According to a quick Google search, wooden fences are still the most popular type of boundary for UK residential properties, and understandably so; they’re relatively cheap, and when they’re newly installed they look great. The trouble is, they often don’t stay looking great for very long! Any or all of the following factors can soon have your new fence looking a bit the worse for wear:
- Dirt and grime – heavy rain will cause soil, dust or dirt to splash back up from the ground, and airborne dust and pollution will also coat your fence over time. All of these contaminants dull down the fence’s natural colour and need to be removed.
- Moss, mould, mildew, algae and lichen can all grow on fence panels if the conditions are right, and none of them exactly enhance the appearance of your fence.
Weather damage:
- Exterior wooden surfaces are prone to UV damage. The first sign of this is the wood gradually discolouring and taking on a grey appearance (this is often known as “silvering”). Left unchecked, the UV rays will start to break down the polymers which hold the wood fibres together, weakening its structure.
- Temperature fluctuations will cause the wood to expand and contract, which again over time can weaken its structure.
- Moisture from prolonged exposure to rain will cause the wood to swell and warp, and also encourage rot, mould, mildew etc.
So, our fences in the UK have a lot to stand up to, simply because they’re outside in the great British weather all year. Keeping on top of these issues with regular maintenance will certainly help keep your wooden fence looking its best for longer. But if it has started to look a bit dull and grey, don’t dismay, because restoring your wooden fence panels is a relatively straightforward job, as long as you use the right materials and follow the best process.
In a nutshell, the process is only three steps – clean, revive and protect. We’ll go through that in more detail, along with the tools and materials you’ll need for the job, in this blog, along with the accompanying video.
Signs Your Wooden Fence Needs Restoring
Check your fence over, and look for any of the following signs:
- Grey or faded timber – often the most obvious sign of UV damage
- Green algae, mould, moss etc
- Rough texture to the wood surface
- Minor surface damage
If more serious damage is visible, or there are signs that the wooden posts are rotting at the bass, then “cosmetic” treatment is not going to solve the problem, and structural repairs (e.g. replacing a damaged panel or rotten post) are what is required. But assuming all that’s needed is to restore the appearance (rather than the structure) of your fence, read on to find out what you need to do the job, and how to go about it.
Tools & Materials Needed for Restoring A Wooden Fence
- Bucket and clean water
- Stiff scrubbing brush
- Possibly fungicidal wash
- Disposable gloves
- Hosepipe
- Sandpaper
- Paint brush
- Paint kettle
- Barrettine Wood Reviver Gel – Click here for product details.
- Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment – Click here for product details.
How to Restore a Wooden Fence
Prepare the area
Remove anything moveable from the immediate vicinity, and cover anything that can’t be removed with plastic sheeting to protect it – this is important, as some of the products we will be using can cause damage to plants, and/or react with paint on other surfaces, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Clean the fence thoroughly
This is an essential step, because any contaminants on the surface will stop your Protective Treatment from being absorbed evenly into the wood, so you will end up with a very uneven finish. Not only will these areas look uneven, they will also benefit less from the protection that the product gives. Use a scrubbing brush and a bucket of clean water to clean away any visible surface dirt, dust etc. Scrape off any visible signs of moss, lichen, algae etc.
Use a Fungicidal Wash if needed
If moss, lichen, mould or algae are present, apply a fungicidal wash to treat them with. Again, it’s important to get rid of these growths before treating the fence, otherwise they will simply return. For more details on cleaning your fence and using fungicidal wash, please read our separate blog about “How to clean a fence before painting”.
Check for any loose panels, loose nails etc, and make these minor repairs at this stage.
Revive the timber
Your fence is now properly prepared for reviving and protecting. Wood reviver works by “reversing” the greying process, lifting away dirt, grime, pollution and the effects of weathering and helping to restore the wood’s natural colouring.
Barrettine Wood Reviver Gel is great for this type of job; it contains oxalic acid (which is an organic biodegradable ingredient), which most industry experts agree is the best thing for reviving weathered wood. But you do need to be careful to protect any painted surfaces nearby, as the oxalic acid may discolour the paintwork.
It’s important to dampen the fence first before applying the wood reviver gel; this helps the gel to be absorbed into the wood, but also stops the reviver gel from drying out too quickly, which is really key. Work in small, manageable sections.
Dampen the area of fence panel by sprinkling with a hosepipe, and then apply a generous amount of the wood reviver gel. You then need to leave it to work for between 5-15 minutes (depending on the state of the fence), but it’s really important not to allow the gel to dry out in this time, so be prepared to sprinkle or mist it with clean water if necessary. The next step is to get your scrubbing brush out again and scrub off the gel – you will be amazed at how much dirt and grime comes away from the wood!
Once you have scrubbed off the wood reviver, leave the fence to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.
Inspect the fence again
If the amount of UV damage was quite severe, you may notice that patches of the fence are white and feel very rough. If this is the case, give these areas a sand with some 120 grit sandpaper to remove the worst of the rough fibres (there is no need to make it perfectly smooth – the rest of the fence isn’t!).
Apply you wood treatment
It’s now time to apply your wood protective treatment. Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment is a solvent-based product which is available in eight different shades (including clear).
It penetrates into the wood, is hydrophobic so it keeps moisture out and helps to prevent rotting etc, and also offers UV protection to reduce silvering and keep the colour for longer.
It’s very thin (not like applying paint), so it’s best to tip a small quantity into a paint kettle and work in a small area to start with until you get used to working with it. You need to be extra careful to cover everything and avoid drips because it’s so thin. You’re best to apply this product on a dry, warm day, when no rain or frost is forecast, but even with ideal drying conditions you should leave at least 24 hours between coats.
And that, as they say, is all there is to it. If you have a really cheap basic fence, you could argue that this approach is “overkill”, but if you have a decent fence that you spent a lot of money to install, it’s worth the time and money to keep it looking its best. As always, it’s a question of using the right products and following the best process.
Ongoing Fence Maintenance
I thought I’d include a very quick section on maintenance once you’ve restored your wooden fence. If you follow the steps laid out above, you’ll have done a thorough job from start to finish. So, provided you stay on top of the maintenance, you shouldn’t ever need to put this much work into your fence again.
From this point on, all you really need to do is apply a coat of Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment every few years. This keeps the UV protection topped up, helping to prevent the fence from silvering again, while also protecting against moisture so you’re less likely to run into problems with mould or algae. Simple really.
Final Thoughts
As long as your fence is structurally sound, restoring it is a relatively cost-effective way of prolonging its life for a few years, thus saving you the expense of replacing it. With a little time and elbow grease, the fence’s appearance can be significantly improved, as long as you follow the process above, and use quality products such as Barrettine Wood Reviver (click here for product details) and Wood Protective Treatment (click here for product details).
FAQs
How often should you restore a wooden fence?
Providing you do it properly, use the correct products, and stay on top of the maintenance afterwards, you should only need to fully restore your wooden fence once to keep it looking in top shape. Natural materials like timber are never going to last forever, but you can extend its life by protecting it from moisture and UV radiation using Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment.
What causes a wooden fence to turn grey?
This is known as silvering, and it happens because of UV damage.
Can you restore weathered fence panels instead of replacing them?
Yes, absolutely! Barrettine Wood Reviver Gel and a little bit of elbow grease will reverse UV damage and clean deep into the timber. Once dry, you can protect the timber from further damage by treating it with Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment.
Do you need to sand a fence before applying wood treatment?
No, the only time sanding a fence is really worthwhile is when the timber has been badly damaged by UV in certain areas, but not others. This can lead to white patches after you’ve treated the timber with Barrettine Wood Reviver Gel. Sanding can help even the surface out.
How long should a fence dry before applying wood treatment?
The treatment needs to penetrate deep into the timber for it to work properly, and the drier the timber, the deeper the treatment will penetrate. Sometimes wood can take several days to dry properly.
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