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To keep the wood from rotting, apply a wood preservative to seal it. “It’s like wax on a car,” Holt says. “It helps protect it from the elements, from water, from sprinklers.” Water-repellent preservatives and sealants are sold at home-improvement and hardware stores.
What is the best way to treat a wood fence?
Bare or untreated wood should be pre-treated with an appropriate wood preserver to prevent rot and decay. Surfaces should be dry and free from dirt. Remove any algae, lichen, fungi or moss using an appropriate fungicidal wash. Wood previously stained, painted, or varnished should be stripped back to bare wood.
Do I need to seal my wood fence?
Wood fences are traditionally beautiful, and they can be a significant financial investment in the value of your home and property. They do, however, require staining or sealing in order to enhance their beauty and to ensure their life span. Further, the wood can become subject to mold, rot, and decay.
What is the best protectant for a wood fence?
Best Overall: Ready-Seal Natural Cedar Exterior Wood Stain and Sealer, 5 Gallon. Protect your fence from natural elements like rain and UV rays with this semi-transparent stain from Ready-Seal. This oil-based formula can be applied to all hard and softwoods.
Is it better to stain or seal a fence?
Unlike sealers, stains penetrate into the wood. Although a wood stain is more expensive than a sealer, it can last up to 5 times longer and looks more professional. So you certainly get your money’s worth. Here at DeckMaster™, we recommend using wood stains for your deck and fence maintenance.
Should I oil my fence?
How to give the best protection to Garden Fence Panels? To get the best level of protection, it is recommended to use both a wood preservative, usually 2 coats, followed by 2 coats of decking oil or other exterior wood oil.
What is the best fence protector?
The best wood preserver to buy Barrettine Premier Wood Preserver (clear): The best wood preserver for all outdoor jobs. Osmo Wood Protector (clear): The best wood preserver for all indoor jobs. Cuprinol Ducksback 5 Year (coloured): The best one-stop wood preserver for sheds and fences.
Do you need to seal both sides of a fence?
A question that customers sometimes ask is whether both sides of the fence should be sealed. In reality, if one side of the fence faces a neighbor and they choose not to stain or seal their side will discolor and yours won’t, without this affecting the structural integrity of the structure.
Does pressure-treated wood fence need to be sealed?
However, most pressure-treated wood should have periodic sealing against moisture, preferably every year or so. Although the wood is resistant to rot and insect attacks because of the pressure treatment, it can warp, split and develop mildew if not protected from the effects of water.
How do you weatherproof a fence?
The first is to apply a silicone or acrylic sealant to protect against water, extreme temperatures, and UV rays. Colored sealant darkens light wood while clear sealant brings out its natural beauty. Apply moisture-resistant paint: The second waterproofing option is to paint your fence with latex or alkyd-based paint.
Should you pressure wash your fence before staining?
More often than not, it is not a good idea to power wash a fence before staining it. Power washers can force the mold and mildew (the greying color of the fence) deeper into the wood pickets. This causes the wood to deteriorate quicker. Power washing a stained fence can create divots on the surface of the wood.
Should I stain my fence?
A wood fence should be treated every two to three years with paint or stain. The experts at Five Star Painting recommend stain due to its durability on wood exposed to the elements. Factors that affect this maintenance interval, include: The fence is south-facing and exposed to maximum UV light.
How much sealer do I need for my fence?
For a small fence, up to 175 square feet, you will only need one gallon of stain, in any transparency. If your fence is larger, up to 550 square feet, you will need to buy 2 gallons of stain. For very large fences, up to 700 square feet, you will need 3 to 4 gallons of stain to complete the project.
Can you stain a weathered fence?
Fences usually face severe weathering, so expect the finish to last no more than three years. Before recoating, wash the fence with a garden hose sprayer and use a bristle brush on stubborn dirt deposits and stains. Let the fence dry and stain it using the same method.
How many coats of stain do I need for a fence?
In most cases, solid-color stains are like traditional paint and need just one coat to protect your fence. Semi-transparent penetrating stains often need two coats, with the second coat applied approximately an hour after the first coat.
Is it too late to stain my fence?
A good rule of thumb is to wait a month or two if the fence is made with dry materials. This will allow it to weather enough but not too much. If the fence is made with pressure treated materials it may be 3-4 months for the posts to dry enough and can be checked with a moisture meter.
What is the best oil for a fence?
Decking oils are perfect for fence panels and posts as they are designed to be durable and weather resistant. As with decking, they will keep fence panels nourished and water repellent, therefore preventing cracking, warping, and splitting.
Can I use decking oil on a fence?
Decking oil makes for an excellent fence treatment as it helps to keep the timber water-resistant, supple, and often contains UV filters which help to protect the panels from the bleaching affect of the sun. Fence stain delivers a hint of colour while keeping a natural wood look.
