How to Renew a Wooden Fence (page 2 of 2)

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Add Years to Its Life

Simple Repairs Add Years to the Life of Your Fence
With the fence clean, it’s time to fix or replace damaged boards, refasten loose boards and countersink any protruding nails. Use waterproof glue to repair any split and broken boards. Drive corrosion-resistant screws instead of nails to pull loose pieces tightly together. If a gate is sagging, straighten it with a turnbuckle support. Also coat the posts where they emerge from the ground or concrete with a wood preservative. This is the area that rots first.

Stain Makes the Fence Look Brand New
To preserve the natural color of the wood, use an exterior semitransparent oil stain. It seals the wood while allowing the grain and color variations to show through. And its pigments add an overall color tone. Make sure the stain contains ultraviolet inhibitors, which will slow down bleaching by sunlight, and a mildewcide to slow fungal growth. Look for samples on cedar at the paint store, or bring in your own piece of wood to test. A test sample is the best way to ensure a satisfactory result.

Before applying the stain, be sure the fence is dry. Allow at least 24 hours. If it’s cool and humid, allow another 24 hours.

Use a paint roller with a “medium nap” cover to apply a soaking coat to the wood. Let the wood absorb as much sealer as it can. Roll about a 3-ft. section of fence and then brush the sealer into the wood. If the wood still appears dry, roll on additional sealer.

Work the sealer into all recesses and corners. The roller applies the stain, but you need the brush to work it well into the wood’s surface. Coat detailed areas with a trim roller and smaller brush. Keep wet edges to pre-vent lap marks.

Most semitransparent oil stains are guaranteed to last two to five years. (Solid-color stains last longer but are more difficult to renew.) Fences usually face severe weathering, so expect the finish to last no more than three years. Plan on recoating the fence within this time frame to keep your fence looking fresh. 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.