Effect"
Wood rot is caused by fungi. Fungi need two things to thrive: moisture and oxygen.
When leaves pile up against the bottom of a fence panel, they trap moisture. Unlike a rain shower which dries off quickly in the wind, a pile of wet leaves stays damp for months. This constant moisture saturation softens the timber, bypasses the pressure treatment, and allows rot to set in.
Essentially, the bottom 6 inches of your fence is being slowly digested.
Solution 1: The Gravel Board (The Ultimate Shield)
The single most effective way to stop this is to lift the timber off the ground completely.
We install Gravel Boards under the fence panel.
- Concrete Gravel Boards: These are rot-proof. You can pile leaves against them 3ft high, and they won't care. They act as a sacrificial barrier between the wet ground and your expensive wooden panel.
- Timber Gravel Boards: If you hate the look of concrete, use a pressure-treated timber board. If it rots in 10 years, it costs £10 to replace the board, rather than £100 to replace the whole panel and paint it.
Solution 2: The "Air Gap" Rule
If you don't have gravel boards, you must ensure there is an air gap.
Many DIYers make the mistake of burying the bottom of the fence panel in the soil to "stop the dog getting out." This is a death sentence for the wood.
We always install panels with a minimum 50mm (2-inch) clearance above the soil level (unless a gravel board is used). This allows air to circulate under the wood, drying it out after a rainstorm.
Solution 3: The 5-Minute Maintenance Job
If you already have a fence and it’s buried in leaves right now, go out there this weekend.
Use a stiff broom or a leaf blower to clear the debris away from the base of the fence. You need to create a "demilitarized zone" between the damp garden waste and the wood. Even a 2-inch gap makes a huge difference to the airflow.
Solution 4: Treat the "End Grain"
The most vulnerable part of a vertical featheredge board is the bottom cut end (the end grain). It sucks up water like a straw.
If your fence is raised, check the bottom edge. If it looks dry and grey, get a pot of End Grain Preservative and brush it generously onto the bottom edge. This seals the straw and stops the damp rising up the board.
Is your fence already rotting?
If the bottom of your fence is crumbling to the touch, it’s too late for a broom. We can replace rotten panels and install concrete gravel boards to ensure the new ones last decades.
Featured Image Image Close-up of a wooden fence panel resting on a concrete gravel board, protecting it from a pile of damp autumn leaves on the ground. Image Alt Text Concrete gravel board protecting wooden fence from wet leaves and rot. Tags Select Tags Fence Rot Prevention Garden Maintenance Gravel Boards Winter Gardening Bristol SEO Settings Meta Title Prevent Fence Rot: The Danger of Wet Leaves Meta Description Do piles of leaves rot your fence? Yes. We explain the 'compost effect' and how gravel boards can save your Bristol fence this winter.