Get matched with top fence painters in Lecompte, LA

You can weather a new wood fence by applying vinegar with steel wool as a way to fade some of the coloring. You may also find it easier to stain your entire fence a new color instead of trying to get newer fence boards to match an older one.

The best month to paint outside depends on the climate where you live. Temperate and dry conditions are ideal, but that can mean a different time of year for a homeowner in Florida compared to one in Washington. Late spring, early summer, and early fall offer the best weather for painting. If you live in a cool area, you might look to paint in June, while those in hotter places might find better results in September after the heat breaks.

It typically takes three to five days to stain a fence, though most of that time is spent—literally—watching paint dry. The main issue is that you can’t stain a wet fence because the stain won’t sink into the porous grain of the wood. That means you’ll need to wait 24 hours to stain your fence after you wash it and 12 to 24 hours between each coat. Most people spend about an hour staining per 10 to 20 linear feet. 

If you paint a vinyl fence, it will likely stick to it for only a brief amount of time. This is because vinyl is not a porous material, so it's not an ideal surface for holding paint. Initially, paint will stick to your fence, but it will eventually peel off. Applying primer before painting your vinyl fence will help paint last longer. Certain primers are well-suited to vinyl, which means you can paint vinyl siding with the proper preparation.