Staining a wooden fence is beneficial in many ways. Staining preserves the longevity of the fence, makes the fence water resistant, protecting it from cracking or mould and gives the fence a more modern look. You can’t go wrong staining your wooden fence!
However, knowing where to start is difficult if you have never stained a fence before. But don’t worry, here is a guide to staining your wooden fence.
What stain to use:
It is recommended to use an opaque solid timber stain or a semi-transparent timber stain, for timber fences.
If you want a more transparent, see-through look, that shows the grain and texture of the wood, you will want to go for a transparent Acrylic stain.
On the other hand, if you want a more solid colour timber fence, using an opaque stain will cover your timber nicely.
What colour should you use:
Each stain brand has a range of colours to select from, although it is good to remember that most stains darken as they dry. Therefore, when picking a colour don’t go too dark.
Another good tip is to remember lighter stains can always get darker with additional coats, but you can’t lighten a stain that’s already on the fence.
Oil or Acrylic
Oil based stain can be known to feed mildew, so if your fence isn’t in the sun for most of the day, mildew will be able to sit on the fence and grow quickly, causing your wooden fence to deteriorate quickly over time.
On the other hand, Acrylic stain is known to penetrate the wood very well, filling all those cracks and holes that water would normally slide.
Acrylic stain will change the colour of the fence, whereas oil-based stain will only enhance the current colour of your fencing timber unless you are using pine wood, as pine changes colour.
Pros and cons of Oil based stains:
Pros
- Oil based product penetrates into the wood giving fences a traditional look.
- After a while the stain will fade away, but not chip.
- Oil-based stains are more affordable.
Cons
- Have to clean your tools with mineral spirits, as the stain won’t come off with water.
- Takes longer to dry.
Pros and cons to water-based or acrylic stain:
Pros
- Dries faster than oil based.
- Last longer as the product sits on top of the wood
- Easy to clean tools and fence with water.
Cons
- After a while acrylic stain is known to chip, which can cause a big mess and be hard to paint over.
- More expensive than oil-based stains.
How much stain do you need?
To get an estimate of how much stain you need, multiple width area by the height area of the section you are covering. Then look at the back of the selected stain can to see how many square metres per litre that specific stain bottle or can covers.
How to stain your fence:
Step 1: Wash your fence
Since your timber fence is outside, ensure that all dirt, moss, mould, grease or any other substance is washed off the fence and the fence is dry before staining. Power washing your fence before you stain will ensure you get all the dirt off the fence.
If the fence is new and just been built, just sand down any problem areas and remove any loose fibres.
If your fence has been stained before, clean your fence and ensure that the stain can be absorbed.
Step 2: Check your stain colour
To check if the stain is the exact lightness you would like, paint a small hidden section of the fence and let dry. If the colour is too dark, read the back of the stain can to see how to thin the stain. Then repeat this step until you get your desired stain colour.
Step 3: Apply Stain
There are two methods to choose from when applying the stain, spray or brush. Both methods are favoured by different people.
Using a brush:
Applying the stain with a paint brush or a roller can produce great results, although, it can take a few hours longer then a good spray gun, however, this is the cheaper option and if you only have a small section of fence to stain, this method works well.
When shopping for a brush, remember that stain brushes are different than regular paint brushes as the bristles are thicker and are made to last through the staining job.
Likewise, if you buy a roller, make sure that it is rough.
Use both brush and roller to get into all the corners.
Using a spray gun:
Applying the stain with a paint spray gun can be really helpful when you have a very long fence and you don’t want to be outside staining the fence for hours. With a quality spray gun, the fence can be stained within an hour. However, if you get a cheap spray gun, it has a higher chance of getting clogged and slowing down the process. Before buying any spray gun, check the customers reviews.
To check out metre 10’s range of paint spray guns, click here.
Whichever method you use, read the instructions on the paint can and use as directed. To avoid overlay, apply stain on one fence section at a time, staining from one end to the other, never stopping in the middle.
After the first coat is completely dry, you may want to apply a second coat to be safe. Then apply a new coat every three to four years with the same product of stain you used previously.
