How Do You Stain A Wood Fence?

  

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Applying stain increases the longevity and attractiveness of your wood fence. Wood fences generally serve practical purposes to help keep children and pets in and to define property lines. Wood fences last for many years, but only if you care for them properly. Apply a quality stain to new fences to give your fence the best chance to resist the harmful effects of the sun, wind, rain and insects.

Things You’ll Need

• Wood cleaner

• Exterior wood stain

• Stain applicator

Instructions

1. Examine the fence for structural and cosmetic defects. Repair holes. Replace broken boards. Pull or pound out loose nails and drive in new galvanized nails.
2. Wash dirty or mildew covered fences. Allow the fence time to dry thoroughly.
3. Test the color of the stain on an inconspicuous place of the fence or on a scrap piece of wood made of the same species of wood.
4. Apply the stain with the grain of the wood, using your choice of a medium nap brush, sprayer, paint brush or foam applicator, noting that brushes work best on smaller projects. Reach the best results by using a combination of applicators to work the stain into all parts of the wood, including the sides of the boards, smoothly.
5. Press evenly with the applicator and work in small sections. Move quickly between sections to prevent the edge of one section from drying out before you begin working on the next section. Feather the edges of each section to blend the stain together across the entire fence.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay attention to the type of wood used to make the fence; softer woods, such as pine, absorb stain faster, yet more unevenly than harder woods and may need more work to make the stain look even.
• Choose among grades of transparencies for the stain depending on your desired result; use the most transparent to reveal the greatest natural wood detail and the most opaque to provide the greatest protection from ultraviolet rays.
• Solid finishes last for more years between applications than do clear finishes. Expect to repeat the staining process at least once every three years to maintain the protection for your fence.
• Read all labels to learn the limitations of the stain and how the manufacturer predicts how the stain will interact with your fence.

Article source: "How to Stain a Wood Fence" written by Lee Roberts

Hurricane Fence Company offers Commercial, Governmental and Residential fence. Our offices in Richmond and Norfolk, VA. and Raleigh, NC. serve all the Mid-Atlantic Region's fence needs.  Call today for a goverment or commercial project bid or an immediate residential fence estimate.

How Do You Prevent Residential Fence Damage?

  

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There are a few simple actions that can be taken in order to extend the life of a residential fence. First, using better quality fence materials will ultimately promote longevity. Spending a few extra dollars per linear foot on a higher quality contractor grade fence will help to guarantee fence's integrity.

Second, keeping any and all vegetation from growing on the fence, posts, and rails will reduce wear over time.  Natural moisture can potentially rot out the best fence materials. One should also maintain a fence line about 3” from the ground during the installation process. This will help to avoid damage from weed eaters and lawn mowers. Landscaping dents and scratches are the most easily avoided form of fence damage. Using expert fence installers will avoid this simple mistake during installation.

Another hazard residential fences can encounter is animal damage. This occurs mostly with wood fences, but rodents, such as squirrels, can actually chew through chain link fence ties. In extreme cases, installing fence spikes will keep birds and rodents away, but this addition can also seriously injure people. Unfortunately, short of exterminating these animals, it is very hard to deter them.

One final fence recommendation is to simply pay close attention to the integrity of the fence. Regular maintenance will help increase the material stability of any fence. Wood fences must be routinely stained or painted to seal out as much moisture as possible. Chain link fence attachments should be regularly checked to ensure there are no missing pieces. Missing fence components can cause unnecessary wear and tear on other areas and mechanisms of the fence. While new vinyl fence is basically maintenance free, it doesn’t mean it should be completely ignored. The sooner a fencing flow is caught, the easier and less costly they will be to fix.

Most of the aforementioned suggestions will easily translate to commercial fence damage, but if the addition of superior penetration deterrence in required of the fence, it’s best to research k-rated fence (K4/K8/K12). The anti-terrorism or ATFP fence ratings are designed to measure the ability of a fence, with extra structural support, to stop an incoming vehicle at various speeds.

So, keep in mind fence quality, landscaping, animals, and fence integrity when determining how to prevent damage of your residential fences. In commercial fencing, k-ratings can provide information to help prevent vehicular damage. All of these steps will help you avoid fence damage and extend the life of your fence.