How many coats of stain do I need for a fence?
The Best Way to Apply Stain on a Fence
Every day, harmful sun rays, rot-inducing moisture, and other destructive factors batter your home's wood fence. A wood stain helps to build a protective shield that will keep your fence looking perfect for years to come. Depending on the amount of pigment in the solution, fence stains are known as semi-transparent penetrating stains or solid-color stains. Whatever type of stain you select, using the proper form ensures that it is applied properly and lasts as long as possible.
Picking the Right Time
If you want to paint the wood fence you just built, give it at least three weeks. Regardless of the age of your fence, the safest time to apply stain is in the morning or late afternoon on a drizzly day. Wait for a day when it hasn't rained in 24 hours and no more rain is expected in the next 24 hours.
Choosing the Tools
When it comes to applying a stain to a fence, you can use brushes, rollers, or pads. Using a staining brush with a width of 4 to 5 inches for the best results. If you want to paint your fence with a pad, choose one with a fluffy sleep, such as the ones sold for decks. Finally, if you're using a roller, any paint roller would suffice. The bigger the roller, the more weight it will have. Before you buy one, keep it in your hand and practice moving it up and down in the wind. You want one that is light enough for you to wear for an extended period of time.
Preparing the Fence
On older wood fences, mold, mildew, dirt, and other debris may affect how well the wood absorbs the wood stain. If that's the case, clean the fence a few days before you intend to paint it. Clean the fence with a mixture of 1 part household bleach and 3 parts water in a plastic bucket, wearing protective equipment such as latex gloves and goggles. Clean the fence with a garden hose to remove all traces of the solution. After cleaning the fence, put a sheet of plastic, canvas, or cardboard underneath it to protect the underlying asphalt, grass, or plants from stain drops.
Applying the Stain
If the weather is still dry, begin staining your clean fence. Using the pad, brush, or roller, dip it into the wood polish, then apply it to your fence in an event coat, working your way from one fence board to the next. Concentrate on painting from the top to the bottom of the fence to prevent uneven dripping. Follow any product-specific instructions on the label of the wood stain you bought, as thickness and coat requirements vary by manufacturer. Solid-color stains are identical to regular paint in most situations, and only one coat is needed to protect your fence.Two coats are also required for semi-transparent penetrating stains, with the second coat being applied approximately an hour after the first coat.
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