| Author | Content |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
March 20, 2006
4:35 PM Post #2125992
| Today the fence people have come to install my new fence. I got the cheapest spruce stockade fence... It's all I could swing. I want it to last as long as I possibly can make it. They reccommended that I stain it once a year. Anyone have any other suggestions? Anyone have any advice on what kind of stain to buy?
Any replies would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Harper |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
March 20, 2006
8:21 PM Post #2126512
| You could paint it instead and then you might not have to do it every year--I don't know what kind of wood my fence is made of (I think redwood?) but I painted it to cover up spots where it was rotting and falling apart and the paint is holding up pretty well so far (2 yrs and it's showing no signs of wear). I bought exterior paint that had mildew protection built into it. |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
March 22, 2006
5:36 PM Post #2131228
| I read that the wood swells and contracts through the seasons and that paint doesn't allow for that movement as well as stain does, so paint will begin to peel off after a while. |
terryr
Bureau County, IL
(Zone 5a)
March 22, 2006
6:12 PM Post #2131311
| When they said you needed to stain it every year, are you sure they weren't talking about using a wood sealer? Those you do have re-apply every year. A stain should give you more than just a year. Personally, I like Cabots stain products.
[HYPERLINK@www.cabotstain.com]
This message was edited Mar 22, 2006 5:12 PM |
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
March 22, 2006
9:28 PM Post #2131788
| I'm sure the paint does peel after a while--I was reacting to the re-staining every year, and with paint if you do it right it should go several years without having to be repainted. Also, I think some newer paints are more flexible so they deal better with changing seasons. |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
March 25, 2006
6:54 PM Post #2138997
| Thank you for your advice!! However, I think I'm going to go with Behr opaque stain with a 15 year satisfaction guarantee, it's water repellent and it contains mildewcide. I still have to find out if I need to put a waterproofer like polyurethane on top of that.
Thanks!
Harper |
terryr
Bureau County, IL
(Zone 5a)
March 26, 2006
8:44 PM Post #2141274
| Harper, if you need to use a waterproofer or a poly on top of your stain, you need to find a better stain! :o)
|
tunafish
Atco, NJ
July 19, 2006
1:54 AM Post #2522207
| We just had a new spruce privacy fence installed. How long do I need to let the wood dry, before I stain it? I have heard varying reports of 3 months to 1 year.
And do I need to sand it before I stain it?
This message was edited Jul 19, 2006 1:59 AM |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
July 20, 2006
10:25 PM Post #2529320
| You do not need to sand it, but you may need to powerwash it. My fence is a spruce privacy one too. I'm no authority on this, but I don't think you need wait more than a month to stain it. It's been only 4 months that my fence has been unstained in the elements and it's already showing wear. |
Tir_Na_Nog
July 20, 2006
10:30 PM Post #2529337
| We bought stain for our cedar fence, staining it about 6 months after moving in and it was about 8 months old at the time or so. We used the Behr stain.
A tip we learned the hard way (but didn't take long to get going right). Many people in our neighborhood have been staining their fences and not getting on even coats. We bought a sprayer hoping it would work better but found that unless you are a pro (just as the directions suggest) you won't get a nice coat either. Then we changed up the game plan to finish and it went PERFECT! DH would spray from top to bottom 2 panels at a time, then I with a cheap brush would scrub in the color top to bottom until completely and evenly coated.
I've not ever heard of having to stain your fence each year nor putting an additional protective coating on once you've stained.
A neighbor who opted not to stain or seal her fence recently power washed it (1 year later) and it brightened it up to almost the original color. So if you wait to long you always have that option.
Good luck! |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
August 8, 2006
8:38 PM Post #2601238
| Thank you Tir! It's August now and DH hasn't done a thing to get around to painting/staining it. I called a pro and his quote was $1600!! I don't think I can do it all myself. It's 240 feet and I'd have to do both sides! LOL |
claypa
West Pottsgrove, PA
(Zone 6b)
August 8, 2006
10:36 PM Post #2601644
| Fall and spring are the best times to paint or stain, because if the wood is subject to expanding and contracting, it's doing it then, and the paint or stain won't be subjected to a different extreme in the future.
If you were to stain in summer on a nice hot dry day, in winter you might see some bare wood where it has expanded. Plus it's a great excuse to put it off some more. ;)
Tir Na Nog is absolutely right about having a second person "lay off" with a brush after the first person sprays. I'ts a lot easier with the biggest brush you can find. |
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
August 9, 2006
1:28 AM Post #2602237
| Thanks!! I will wait until fall. That way I won't crush my annuals that are growing along the fence. |
