I have been a professional decorator for almost 20 years. I just wanted to take a little bit of time to talk about the best paint for a garden fence, as it can be a great way of sprucing up your garden. In this blog, I’m going to take you through the four different types of products you should consider (water-based, oil-based, opaque and premium opaqu), and give you the best example of each. This should make life easier for you when deciding. Click here if you need help on your method for painting a fence.
The Different types on Fence Paint Available
When choosing the best paint for a fence, it’s important to first understand the different types of paint on offer, then opt for the one that best suits your needs. I’ll explain the different types of fence paint I use here, then go on to talk about the best product for each type.
Water-based shed and fence treatment
Water-based fence treatments are by far the easiest to use. They’re also better for the environment and easy to clean up after use. They can look fantastic too. The only downside is the longevity of the finish. If you use a water-based fence paint, then expect to need to apply a maintenance coat every year or two.
Oil-based wood stain
Exterior wood stain will cost you more money, but you can often get away with one coat on a fence. It really sinks into your timber and protect it from the elements, meaning the lifespan of the fence is extended.
Opaque shed and fence
Still reasonably priced, opaque shed and fence paints are designed to work like a fence treatment, in that they penetrate the timber and protect it from the elements. These are water-based paints, but unlike fence treatments, they create a block colour, but you can also see the grain of the wood.
Premium Opaque Paints
I’ve labelled these as “premium” because they are compared to other fence paints. Opaque paints can be used to paint windows, front doors, soffits and fascia boards on a house, but they look great on fences too. They create a solid colour, and look fantastic in a modern, ornamental garden.
The Best Water-Based Shed and Fence Treatment
Johnstone’s Trade Shed and Fence Treatment is my favourite water-based treatment, available online in several colours. Recoat time is roughly 2 hours, which can be a godsend if you want to apply multiple coats in a day.
The beauty of using a water-based fence treatment is the ease of use, the low cost of the product and the environmental benefits. This is the only product on the list that I don’t mind using over bare soil on a flower bed without covering the ground.
Johnstone’s Trade Shed and Fence Treatment has great opacity, and two coats will create a uniform finish over your fence. Just lash it on nice and thick with a brush, roller, or sprayer.
The only real downside of using a water-based paint like this on a fence is the longevity of the finish. You may need to apply a “maintenance coat” of Johnstone’s Trade Shed and Fence Treatment every year or two to keep the fence looking good and protected from the elements. Full review here.
The Best Wood Stain for a Fence
This may be over-kill for a fence paint, but I wanted to give you a premium choice. Saddolin Classic is one of the best woodstains on the market. It is used for any interior or exterior timber. Available in several colours, this is an oil-based product which is fairly pricy. It’s brilliant though!
Being oil-based, you’ll find Saddolin Classic slightly harder to use, and not as environmentally friendly as the water-based alternatives. However, it will penetrate further into your fence and offer superior protection against rot.
The longevity of the product is much better too, meaning you will only need to re-paint your fence every few years. Also, providing you take your time to work this product into every craves, you will get away with a single coat on your fence.
Available online or from Crown Decorating Centre.
The Best Opaque Shed and Fence Treatment
Cuprinol Shades Fence Paint is an opaque shed and fence treatment that has been specifically developed for this type of job. It’s quite a remarkable product too! Not only will you achieve a solid-ish colour in any shade you like, but it repels water like you wouldn’t believe.
So much so, if you leave a day between coats, the cured paint will repel the new coat!! So, carry out all your painting in a single day!! You’ll find this paint very easy to use, great opacity and easy to clean off your skin.
It’s thin, so it’s quick and easy to use, but can be a bit messy.
Solid colours like this can look very good in urban gardens and it looks very contemporary. A minimum of 2 coats of Cuprinol Shades Fence Paint should be applied, but your finished product should look great for five or six years.
The Best Premium Opaque Paint for a Fence
Bedec Barn Paint is 100% the best paint for a fence if you’re looking for a solid paint-like finish. It’s fully water-based, easy to use, reasonably priced, and available in loads of different colours.
The opacity in white isn’t great, but it’s brilliant in tinted colours. Barn paint was originally manufactured for use on agricultural buildings. But Decorators twigged that it performs well on houses too, and now it’s used all over the place.
Bedec are an independent British manufacturer, which I also love. They seem to be experts in water-based paints and have loads of good products.
Best Tools to Paint a Garden Fence
Let’s talk briefly about the tools you may need to paint your garden fence. Let’s face it, there’s no point in splashing out on expensive equipment. Brushers and rollers are not likely to last long when used on rough timber, so make sure your tools are suitable, but don’t spend too much money.
Best Sprayer to Paint a Fence
If you are using water-based paint, then you could opt to spray your fence. Sprayers cost anything from £40 to £4,000, and you do get what you pay for. However, I’m going to give my recommendation on a sprayer based on the assumption you only need it for a handful of outings, and you don’t want to spend big. The Tilswall HVLP Sprayer is perfect to spray fences. It’s cheap, manoeuvrable, and extremely easy to use, perfect for a novice. It is noisy, but it will do the job perfectly. Available online here.
Best Paintbrush to Paint a Fence
I could have named one of a dozen paintbrushes to be honest. There are loads of viable options out there. I can’t stand those floppy “fence painting brushes” they offer at DIY centres. You need something with a bit of backbone, so it gets into every little gap and lasts for a while. It also needs to hold plenty of fence paint, and is cheap enough to throw away after you’ve used it. My recommendation is the ProDec Trojan paintbrush, available online by clicking here.
Best Paint Roller to Paint a Fence
Having a mini roller handy will make fence painting quicker and easier. There are dozens of brands out there which are all fine. You just need a relatively small diameter roller, with a thick, long pile nap for painting a fence. You can pick up any generic brand at your local DIY shop, or you can click here to buy online by clicking here.
Floor Protection
I’m quite lucky as a decorator because I have old dust sheets I can use when painting a fence. You can buy dust sheets online, but I’d urge you to look for alternatives if you need to cover grass or flowerbeds when painting your garden fence. You could go for Corex sheets, cardboard, old bed sheets or curtains. Anything that isn’t too expensive and will protect the floor.
Dust sheets are fine on stone paths, but I don’t see the point in buying new if they’re going to get ruined anyway.
FAQs
Can you paint over existing fence paint?
Painting over existing fence paint isn’t an issue most of the time. You can paint over shed and fence treatment with basically anything. However, you can’t paint shed and fence treatment over wood stain or opaque paints. For that, you need to stick with opaque or wood stain.
What is the best paint finish for an outdoor fence?
Either matt paint or wood stain is the best finish for a fence. If you opt for a paint with a high sheen level, then it will highlight all the imperfections.
What is the best paint for treated wood fence?
If the fence has been tanalised, or treated in another way, you can still paint it. However, you should wait 12-months. Otherwise, your paint will not penetrate and adhere to the timber.
Should I prime fence before painting?
Providing you use the correct paint; your fence shouldn’t need priming first. Just double check the manufacturer’s instruction for the paint product you’re using.
What is the longest lasting fence finish?
An exterior wood stain may be expensive, but it will last up to 10 or 15 years on a fence. This far exceeds the expected lifespan of most shed and fence treatments.
Is it better to paint a fence or stain it?
This completely depends on your taste and what type of garden you have. An oil-based stain seems to last much longer and look better in natural looking gardens. Paint looks better for ornamental, built up gardens.
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