Fence Staining and Painting

A perfectly painted or stained fence adds instant curb appeal to your home and shows that you take good care of it. Since the fence is the first thing any visitors will see it also makes that lasting first impression and as well as impressing visitors (and potential buyers) it should also serve to make you happy every single time you come back home. Since the fence has to stand up to the elements 24/7, 365, it needs to be painted or stained with due care and attention to waterproofing it and dealing with any weathering before it threatens the structure of the fence itself. Which is why you should trust the job to the professionals.
 
Paint
Paint has the advantage of an infinite range of colors to choose from and if done properly it provides a thicker layer of protection for your fence. It can chip, however, and if it's not applied correctly there is the likelihood of it bubbling in heat or flaking off.  It will also require more frequent reapplication so you'll be committing to repainting every couple of years. That being a given, however, we find there is still one outstanding reason why our customers ask for painted fences and that's when they want that perfect wooden white picket fence look.  We'll happily inspect your fence and explain your options for painting versus staining.

Stain
Staining is a popular alternative to painting with the advantage of being longer lasting and less maintenance.  Where once stains were very limited in color you now have a wide choice of different wood stains to juggle with – how about a sea green fence, blue tones, or orange?  As well as stains that expose the grain and feel of wood there are solid stains for a solid color look but unlike paint they won't crack or peel. It takes a couple of coats to stain a fence properly and the stain needs to be brushed into the wood grain and all the cracks and joints to ensure that your fence is adequately protected.

Preparation
As well as the time taken to stain or paint the fence you should also allow for preparation time. We can use sprays to speed up the application but thorough preparation is the key to successful finishing. That means brushing or even sanding any badly weathered wood and being sure to lift off any layer of mildew or rot that may have set in. Good preparation also requires a window of good weather because it is essential that the fence has the time to dry thoroughly before application.

Oil and Latex
There are different types of stains available now for your fences. Oil stains are different from the oil stains of old and no longer as resistant (or as hazardous for the environment) but are still the choice if you need to apply stain over a fence previously treated with oil-based stains. Latex stains are the more modern choice but not usually applied over oil. We'll be happy to advise you on what stain will work best for you.