Whether you have a current fence that you’re not sure what to do with, or you’re planning on getting a new fence in the near future, one of the decisions you’ll have to make is if you’ll be painting it, staining it, or leaving it as natural wood.
While stain and paint both offer protective as well as aesthetic benefits to your wood fence, there are some differences. In fact, there are quite a few factors that could contribute to this decision, and some pros and cons of each! Here are our tips to consider when deciding whether to paint or stain your wood fence.
Stain vs. Paint: How to decide
Stain
There are quite a few benefits to staining your wood fence. First, it typically requires significantly less maintenance than paint, since you won’t need to reapply the stain as often as you might need to do with paint. Also, unlike paint, stain doesn’t crack or peel from the surface of the wood, so it tends to wear better over time.
If you are planning on staining or restaining your current fence, we suggest a power wash first to make sure the surface of the wood is clean and ready for the new layer of stain to be applied.
Similar to paint, stain also comes in a variety of colors and finishes. Do you prefer the look of the natural wood, but just want a stain to help protect it over time? In that case, a stain that is more translucent in color would be a great choice. Or, you can choose from a variety of solid color stains, that cover the wood similar to the way a colored paint would.
Paint
While paint is still a great way to protect your wood fence from the elements, it generally requires more maintenance than stain. This is because overtime the paint will chip, scratch, or peel from the wood, even with normal wear and tear. When deciding to paint your fence or not, keep in mind that you should probably expect to repaint your fence every couple years or so, in order to maintain the look as well as the protective benefits.
Similar to stain, before adding a new layer of paint, you first need to prep the current surface. However, unlike stain, a simple power wash will not be sufficient in order to properly apply a new coat of paint. The first layer of paint should be scraped off completely before adding the new layer, which can be time consuming, especially for large fences.
Still unsure of which option is better for your fence? At NorTex Fence, our team of experts is here to help! Give us a call or fill out our simple contact form today. We also offer professional fence staining services, so you don’t need to take the project on yourself.