Most people only think of repairing damaged fencing or starting a new fence project between Spring and Fall. But right now during the harshest months of the year, it's a perfect time to sit down and plan out a new fence project, or inspect what damage has been done during the rest of the year, and make plans for repairs.

Making plans is harder when there are more distractions. The colder months have always been useful for planning and taking stock, so consider walking around the area you want to fence. Look for possible issues, such as property lines and tree roots. These will be trouble later, but they can be easy to spot on bare winter ground.

Forget about the digging and concrete post setting for now. The ground is too hard and it's cold outside. But you can measure. Research the kind of fence you need for your space. Would pre-built panels get the job done faster, or is it really more of a scratch job. You might even find that you could do a little of both to get what you want.

Checking out magazines, the library, the internet and books are just a few ways of doing some good research on building the kind of fence you want as well as finding out what the best material is for your climate. You may prefer wood fencing so you will need to find out the best possible wood for your area for fencing. Some woods have problems lasting more than a few seasons because they are susceptible to disease from insect or water penetration.

Next, consider your budget, and determine what materials options you can afford. In the event that you need to use cheaper materials, leave enough budget for a good all-weather sealer to apply to the wood. This will increase its lifetime of service, but is also a pretty time-intensive step.

Fence post caps are another excellent way to protect your fence investment. While being a decorative finishing touch, post caps and finials also help to keep the ends of posts from being penetrable by water and insects. Post caps can be installed in the winter months without too much work, but most companies recommend that you use an adhesive to affix them, so keep in mind the glue setup properties in cold, wet weather.

Frozen water is a real enemy of a wood fence. As water penetrates a post and freezes, it expands, causing cracks to form, which later become harbors for damaging termites or insects. Wet Winter weather is a great time to walk and inspect your existing wood fence, looking for signs of frozen rain damage.

You might also consider other available materials options, such as vinyl or metal fencing. While not as widespread or inexpensive as some wooden fencing, there are advantages to each that make them well worth considering. Vinyl fencing can even closely resemble picket or privacy fence of the wood sort. So no matter what you go with, there is no doubt: NOW is the time to be thinking about your fence.