Chain Link Fence Bay Area – Is It Safe to Use a Weed Eater Around Chain Link Fences?

When a chain link fence surrounds your Bay Area property, one thing that will come up more often than you might like is the issue of clearing out grass and weeds that grow up around the bottom of the fence. The mower can only get so close, and it is tedious to try to pull up grass by hand. The first thing that usually comes to mind for clearing the area is a weed eater.

That brings up the question: is it safe to use a weed eater around a chain link fence?

First, let us look at the safety of the fence. If you have a vinyl-coated chain link fence, then using a weed eater close to it will cause chips in the vinyl. Eventually, the uncoated areas will begin to rust, causing damage to the fence that will extend under the vinyl coating, thus making it useless. If your fence is already not vinyl-coated, there will be less damage, but any chain-link can be damaged with repeated use of a weed eater.

The safety of the weed eater is another consideration. Most weed eaters use a plastic string to cut the weeds. Many homeowners have found that getting close to a chain link fence will cause the string to break, resulting in excessive use of string for a less than satisfactory grass-cutting job. Even the plastic blade type of weed eater is not entirely safe from the ravages of hitting a chain link fence repeatedly at high speeds, though it may last a bit longer before breaking.

In the case of a blade-type weed eater, the safety of the user can also be in question, as the breaking blade could fly into the wielder of the tool.

How, then, is a homeowner to keep overgrown grass around the fence from marring the look of the otherwise manicured yard? Some possible ways to achieve a pleasant result include:

• Make use of herbicide. Whether you prefer something natural like vinegar or something commercial like Round-Up, a thin line of it sprayed beneath the fence on a still day (to prevent spreading to areas where you want grass) will help to keep the grass out of the fence.
• Mulch. Creating an area several inches on either side of the fence filled with mulch will slow or stop growth in the area. Adding an herbicide in the mulch will double the effect.
• Pave or brick. This is more expensive, but can make a very attractive fence line. Enough of a paved area inside the fence can also be a nice little sidewalk area.

While it may be possible to clear the grass from your chain link fence in the Bay Area with a weed eater, it is usually better to choose another way.