Painting Vs Staining.
This is the most common question among homeowners. The debate is all about cost, beauty, and lifespan. However here is a look at why staining your fence offers it better chances against graying and rotting.
Stain can be absorbed deep into the wood making it part of the grain. This means it won't peel off in harsh weather and it protects better against insects and mold growth. Paint forms a layer on top of the wood when the wood expands and contracts, it becomes loose and peels off. Staining will require more than one application, making it expensive in the short run.
With paint you just need one application if the paint is high quality, but the stain may last 4 to 6 years while sometimes paint may only last a year or two. In the long run, paint is more expensive. The question of color is not a problem with stain.
There are stains of all color ranges including yellow, blue, brown and green, no less than that of paint. However, transparent stain can allow you to keep the original appearance of your wood if you love the grain. Preparing your wood for staining. You should never stain wet wood.
Fresh wood should be given enough time to dry. Cedar is the most common wood for fencing, Pressure treated wood lasts long but before staining it, you should give it at least 3 months to dry, if not pressure treated, the wood may be ready for staining within 2 months.
Staining a previously painted fence calls for more thorough cleaning. If you want to apply a solid stain, sanding the fence will do because the stain will cover the spots of the old paint. However stripping is the best way to remove all the old paint. Apply water and soap to make the work easier and reduce wearing on the wood.
To remove an old stain, you only need to Power wash the fence using a pressure washer. You will apply your wood cleaning agent evenly using a sprayer, Give the Wood cleaner about 10 minutes then spray the fence. It is best to do in on small sections.
You can buy woodscapes or Olympic wood cleaning polish or any polish available in your area. Very old wood may need a wood brightener to bring a shine before applying a new layer of stain. Wood brighteners also allow you to apply a transparent stain on old wooden fences without compromising the sparkle.
EFC, Citrilac, Gacowash and many wood brighteners and strippers are available for this purpose. Check the reviews before buying one. How to stain a wooden fence. Using a brush and a roller only may not give you a smooth fine finish with the stain. Spraying applies the stain evenly on the wood allowing it to penetrate deeper.
It is important to cover flower beds or plants around the fence to protect them from withering. Depending on the density of the stain you use, you should adjust the pressure to reduce over-spray, oil based stains are thicker than acrylic based stains hence require more pressure. Your package will have instructions on the pressure to use during application.
For a smooth even finish, you will have to spray from top to bottom. Uneven spots or hollows in the fence can then be filled using a brush. After the first layer, give the fence enough time to absorb the stain and dry before doing the second layer. Acrylic stains can be reapplied after about 2 hours of application.
Oil based stains take a little more time to dry. There are a thousand reasons why you should stain your wood fence as compared to painting it or leaving it bare. A well applied stain will last 4 to 6 years before fading away. Whatever your favorite fence color, staining the fence will make your home look attractive even increasing the resale value.