Should I Paint Or Stain My Fence?

Spring is a great time for yard work. And, if this is the year you’ve decided to tackle updating that old fence, you’ve come to the right place. As you are doing your research, one of the questions that will inevitably come up is, “Should I paint or stain my wood fence?” Let’s break down the options here.

The natural look

Before we dive into painting a fence versus staining a fence, we thought we’d mention a third option. You can leave your fence au natural. This low-effort option brings with it some considerations, such as:

• To extend the life of your fence, you will need to occasionally power wash it.
• Wood left exposed and untreated is more susceptible to the elements and can break down faster.
• Different kinds of wood age differently. White cedar, for example, will transition to gray over time. How it looks today will differ from how it looks in a year.

Generally speaking, the technicians here at A Perfect 10 fencing will almost always encourage our homeowners to stain or paint their fences. However, if your property has a more rustic look, an untouched fence can add a certain aesthetic charm to your home.

Painting a fence

Paint is one way to get that picture-perfect, white picket fence. It adds a sense of character and appeal and has been the gold standard for some homeowners.

However, painting a fence comes with some work. A fence that has been painted will need to be touched up every couple of years.

This isn’t as simple as painting another layer though. To properly extend the life of your fence, you’ll need to scrape off the existing paint, prep the surface, and then begin to repaint. Painting your fence is the cheaper option of the two but the cost of redoing it and the work involved will add up over time and potentially not be as cost-effective in the long run.

Staining a fence

Fence stain used to only come in a few color choices. This limited the design options a homeowner had available to them and was a big reason why painting was the preferred choice.

Now, stains come in a larger variety of shades. Stain lasts longer than paint and requires less prep work when it is time to refresh your fence’s finish, needing only to be power washed before re-staining. While it may cost more upfront, it will end up being the more economical choice in the long run.

Which is best: painting or staining?

So, painting vs staining: which is best? It all boils down to what look you are going for and how much upkeep you want to deal with. Of course, if you’ve decided that yearly repair and refreshing the finish of your fence is more work than you want to tackle, we offer other options like vinyl and metal fences as well.

Regardless of your decision, or if you’re unsure how to proceed, we’re here to help. Contact the team at A Perfect 10 Fencing by phone at 727-457-6962 or by clicking here. We will set up an appointment to go over all your options and help you choose the perfect fence for your home!