Spring Updates – Painting Your Garden Fence
Sam Lutz • May 2, 2017
The snow has melted and spring is in full swing. At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we’re finding that home buyers all around Pittsburgh are getting started with their outdoor maintenance projects. Now is the perfect time to paint exterior wooden structures like your garden fence. Applying a fresh coat of paint to wooden surfaces can help protect exterior structures from moisture and decay.
Gather Materials
Before you can get started with your project, you’ll need to gather your materials. Good quality painting materials can help ensure that your paint job looks professional and lasts a long time. Below are some of the most important painting materials to buy.
- Tarps
- Wood cleaner/algae remover
- Stiff brush
- Power washer (optional)
- Wood filler
- Paint scraper
- Sand paper
- Paint
- Rollers
- Paint can opener
- Paint brushes (angled and flat)
- Paint stirrer
- Rags
Protect the Landscape
Before beginning to paint, take action to protect the landscaping around the fence. Cover the bushes and plants around the fence with tarps, and unlatch any climbing plants covering the parts of the fence that need to be painted.
Prepare the Surface
Preparing the surface for paint is just as important as the painting process itself. Without proper preparation, the paint will look bad or flake off of the fence prematurely.
- Clean the fence with the stiff bristle brush. If the fence has algae, mold or mildew, dip the stiff brush into the cleaning product before cleaning the wood.
- Use the paint scraper to remove old, flaking layers of paint. You can also use the sandpaper to remove old layers of paint. If you have a power washer, the power washer will be very effective for removing paint and dirt.
- Fill any holes and gouges in the wood with wood filler. Give the wood filler time to dry, then use the sandpaper to sand the filler until it is flush with the surface of the wood.
- Replace any pieces of wood that have deteriorated. If possible, use the same type of wood as what was originally used to build the fence.
Prepare the Surface
You may paint the fence once it has completely dried. Check the forecast before beginning to paint to ensure that you’re expecting a few days of rain-free weather. Check the manufacturer’s instructions on the paint can to ensure that the outdoor temperatures are within acceptable parameters for the paint to dry.
- Apply the first coat of paint. Use a roller for large, wide, flat areas of paint, and use a paint brush for the edges, corners and tight spaces.
- Allow the paint to fully dry. You’ll be able to tell when the paint is dry because it will no longer feel tacky or sticky.
- Apply a second coat over the first coat.
Stop In At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture we sell exterior paint in a variety of colors and finishes. If you’re thinking about painting your exterior garden fence this spring, now is the time to get started. Stop in at one of our conveniently located stores for paint supplies
and helpful painting advice. We can help you with your project from start to finish.
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