Give a drab or dingy wooden fence a fresh face with a lustrous and long-lasting stained finish.

When you get new fence panels in you will need to paint them to protect them. Since i know brushing can take some time i thought i'd test out the Wagner 570. Apply the stain in two- to three-foot sections of the fence at a time, taking care to back-brush, or re-paint over uncovered areas left by the previous stroke, with a wide brush. Depending on your fence material and type, you can apply paint with a brush, a roller, or a sprayer. Brushes and rollers are best for smooth, flat surfaces, with lots of square footage to cover.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Whether your wooden fence is years old or newly installed, it can benefit from a single inexpensive addition: stain. Applying wood stain to the slats improves its design and prolongs the lifespan of your hard-working outdoor structure—a win-win!

For long-lasting, professional-quality results, work with a semitransparent oil-based stain designed for the exterior. These stains elegantly accentuate the natural patina of the underlying wood with a subtle tint, and, as a bonus, boast formulas that slow the growth of mildew and rot as well as protect the wood from ultraviolet light exposure.

With basic cleaning supplies and this straightforward tutorial on how to stain a fence, you can refresh your wooden privacy wall in as little time as a weekend—and reap these benefits right away.

How to Stain a Fence

STEP 1: Choose the right day (or days) for your project.

Before staining a wood fence, scan the weekly weather forecast and select a day with temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees, low to moderate humidity, and no precipitation expected for the next 24 hours. If you’re discouraged by the prospects, remember that “good things come to those who wait”. Extreme cold or moisture can prolong the drying time of wood stain, while the opposite extreme can dry out stain too quickly and leave behind unwanted lap marks on the fence.

STEP 2: Prepare the wood for painting.

Depending on the current condition of your fence, you may need to strip or sand the surface.

Starting with a previously stained or finished fence?

Apply wood stain or finish stripper to the slats according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then scrub the slats with a stiff-bristle brush to loosen the old varnish and slough off upright wood fibers.

Learning how to stain a fence that is new?

Ensure the stain will penetrate the wood with the water test: Lightly spray a small section of the fence with a garden hose. If water beads form on the slats, lightly sand the slats in the direction of the wood grain. Water successfully penetrating the slats, though, indicates that your wooden fence can readily absorb the stain.

STEP 3: Clean the fence thoroughly and let dry.

Clean the fence with water from a high-pressure spray nozzle attached to a garden hose (or use a power washer). This will remove light to moderate dirt accumulations and complete the job of the wood stain stripper in blasting away any old varnish from the fence, if applicable. If using a power washer, opt for a low-powered unit operating at no more than 2,000 psi so as not to weather the wood slats. Make sure to let the wood dry out completely before continuing.

STEP 4: Spot-treat mold or mildew with diluted bleach.

Paint Brush Images

If you spot mold or mildew deposits on the fence, prepare a solution of bleach diluted with water in a bucket. Donning rubber gloves, apply the bleach to the slats with a garden sprayer, allowing it to settle into the slats for a few minutes before rinsing the fence clean with a high-pressure spray nozzle or power washer. Again, make sure to let the wood dry out completely before continuing.

STEP 5: Use wood filler to patch imperfections in the fence slats.

Repair chips, gouges, or cracks in the fence with wood filler. If needed, replace damaged slats.

Photo: istockphoto.com

STEP 7: Protect nearby plants and parts of the fence not to be stained.

Use painter’s tape to protect areas of the fence you do not want to stain. Similarly, protect surrounding vegetation at the foot of the fence by covering it with drop cloths.

STEP 8: Proceed to applying stain to the fence slats.

Enlist a brush, roller, or sprayer to stain the slats.

• A natural-bristle brush is the best way to encourage oil-based
  wood stain to permeate wooden fence slats. Dip the tip of the brush into a can of stain, then coat any horizontal slats of the fence from left to right. Afterwards, work your way from top to bottom down the entire length of each vertical slat, maintaining a wet tip at all times. Stain one to two slats at a time to prevent lap marks from forming. One you reach the bottom of a slat, stain the end grain.
• If using a roller, opt for a medium nap roller cover, then fully saturate the nap with the stain. Apply the stain in two- to three-foot sections of the fence at a time, taking care to back-brush, or re-paint over uncovered areas left by the previous stroke, with a wide brush. This will allow the stain to enter hard-to- reach grooves and recesses, and ensure an even coat free of lap marks.
• If using a sprayer, follow the same approach as for how to stain a fence with a roller, but stand back a comfortable distance from the fence to apply color.

STEP 9: Let the stain dry, then apply additional coats as desired.

When the entire fence has been stained, let it dry according to the stain manufacturer’s instructions. Apply additional coats of stain as needed to achieve the desired depth of color. A single coat should be sufficient for a new wood fence or one that you also plan to seal.

STEP 10: Finish the job with a coat of sealer.

While a good quality stain alone is sufficient to protect your fence from everyday wear-and-tear, applying a durable sealant over the stain can prolong the finish—and the life of your fence. For best results, apply a single coat of clear, weatherproof sealant by brush, roller, or sprayer. Quickly back-brush unsealed grooves and recesses with a wide brush to achieve a uniform appearance. Allow the sealant to dry completely.

STEP 11: Clean up!

Dispose of soiled drop cloths, remove the painter’s tape from the slats, and reveal your like-new fence!

Go ahead and take the next couple of summers off—you earned it. Only note that while semitransparent stains can last anywhere between two to five years, extreme temperatures and precipitation can prematurely age the finish. Don’t rest on your laurels too long and risk the weather damage: Aim to stain your fence every two to three years to preserve its sheen and weather protective qualities.

Say goodbye to flaking, peeling paint and hello to a fresh, like-new fence when you follow these three steps for a professional-grade makeover.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Do you have a flaking eyesore of a fence that plagues the perimeter of your property? While there are no shortcuts to a quality prep job, using the right tools and techniques greatly reduces the time it takes to get the work done. In just a weekend, you can refresh your weather-worn fence armed with little more than a sturdy scraper, a multi-talented 5-in-1 tool, and your painting essentials. Follow this guide for how to paint a fence.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS Available on Amazon
– HYDE X2 Dual Blade Carbide Scraper
– Extension pole
– Wood nails or screws
– Replacement wooden pickets
– HYDE Black & Silver® 5in1 MultiTool
– Handheld random orbital sander
– 120grit sandpaper
– Exterior primer with a blocking agent
– Exterior alkyd or acrylic paint with UV protectants and mildewcide
– HYDE Painter’s Assistant
– Paint tray
– Paintbrush
– One and twoquart containers
– Narrow roller with an extension handle
– Drop cloths

Photo: hydetools.com

STEP 1: Remove Loose Paint

Do not ignore the cardinal rule of repainting anything: Never paint over peeling paint. Eventually, the loosened paint beneath will start flaking off again, potentially taking the new coat of paint—and all your hard work—with it. Make sure you don’t end up with a slapdash-looking finished product; instead, scrape off all the loose paint at the get-go.

A wide scraper works great on the flat surfaces of a fence picket, but the blade is too large to remove peeling paint from small gaps between boards, rails, and posts. You could choose to weigh your pockets down with a variety of scrapers—and waste time switching between them—but it’s so much easier to just grab the HYDE X2 Dual Blade Carbide Scraper. Its dual blade can be quickly switched from a 2½-inch-wide blade to a 7/8-inch-wide blade that’s great for reaching into tight spots. You simply rotate the triangular blade as needed.

Work with care, especially if you’re scraping older, weathered wood, which is easy to gouge. Hold the scraper against the surface of the wood with the blade at a 20- to 25-degree angle, then slip the scraper blade underneath the loose paint, being careful not to catch on the wood and dig out a chunk. It takes some practice, but remember: You’re trying to remove only the flakes and not the stuck-on paint.

Can’t quite reach the top of a high fence picket? Grab a standard extension pole and connect it to the X2’s Acme-threaded handle so you can scrape high spots while keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground. And with the X2, you won’t have to slow down too much to deal with popped nails, which can quickly wear out and damage a carbide blade. When you’re armed with the X2, there’s no need to go running for a hammer when you come across a popped nail. Simply flip the scraper and use its hammerhead end cap to reset the nail—and get back to scraping—in mere moments.

Photo: hydetools.com

STEP 2: Prep and Repair

Once you’ve thoroughly scraped away the loose paint, it’s time to examine the fence and make repairs. Inspect every picket to confirm that they’re all firmly attached to the fence rails. Secure loose boards with additional nails or screws as necessary. Also check the boards for signs of wood rot, especially wherever fence posts come into contact with the ground (though this deterioration can also occasionally be found on exposed posts and pickets). Note: Fresh paint will not stick to rot, so you’ll need to remove and replace any rotted fence parts as well as those warped beyond repair.

Narrow splits in the wood and visible nail holes can be fixed with a little paintable latex wood filler. First, use the sharp point on HYDE’s Black & Silver® 5-in-1 Multi-Tool to scrape splinters and loose debris out of the gaps, because here, too, loose material can protrude and even fall out over time, taking your paint with it. Then, turn the multi-tool so you can use the flat front end of the blade to scoop up wood putty and patch any holes in the fence. Its 2½-inch-wide blade perfectly levels out putty over splits and holes.

After you’ve finished these simple steps, rough-grain fences such as cedar should be ready to paint. If, however, you’re prepping to paint an ornamental fence with a very smooth surface, sand the pickets with 120-grit sandpaper for a more finished look. A handheld random orbital sander can speed this task along.

Photo: istockphoto.com

STEP 3: Prime and Paint

Gather all the materials and supplies you’ll need before you start to paint: cans of primer and paint, a narrow roller with an extension handle, a paint tray, a paintbrush, drop cloths, and HYDE’s Painter’s Assistant. Use the rigid bottom end of the Painter’s Assistant to slip around the paint can and pop off its lid, then clip it to your roller tray; the magnet will firmly hold your paintbrush without letting it sink into the paint until you’re ready to dip it again.

Before you even take out the paint, though, cover the entire fence with a quality exterior primer that contains a blocking agent to keep the excess oil in wood knots from bleeding through your paint job. Start at one end of the fence and work your way to the other, and paint a fence’s posts and pickets from the top down. (The Painter’s Assistant is ideal for these sorts of jobs, because it snaps to one- and two-quart containers to create a handle for easy carrying as you travel down the length of your fence.) While most wood fences can be painted by brush, you can speed up the process by working primarily with a narrow roller. Use its narrow width to coat individual pickets, then back-brush to work the primer into the grain and between boards. Though primer may dry quickly outside, follow the instructions on the can to be certain that you’ve allowed enough time before moving on.

Best Paint Brush

When the primer coat is ready, bring on the paint—preferably an exterior alkyd or acrylic paint that contains UV protectants and mildewcide. Do check that the paint is compatible with the primer. If you’re unsure, ask at the paint store. When you’ve invested this much time in your fence, you won’t want to cut corners by selecting a bargain brand that may not withstand temperature, moisture, and the harsh rays of the sun as well as a higher-quality paint will. Some exterior paints are designed to cover fully with only one coat, so whether your paint job will take one coat or two to cover completely may depend on the product you choose. Apply the paint as you did the primer, working from the top down on posts and pickets so you can catch any runs as you go.

Amazon Paint Brush Set

When it’s a wrap, grab your Painter’s Assistant to make short work of cleanup. The tool’s curved shape fits right over your paint roller cover and allows you to squeeze excess paint directly into the paint can. There are no wasted materials—or time—with this hardworking multi-tool, which means you’ll soon be lounging in your yard and enjoying the sunset after one highly productive weekend.

Paint And Paint Brush

This content has been brought to you by Hyde Tools. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.