Color the fence, how to get it ready

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shethjay2006

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#251535 29-Jun-2019 21:57

I was hoping to color my fence so it can last longer. Till now it havent been treated for mould and I can see the effect of weather on it.

Its sort of not aged as such. Its around 5years old. I was wondering which steps should I take before it can get ready for the color and if someone can help me with the whole process please.

scuwp

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#2267028 29-Jun-2019 22:12

Give it a wash or brush down to get rid of dirt and bugs is about all I have ever done. I assume its a standard rough sawn fence? First coat may take quite a lot of paint to get good coverage, but then it gets easier. I did try spray painting mine once, never again. Made a huge mess, tricky managing the over spray/drift, and the coverage was a lot lighter than brushing so needed re-doing sooner. Decent coat with a brush or depending on style a roller gets me 2 - 3 years before it needs re-doing.

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eracode

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#2267079 30-Jun-2019 03:29

If the fence has been properly built from timber with the correct treatment-grade, it should last a good long time.

Although it may depend on what length and style of fence you have, I would think very long and hard before deciding to paint or stain it. Once you’ve done it, you will have created a ‘rod for your back’ - you’ll need to re-do it periodically forever.

As @scuwp implies, a standard rough-sawn fence is a total PITA to paint - and only slightly less of a PITA to stain. Very time-consuming to get good paint/stain coverage into the rough surface if you want it to look good - in which case you will almost certainly need to use a brush rather than a roller.

Then there’s the two edges of each paling to consider. If the gaps between the palings are narrow, you may be able to (or will be forced to) ignore them. If they’re wider, you will probably want to do them - more difficult to do than you might think. This adds considerable time and effort to the job.

If you’re going to do the edges, then you may need to consider what happens on the other side of the fence - and what it will look like for your neighbours - if you have any and depending on what terms you are on with them.

Unless you do both sides of the fence (and the paling edges) and make a really good job of it, are you actually going to achieve your aim of protecting it to make it last longer?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

JayADee

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#2267135 30-Jun-2019 09:22

If it's mouldy or slimy which it probably is in places, you can apply that 30 seconds outdoor cleaner stuff that you then nearly straight afterwards hose off. Buy the concentrate (cheaper) and a hand held pressure sprayer (all available from Mitre10). Follow the instructions on the jug. Repeat if required to get really clean. Or you could water blast it, could rent a water blaster if you don’t own one. You should wait till the weather warms up if you are going to paint or stain.

If you paint or stain you're going to have to repeat it every few years so you might want to see if just cleaning it is good enough. Painting and staining are expensive and time consuming but look nice.

Edit: also it will need three coats, the first being the worst to apply!

tdgeek

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#2267223 30-Jun-2019 11:45

Id use white vinegar to treat moss, spray to on straight, leave it. It will kill moss and mould right through. Hose it off a few days later.

FineWine

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#2267278 30-Jun-2019 12:12

In the last 7 months I have painted two fences. My own 1 x 30 mtrs - one side plus edges and my sister in-laws 1 x 50 mtrs one side plus edges plus 2 x 10 mtrs off-shoots both sides & edges. All fences I water blasted then sprayed down using a chemical additive called Keep Kleen. Left to dry for a week.

My own fence is approximately 18 years old and was originally painted. I used Mitre10 Accent Fence & trellis. Now one of my qualifications is as a 1980 NZ Cert Coach Painter. It took two coats. Not because the fence actually needed two coats, it was in fairly good condition, but because the Mitre10 Accent Fence & trellis is crap paint. One day after I purchased the paint and ensured that it was adequately shaken on their shaker, I opened the 10 Ltr pail to find at least an 1" of solvent on top. After giving it a good stir for ¼ hour I found it was not what I would call a thick paint. It went on but if applied to much it ran very easierly due to its thinness. When I spoke to Mitre10 they said that is how it comes but if you want a really good paint then I should have gone with Resene Lumbersider. Now according to the Resene paint calculator using the paints max spread rate of 12 m2/L [1.2 x 30 = 36 m2 / 12 x 1 = 3ltrs] or 6 ltrs for 2 coats. I don't think so. It took two coats and 15 ltrs. The paint just had no guts to it. Will never buy Mitre10 Accent Fence & trellis again.

With my sister in-laws investment property's very large fence, 135m2, we used Resene Lumbersider. This 20+ year old fence was a shocker. Situated under trees, lichen, mouldy, 9 palings + 2 cross members were replaced. All palings were rotten at the bottom to a degree. My sister in-law did not want to replace the fence. So 30 ltrs and one coat later it was finished. I say one coat because the fence soaked the Resene paint up nicely and stuck to it like sh*t to a blanket.

Unlike the Mitre10 Accent Fence & trellis paint, the Resene Lumbersider had the correct mix of; pigment, binder & solvent and was a joy to use. It flowed on beautifully. Even though I applied it very thickly, it did not run.

TIP-1: I started with a new Masterflow Fencemaster Brush 100mm at $14.76 from Mitre10 and returned it after a couple of meters of fence. The 4 rivets holding it together fell out. I then purchased a PAL Value Disposable Chip Brush 75mm $5.09 and went through two of them on all fences. They did not fall to pieces and they hold the paint well. Treat your brushes well and they will return the favour.

TIP-2: Use a mask and goggles when water blasting fences. The first time I blasted my fence in 2015 I ended up with pneumonia and was lucky not to have gotten anything else due to all the spores etc. I got a right telling off from my doctor especially as I was a nurse at the time. I was quite crook.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

eracode

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#2267287 30-Jun-2019 12:28

Be careful if waterblasting any timber - you can do more harm than good if blasting on a high pressure and/or up too close. High pressure can roughen the surface more than when you started - which makes painting harder.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#2271500 7-Jul-2019 20:30

@shethjay2006 Interested to know your current thinking in the light of the above comments.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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GeekGuy

590 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2271504 7-Jul-2019 21:00

Not exactly PC, in these times, but I went old school and applied old used diesel oil on the back wall.

Just waiting for fine weather to do the 2 side fences.