Painting the fence: how to properly protect it from the effects of the weather
A wooden fence will protect you from prying eyes, but the influence of wind, sun and rain has a negative effect on it. Only regular painting will help to make the wood durable, protect it from atmospheric influences. Basically, you can paint or stain your fence.
What should you pay attention to and how best to prepare the surface of the fence for painting.
Painting or staining the fence
As a rule, wood for wooden fences is usually already impregnated and protected from insects, mold and fungal infections. However, the fence can become unusable even from sunlight. In addition, there is a possibility that protection will decrease over the years. This is why you should regularly cover the fence with a new protective coat of paint.
Today, specialty stores offer many options for this. You can cover the fence with paint, stain, or lubricate the fence with a wood preservative. All three options contain active ingredients that protect your garden fence from insects, rot, mildew and UV radiation. They differ primarily in their application.
Paints and varnishes for wood protection
Today, for the protection of wood, you can find a large selection of different means.
If you choose to paint your fence, you will need a primer to keep the paint from peeling off. This is partly due to the tannins and resins in the wood. Before applying a new coat of paint, you must first sand off the remains of the old one.
Stain is easier to work with because you don’t have to prime or sand the fence. It provides good protection against moisture, as it penetrates deep into the wood. In addition, the pattern of a wooden fence is preserved with it. The downside is that stain is usually only available in shades of brown.
So, when you buy wood fence materials from a specialty store, they are already impregnated. And for the first two to three years after installation, you won’t need a fresh coat of paint. However, over time, you should repaint the fence. Then after three to six years, depending on the location and material, the paint needs to be renewed again.
Before painting the fence, you need to prepare the wood. If the picket fence has been painted with protective paint in the past, you will need to remove it.
Use a wire brush to remove moss, dirt or lichen from the fence surface. To protect against mold and decay, apply impregnation to the wooden fence and let the product work.
Apply a primer to the surface. For this, the first thin layer of paint is sufficient. Let the primer dry sufficiently. Then apply a second layer.