Is your garden fence looking a bit worse for wear? It takes up so much garden space and truly gives an overall look to your garden, so the last thing you want is a fence with peeling and chipped paint.
Not only will paint make your fence look good, either, it will also protect it from the elements.
However, if you aren’t so DIY-savvy, painting a whole fence can seem like a big job. Below we have put together some of our top tips on painting your garden fence, it’ll only take a day!
What You’ll Need:
- A stiff brush
- General-purpose cleaner
- A bucket
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Dust sheets
- Masking tape
- Wood paint
- Paintbrushes
Choose the Perfect Day
If you’re looking to paint your fence, choosing the right day to do so is key. You need to make sure that the wood is dry, so make sure to start the job on a day where no rain is forecast.
It’s also important to avoid any overly hot days as the sun will dry the paint before they can properly soak into and penetrate the wood as it needs to.
Prepare the Surface of the Wood
This is where you need to utilise the stiff brush, to remove any excess dirt and pieces of flaky paint. Make sure to fully scrub away any algae with a general-purpose cleaner and that the wood is fully cleaned. Take the time to replace any rotting sections and repair any damage where needed with wood filler.
Top Tip – If you are in need of fencing panels to fix your fence, make sure to shop with a reputable stockist, such as Sansums Sand & Gravel, a leading provider of Garden Fencing Swindon.
Make Sure the Surrounding Area is Fully Protected
Make sure that any plants, paving and garden furniture that could be splashed by paint is covered with dust sheets. You can also trim back and excess foliage that will get in your way and pull back any climbers on the fence.
If your fence posts are made from concrete and will not be painting, cover them completely with masking tape, and do the same with any handles and other metalwork.
Patch Test the Paint
Before you start any painting, give the paint a good stir. Stirring the paint will ensure the colour has mixed well to ensure a good finish.
Then, check that you’re happy with the colour by doing a small patch test in a less-visible spot before you tackle the whole fence.
Start Painting
Now, it’s time to start painting the whole fence. Apply the paint using brush strokes in the same direction as the wood grain. Don’t spread the paint too far and don’t overload the brush. Most importantly, make sure to work the paint into the wood.
If you’re painting parts of the fence such as the top, dab the brush in a stippling motion to make sure the product is worked into the wood well.
Once one coat is done, leave the paint to dry and then give it a second coat to make sure there is a thick coat of colour.
Painting your fence isn’t a job that takes a long time and is fairly easy to do, no matter how much experience you have. Any garden fence will look excellent with a fresh coat of paint, no matter whether it’s bright or a more neutral tone.
We hope that our fence painting tips have inspired you, to give your dull, old fence a fresh lick of paint and transform your garden space into one you love.
