Well, it’s happened.
Your kid threw a baseball at your fence.
A hail storm left a few holes, one of nature’s attempts to say hello.
Maybe there’s a particular panel that has become discolored from sun or fertilizer or from fido just loving to mark his territory in the same spot, all the time.
There are any number of reasons you could or might want to replace some parts on your vinyl fence. We want to share with you three steps on how to do this.
Remove the Fence Caps
Most companies don’t glue the fence caps on, but some do. If this is what they did you will need to find a screwdriver or crowbar to help remove the cap first.
Insert the flat metal tip between the cap edge to help remove it and break the glue seal.
When you replace the cap, consider just using a few dots of silicon, something that will allow you to take it off in the future, but also to keep it secure.
A second option is to just use a small single wood screw to attach it.
You may break the cap in the process of removing it if it was glued on. You can easily purchase a new replacement post cap if this happens.
Wiggle The Fence to Loosen It
Once you have removed the post caps, you should be able to wiggle the fence rail in that spot and see it move back and forth.
There might be a screw on the inside of the post that has secured the fence rail in place. If this is the case, simply remove the screw so that you can move the rail back and forth. You may need to remove a screw from both fence posts supporting that section of fence.
With the top fence rail free, move it as far as you can in one direction and pop it out of the fence post. You should now be able to raise the rail up to gain access to the fence slats or privacy panels.
Remove & Replace the Fence Slats or Panels
Once you have access to the fence panels, you will want to measure the thickness of the part. Be sure you get a replacement part that is the same size. Industry standards have two general sizes, ⅝” and ⅞” thick. Both sizes perform well, but are paired with the correct sized top and bottom rail to hold the fence slats in securely.
You can remove the panels one at a time and change out the damaged sections. If you need to remove the bottom rail you will need to remove all the slats in that section of fence. Beware that some panels have a locking mechanism or tongue and grooved design on each edge, so just be sure to get everything lined up properly when you install the new slats or panels.
Once you have replaced the slats you need to replace, you can reassemble the section of fence by placing the rail back in place as well as the post cap.
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