Best Paint for a Timber Gate

I’ve been a professional decorator almost all my working life. In this blog, I want to talk about the best paint for a timber gate. It just so happens I painted one recently, so I may as well take you through the process I took and the products I used. I hope it helps.

The wooden gate I painted was about three years old, and it had previously been treated with some sort of oil, but that had long since failed. My client asked me to paint a colour on one side, but she wanted to keep the other looking as natural as possible, but we’ll get into all that later.

I’ll start by sharing a little bit of insight, but feel free to skip ahead in the blog if you’re just looking for product recommendations.

Stain Vs Paint for a Wooden Gate

If your gate is bare or treated wood, then you have a choice on whether to paint them or use a woodcare product like stain, varnish, or HD wood oil. This is quite a difficult choice to make, simply because paint looks better, but woodcare products last a lot longer (with a slight caveat about the maintenance of HD wood oil).

Most gates are made from soft wood, and even though you can go to lengths to seal the surface properly, they often still contain water. This means the wood can swell and contract more than other surfaces do.

Exterior paints have some flexibility, but they do fail after a period. Paint on fascia boards seems to last a decade or more, but on a timber gate, it might only last 2-4 years. (Paint on hardwood gates lasts longer).

Stain might not look as nice as paint, but it absorbs into the wood, seals it better, and lasts a lot longer. HD wood oil looks better than stain, but you should apply a maintenance coat every year to protect it.

There’s no right or wrong answer, and I’ll take you through both types of products in this blog.

The Best Treatment for a Wooden Gate

Ok, let’s start with the “natural” looking side of the gate. The first thing I did was sand the timber to remove the previous treatment. The best tip I can give you when sanding timber before applying oil or varnish, is to always go with the grain. If you go the wrong way, you will see scratches through the oil.

The oil I went for was Fiddes HB Wood Oil. This is a British made product, suitable for exterior timber. Touch dry in an hour and recoat after 4. I love this product for a few reasons. It is extremely easy to use, and it doesn’t take very long to apply. It doesn’t alter the colour of the timber very much, but it does bring out the grain and make the wood look richer. Ensure you apply at least 3 coats, sanding lightly in between. Available online by clicking here.

If you want a recommendation for the best brush to use, go for the Ciret Tank for oils and varnishes. It holds onto thin materials very well and is soft enough to really work it into the timber.

The Best Paint for a Timber Gate

My client asked for a nice, pale green on the “painted side”. I sanded and dusted the gate as standard. Because I was unsure about what the gate was treated with originally, and I wanted to prevent tannins from bleeding through, I opted to start by giving the timber a coat of Zinsser Cover Stain. This is an oil-based adhesion primer / stain block that can be used inside or out. You can dilute it for any porous surfaces such as weathered timber. Available online here.

Once dry, I filled the imperfections with HB42 wood filler, then sanded again. This gave me the perfect base on which to work!!

The paint choice for my topcoats on this particular wooden gate was Wethertex MS11, which is a multi-surface renovation paint. Fully water-based, great opacity, easy to use and looks fantastic!! I like MS11 for any project like this, simply because the finish is so much better than some of the comparable products. There are no visible brush marks and you’re left with a contemporary matt finish with a fantastic depth of colour. Available online.

However, my usual multi surface paint is Zinsser AllCoat, simply because it has most of the same qualities as Wethertex, but it seems to last a lot longer. It’s more widely available too, so it’s easier to get hold of. Either of these paints will be fine, but my recommendation is Zinsser AllCoat.

Allcoat works great without an undercoat, however you will need a primer or undercoat if you’re using it in white and going for a colour change. Click here to see online prices.

The finish on both sides of the gate is fantastic, which is in part down to the products I used.

FAQs

What paint to use on a wooden gate?

An exterior multi-surface paint like Zinsser AllCoat is the best paint to use on a wooden gate.

What is the best finish for wooden gates?

Most people use a satin or eggshell finish on a wooden gate. This is because high gloss tends to show imperfections in the timber, so it’s difficult to get it looking right.

Is it better to paint or stain a wooden gate?

Paint looks better, but stain lasts longer.

How do you clean a wooden gate before painting?

A product like Zinsser Mould Killer is perfect if you have algae on the gate. You simply spray it on, then allow to dry. Zinsser Cleaner and Degreaser will help remove contaminants.

Can you use masonry paint on wooden gates?

I’m a firm believer that you should only use paint for the purpose it was made for, however I know a lot of other Decorators who have no problem painting wood with masonry paint. If you are going to use masonry paint, ensure you use a good primer or undercoat first.