Five Tips to Help the Paint on Your Timber Fencing Last as Long as Possible

Lawrence Kim

When you own a painted timber fence, you occasionally will have to repaint it. If you want your painting efforts to last as long as possible, there are a number of things you can do. Take a look at these tips:

1. Repaint every time your fence fails the bead test

When you paint a timber fence, the paint acts much like a seal, preventing moisture or insects from penetrating your fence, and as a result, if you delay or procrastinate on repainting your fence, you increase the chances that the timber will wear down and get damaged.

Once a year, give your timber fencing the bead test. Simply throw some water on it (in several places) and see if the water beads up. If it does, you can wait another year, but if it doesn't, it is time to repaint.

Repainting on a timely basis protects your fence, and a paint job on a healthy fence typically last longer than a paint job on a fence that is damaged and crumbling apart.

2. Clean the fence before painting

Before you paint your fence, clean it thoroughly. Use a hose, a pressure washer or even just a broom to remove cobwebs, vegetation, dust and dirt. If you paint over these items, it threatens the integrity of the painting job, and as a result, the paint will not adhere as well and may not last as long.

Also, remember to clean along the top of the fence's timber slats, as bird poop and dust can build up there.

3. Check the fence for insect damage

As you clean your timber fencing, also look for signs of damage from insects. If you see damaged bits of timber, remove those slats.

4. Treat or paint the end of the boards

When you finally begin repainting your timber fence, make sure to paint along the top of each timber board, and if possible, try to apply paint along the bottom of these boards as well.

By applying paint, you add an extra layer of seal or protection to these parts of the fence. That prevents moisture from getting into the ends of the boards and warping them.

5. Do not paint in the sun

In most cases, people paint their timber fences on warm days when it is nice to work outside, but ideally, you need to pick a relatively cool day rather than a hot day. The hot sun can speed up the drying process, and as a result, the paint may not provide as much protection to the fence as it should. Additionally, the sun can cause the paint to blister and thus not last as long.

Contact a company such as Sweetmans Timber Pty Ltd to learn more.


Share