Stain, Paint or Natural

Painting – Painting a wood fence used to be much more popular than it is today. Painting a wood fence can offer some benefits. The biggest benefit is there are many color options available if you choose to paint your fence. You may choose a classic white look, you can match your siding or shutters, or if you have a creative heart, you can do something a little more out of the ordinary if your city/neighborhood allows it. Another benefit is that painting tends to be a little less expensive in terms of initial cost. Additionally, if you choose a high-quality paint and keep up on the maintenance, painting can offer a high level of protection to the structural integrity of the wood. This will depend on the type of wood fence you have so be sure to research your product first.

There are obviously some drawbacks to painting. Many homeowners will find that painting a fence requires a lot of upkeep. Because of the properties of paint, it does crack and chip. You may find that to keep up on your fence, you will need to redo it every 1-3 years. In some situations, paint can last up to 5 years – but this is typically when a very high-quality paint & primer is used and in areas where the weather is less harsh. Since re-painting will require removing and reapplying the paint, the cost of your labor and frequency of reapplication may add up.

Staining – Staining is probably the most popular option for fence coating. Stain is absorbed into the fence, so chipping does not occur like it does with painting. There have been a lot more color options available than there were in the past, so you don’t have to give up color options just because you choose a stain rather than a paint. Another benefit to stain, is that you will still be able to see the lovely grain patterns that often get covered by paint products. Re-staining is less labor intensive because you will not need to remove the entire previous coatings. Cleaning and a light sanding are usually enough.

However, staining does have some drawbacks as well. Staining is usually higher in initial cost than painting. This is primarily because you will need more stain than paint to cover the entire fence and will often have to apply many more repeat coatings. Also, when you are staining your fence, you will have to keep in mind that stain takes longer to dry. Since it can take up to 2 days, you will need to make sure that weather conditions are expected to be favorable for many days in a row so that your hard work doesn’t get washed away with rainfall. Lastly, because stain is absorbed into the wood, if you choose to change your stain later, it may be more difficult to achieve the new desired color.

Leave it natural – Some homeowners prefer the look of a natural fence. Some even like the rustic look of the fence as it weathers. If you are going to leave your fence alone, you may want to choose a treated wood product to extend its life. Power washing the fence can help to extend the life of the natural fence if you choose to go this route. It is advisable to at least apply a water seal to give the fence some protection. The biggest benefit to leaving the fence natural is it requires the least amount of labor.

The cons are pretty obvious. A fence that is not protected will weather faster and be more susceptible to rot and insect infestation. A rotting fence will eventually cause structural issues which will cause the need to replace the fence.

If you would rather not worry about wood fence maintenance at all– ask us about our maintenance-free products!