How to Paint a Fence

There’s no better or quicker way to brighten up your garden than by sprucing up your fence, but that doesn’t mean you have to fork out for a brand new one. Just repainting your existing fence takes only a few hours and has a huge impact on the way your outside space looks. Whether you opt for the traditional brush or roller method or try out a paint sprayer, we’ve put together a guide on how to paint your fence right.

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To paint a fence, you’ll need to prepare the fence firstly by checking the weather, clearing the area, cleaning the fence, making any necessary repairs, priming the surface and covering any surroundings. Then you’ll apply the paint with either a paintbrush or a paint sprayer. Paint sprayers are faster for large fences but require the right paint type and technique. You’ll need to spray in the direction of the panels, maintain a steady distance, and cover areas you don’t want painted. On the other hand, painting with a brush gives you greater control, especially around gaps or obstacles. Use a wide brush or roller for efficiency and always following the wood grain.
Before painting your fence, check the weather in case it’s not suitable for painting that day.

How to prepare a fence for painting

Before you start painting the fence, there’s a few things you need to take care of first.

Start by checking the weather: you’ll need a few days without rain to get the best results.

Clear the area around the fence: this includes anything that obstructs the fence, such as furniture and plants or clipping back overgrown trees.

Clear the fence itself: remove nails, trellises, hanging baskets, and anything else on the fence.

Clean the fence: first, use a stiff brush to clear off any dirt, cobwebs or other debris. You can then use a pressure washer or warm, soapy water and a sponge to wash the fence panels. Lastly, rinse it with clean water and let it dry completely.

Make repairs to the fence: use wood filler to repair any cracks or holes, and replace any majorly damaged panels.

Prime the fence: before you start painting, you’ll need to sand the fence to remove splinters and create a smooth canvas for the paint to adhere to. Then apply a wood preserver for extra protection; this may need a couple of coats a few hours apart.

Cover the surroundings: for instance, if your fence intersects with a patio, you’ll want to put a tarpaulin over the slabs to stop paint splatters or spillages. You’ll also want to do this for nearby furniture, especially if you’re using a paint sprayer as there may be some overspray. For anything attached to or backing onto the fence like a metal gate, use masking tape to cover it.

Preparing a weathered fence for painting

There are several further steps you may need to take if the fence you’re painting is weathered.

Inspect for damage: any loose boards, rot, or protruding nails need to be dealt with beforehand.

Strip old paint or stain: you’ll need to scrape off any flaking paint or stain and sand any stubborn patches for a smooth surface.

Treat mould, algae and mildew: you can apply a mould remover or diluted bleach, and let it sit before rinsing it off thoroughly. You can find out more about treatment techniques with our how to remove algae from fence panels guide.

To make sure you achieve immaculate results, you’ll need the following tools for your paint project.

Paint sprayer
Pressure washer or bucket of warm, soapy water & a cloth
Stiff brush or wire brush
Wood filler (if necessary)
Sandpaper and a sander (if necessary)
Tarpaulin (if necessary)
Masking tape
Wood preserver
Paint brushes & rollers
Exterior wood paint
Exterior wood primer
Goggles
Gloves
Mask

How to use a paint sprayer on a fence

The quickest way to paint your fence is with a paint sprayer. This can be particularly useful if you’ve got a larger fence as it can really cut down the time it’ll take to complete. It’s important to note that only certain paints are compatible with a paint sprayer, and they may need to be watered down before being put into the device, so check the paint’s packaging before you start.

Top tip: it’s a good idea to wear goggles, gloves, and a mask as you paint.

Test the sprayer on a piece of cardboard first. This helps to make sure the sprayer is spreading the paint evenly.

Spray in the direction of the panels. If your panels stand up vertically, spray up and down. If they lay horizontally, spray side-to-side. Make sure the nozzle on the sprayer is horizontal for vertical panels and vertical for horizontal panels.

As you spray, maintain the same distance from the fence throughout. Ideally, this should be around 10 - 30cm.

Change the angle you’re spraying at between coats. This will help the paint to cover any gaps and overlaps between the panels, so nothing gets missed.

When you get to the top of the fence, place a piece of cardboard at the border. This will stop any overspray from getting onto your neighbour’s plants or onto their side of the fence. Make sure to do this all the way across the fence.

Some paints will need a few coats. Leave the first coat to completely dry before applying any more coats. Check your paint’s instructions to see how many coats are recommended.

Thoroughly clean out the sprayer. Any paint left in the device can clog it up and make it more difficult to use next time.

For more information on this process, check out our detailed guide on spray painting a fence.

Tips for painting your fence with a brush

Painting a fence with a brush will take longer, but it’s better for precision and application around obstacles, so you can achieve a professional finish when painting. It’s also a good idea to use a brush if your fence panels have large gaps between them to avoid a paint sprayer covering your neighbour’s garden. Here’s how to paint your fence with a brush:

Use a wide exterior brush that’s been dipped in plenty of paint.

Working on one panel at a time, brush in the direction of the wood grain, working the paint into every crevice. Begin at the top and move towards the bottom of each panel.

If you’ve got a particularly large surface area to paint, a roller might be more efficient. Load it up with paint and roll along the wood grain, panel by panel. Then use a brush to get into any nooks and crannies that the roller couldn’t reach.

Leave the paint to fully dry before applying another coat.

To fix peeling paint before you apply a fresh layer, you should scrape off all loose paint using a plastic scraper, sand the surface to make it smooth and then clean away any dust, dirt or remnants of the sanding. Next, apply a suitable primer for the outdoors and repaint with a weather-resistant paint.

You’ll need to make sure you have a clean, smooth surface ready for painting, and use a metal-specific primer and paint. You can do this by removing any rust or old paint using a wire brush or sandpaper, clean the metal from any grease or dirt and then apply a rust-inhibiting metal primer, before finishing off with a weather-resistant metal paint for longevity purposes.

Painting a picket fence can be a bit more tedious than a standard fence. Here’s what we recommend:

Prior to painting, clean between the slats and along the pointed tops as this is where dirt tends to collect.
Sand each picket to make sure any rough edges have been smoothened out, and to prevent splinters.
Use a small or angled sash brush so you can reach the narrow gaps and decorative shapes.

If you’re painting a tall fence, you’ll be working at height. Here’s our tips to ensure safety and professional results:

Use an extension pole and attach your brush or roller to reach the highest sections.
Start from the top and work down so you don’t have to worry about drips.
Apply the paint in vertical sections, and make sure you’re paying extra attention to the top edge as that’s where water tends to settle.

And that’s it. With just a lick of paint on your fence, your garden will have a whole new lease of life. Whether you go for speed with a paint sprayer, or precision with a brush, this small fix can have a huge impact. Not sure which paint to go for? Read our article on choosing the best fence paint for your job.

FAQs

You can paint concrete fence posts, but they will require a different preparation and application method to your wooden fence panels, as well as different paint. You’ll likely need epoxy-based paint or masonry paint, so that it’s weatherproof.

Most fence paint will be dry to the touch after a couple of hours, but you’ll need to wait anywhere between 4 and 12 hours before you can apply a second coat. This is because it takes longer for it to fully cure on the wood. To be safe, it’s best to wait 24 hours.

You technically can paint over green algae, but you really shouldn’t if you want a long-lasting finish. The algae will continue to grow under the paint, causing peeling, and your fence will need repainting much sooner than if you just cleaned the algae off prior to painting.

Using a sponge can be a really efficient way to paint your fence. It’s not the cleanest job, but it’s one of the quickest. Dip the whole sponge into your paint can (wear gloves for this) and wipe it onto the fence. This method gets into all the crevices in the wood and gives you a thick and consistent coat.

You’ll want to opt for a roller that’s medium-to-long-nap (10-19mm) that’s suitable for rough or textured surfaces, and exterior paint.

All you need to do is rinse off any excess paint and then clean the brushes in warm, soapy water. Then let them dry flat on a surface.

Usually, you can expect fence paint to last between 2-5 years, but this’ll depend on the paint used, weather conditions and the condition of the wood prior to painting.