Stain or paint?
It is really your preference. We tend to prefer the look of stain because we love wood and want to preserve and accentuate it! If we were going to paint over it, we would have chosen vinyl instead. By the time you spend money on wood fencing and the paint. . . you are nearing a price that is comparable to having the same fence installed in white or beige vinyl anyway.
Paint tends to eventually chip and peel away over time, leaving it looking like a patchy mess. Stain will simply fade over time. Keep in mind the future of your fence and what you would like it to look like 10-15 years down the road. If you think you will not have the ability or desire to treat the fence again in a few years, we recommend choosing stain over paint.
How long should I wait before staining my new pressure treated fence?
To give a bit of context, our pine product comes to us very freshly treated. . . VERY. It is almost still wet upon arrival. It is important to us to provide our customers with the freshest, cleanest product possible. Our pine products barely have any time to sit in our yard before they go out on a job.
The simple answer to this question is to wait several dry months. We say this with hesitancy because it is very much a case-by-case basis, so please keep reading! Waiting time could be lengthened if you have a lot of shade in your yard or if we have had a very rainy season. Also consider the time of year your fence was installed. If it was installed in the fall, do not count the winter season as waiting time. Add a few months and wait until a dryer part of the early summer to stain.
For more information on staining a fence, check out one of our other blogs that covers this topic in greater detail:
Is Staining my Old Wood Fence Worth it?- Here are some signs to let you know.
How Long Should you Wait Before Staining your New Pressure Treated Pine Fence?
How long should I wait before staining my new cedar fence?
The answer to this is about the same as with pressure treated pine. While it is not artificially treated, cedar does have natural oils within the wood that can be trapped by stain. Waiting a period of several months before staining is also critical with this fence type.
What happens if I stain the fence too early?
Staining too early can dramatically shorten the lifespan of your fence. The trapped moisture inside the wood will cause the fence to rot from the inside out over time. You will start to see places on your fence that are discolored and covered in mold or mildew; signs that the fence is not handling the product well. The integrity of your fence will be affected as well. Pickets, rails, and even posts will eventually fail and need to be replaced.
Does treating my fence void Frederick Fence’s craftmanship warranty?
We provide all the guidance we can in order to help you choose well when it comes to staining our fence. However, we cannot help it if you choose wrongly, or your yard was too shady to allow the fence to dry out properly. It is down to you to make the right choice for your new fence. We cannot take responsibility for the consequences of your fence being stained improperly, and we will not warranty or replace the wood that has failed because it was stained too early.
That being said, the other features of our warranty are not affected by stain. Things like failed hardware replacements and gate adjustments will still be covered by our warranty for that 18-month period.
What kinds of stains do you recommend for fencing?
There is no single brand or product that we always recommend to customers. Simply pick the best one you can afford. Check reviews for situations where customers have used the same product on fencing and had good results. Each stain will have its own application process as well. Pick something that you also feel comfortable using and that fits your skill level.
How often should I stain my fence?
It is recommended that your wood fence be stained every 2-3 years to maximize longevity. It takes just about this long for the effects of the stain to wear off and the fence to start to become very dry once again.
Is it ever too late to stain my fence?
Maybe you put off staining your fence and it has now been several years since it was installed. . . You can still add to the life of your fence by applying stain. The truth is that it is never too late to treat your fence unless it is completely falling down or coming apart. If it is worth it to you, then it’s worth it. Just keep in mind that the fence should be cleaned and dried before applying the stain in order to maximize the benefits.
