Ron's Painting

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INTERIOR • EXTERIOR  • FAUX FINISHING in Southwest Florida.

Serving Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral, FL.

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 Should You Paint & Stain Your Fence?

If you have a fence, then you may have the same question as Gena, one of our friends in Estero.

“I just had a wooden fence installed in my back yard of my Estero home and I was told that I did not have to do anything to the fence and that it would last for years.  Is this true? If not what should I do to protect my fence.”

Gena A., Estero, Florida

Here was our answer to Gena, which we want to share with all of you:

If you do nothing to the fence, over a short period of time it will discolor and turn a shade of gray color. Furthermore, the wood will eventually rot, the slots will bend out of shape due to the sun and the wood drying out, and you will have to replace the fence.

Even pressure treated lumber (Wolmanized lumber) has to be protected from the sun’s rays.  Many homeowners feel that if they put a clear sealer on the wood, it will protect it.  In reality, this is not the case. Clear sealers do not have anything in them to protect the wood from the sun’s UV rays.

Therefore, you need to put a pigmented stain on the wood. Never use an oil-based product though; instead, always use an acrylic.  There are two products that Ron’s Painting has found on the market that work really well -- Wood RX which is sold at Povia Paint and Spa N Deck which is sold at Glidden/PPG paint.

With either of these products, you pressure clean the wood fence using bleach and water, rinse, use a surface conditioner on the wood, and before the wood is dry, apply the stain.  You have to make sure to keep the wood fence wet with water as you apply the stain.  As the water is soaked into the wood, it draws the stain into the wood surface.  Also, make sure to allow the fence to dry overnight and then apply the second coat of stain to a dry surface.

At Ron’s Painting, we have always applied the stain by spraying it onto the wood and using a brush and roller to get to the areas that could not be sprayed.  In Florida, you never want to use a clear stain – always use a pigmented stain. Wood RX has more of a color selection then Spa N Deck and Wood RX is now sold at Home Depot.  The nice thing about these products is that with all of the other stains on the market you have to let the wood cure for at least 6 months.  With Wood RX and Spa N Deck you can stain your fence as soon as the fence is installed.  The wood does not have to dry out.

Here is a link to Wood Rx and Spa N Deck also.

Always read the label on the can and follow manufacturer’s directions to ensure you do not have warranty issues.

By Ron Rooker

President Ron's Painting LLC.

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