Our lot is about 1.5 acres so this has been a huge project. We wanted a more modern looking fence that matched our style and decided to go with a horizontal style fence. I’m so happy we did because we love how it turned out! We hired a professional to build the fence for us and now it is our turn to stain it! So today, I’m sharing my Tips For Staining a Fence with the help of True Value.
It’s no secret that I do my fair share of working with wood stain, but this was the first time I’ve done a project of this size. It was definitely a learning experience. Whenever we do a big project like this, I like to share my experience with you and talk about what worked, what didn’t and what I would do differently.
GUIDE TO STAINING A FENCE
Why You Should Stain A Fence
Staining our fence this summer was a big priority for a few difference reasons, 1) gives it a polished look and 2) it protects it from the rain and other weather. Considering how much rain we get in Seattle, it was really important that we got this done before the fall and winter (as if we haven’t had enough rain this summer!).
I’m actually a little surprised just how much of a difference the stain made! It really made the fence pop and look like an extension of our house.
Are you going to be staining your fence this summer? I’m going to take you through the process we used when staining our fence. There are a few different ways but here is what worked for us.
Supplies For Staining Your Fence
- Semi-Transparent All Weather Fence/Deck Stain
- Paint Sprayer
- 4″ Staining Brushes
- Rags
- Plastic Sheets
- Exterior Tape
Here is what our fence looked like before. Typically, you want to let your fence dry out for at least 24 hours before you stain it. But our fence is a little different. Instead of traditional fencing boards we actually used decking for the horizontal slats which is a lot thicker. So we let our fence dry out for 5-7 days before staining it.
The first step is prep work. We wanted to protect our house from overspray so we hung plastic sheets using exterior tape. Since we were working on a brand new fence we didn’t need to prep the wood, but if you were working on an older fence you may need to pressure wash it. Just do your own research on what works best for your type of fence.
Just like any project I work on, picking out the perfect color can sometimes be the hardest part. When working on a fence, it’s really important that you get a stain that is specifically made for staining a deck or a fence. We went with a Semi-Transparent All Weather Fence/Deck Stain with a built in acrylic sealer. This made a really big difference. I could tell the difference from just using my typical stain that I use on furniture and DIY Projects.
I’ve actually never used a paint sprayer to stain before so this was a little bit of a learning experience. It took us a few times to find our groove and discover what worked best for us in terms of the settings on the sprayer. The hardest part was managing the overspray (more on this later). We found that working on three rows at a time worked best. We used a light spray setting and stood about 12-18″ away. You also want to spray with the grain of the wood.
My husband would spray and then I would quickly follow with a staining brush and work the stain into the wood. This step needs to be done really quickly. The wood absorbed the stain super-fast, so if we didn’t work it in right away we were left with spots. These were less apparent once we applied the second coat, but you still want to be careful.
There were times when we would get overspray onto areas that we weren’t working on, like the picture above. If we brushed them in quickly enough it wasn’t a problem, but you will want to keep an eye out for them every time you spray. It really helped to have two of us brushing at the same time.
This is just to show you what a difference two coats of stain make! The second coat just adds so much richness.
When we applied the second coat, we would do one long brush stroke to finish off each panel. This helped smooth out the stain.
Now it’s time to landscape in front of the fence! But maybe that will have to wait until next year :)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of True Value. The opinions and text are all mine.
About Taryn Whiteaker
Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!
Your fencing looks absolutely stellar. Using a horizontal design approach is inspired. Thank you for all the great advice. Cheers, Ardith
Love the horizontal fence, colour is a good compliment to the house. Not sure about the sprayer. Thinking while not faster of using a brush only.
Thanks! I do a lot of staining projects and I’ve always just used a brush or a rag, this was my first time using a sprayer and I will say it saved a ton of time. It took a little while to get my groove with it, but I felt like it coated the wood faster than I could have dipped a brush and it gave it a thicker coat.
Can I ask how the fence looks now? How did the stain hold up? I love this color, but on the Home Depot site… I see some bad reviews on the stain lasting over a year and needing Redone each year. Really hoping that isn’t the case and we can go with it too! Thank you so much for your time and help!
Hey! We are three years in, and we definitely need to restain it again. It’s peeling off on a lot of places.
Absolutely love how your fence turned out!!! We just moved into a brand new house and have been putting off staining the fence partly because we’ve been dreading tackling such a huge task, but also because we’ve been stumped on what brand of stain we should use and color. Thanks so much for sharing all of your great tips! I looked up the link you provided for the stain, but I want to make sure I get the exact color you chose. There are several options on the website…light base, neutral base, rustic, etc. Can you please, please, tell me which color you used?
Thank you so much! I just sent you an email with the details :)
What a beautiful project! I was wondering the same thing on the stain color. Can you share that with me too? Thanks!
Thanks! Yes it’s BEHR Cordovan Brown Semi- Transparent
I love the color stain you chose. Can you please share the details of stain brand, store, etc. Thanks, Tina
Hi- I LOVE this! What color stain did you use?!
Hi I used a BEHR stain and honestly it hasn’t held up very well :(
What color is this?
Great job, love the horizontal look. Now for all my questions, hoping you’ll share. How tall is your fence? How many feet of fence did you stain? How many gallons of stain did you use? The cost of the stain for the entire job?
Hi Colleen! Our fence is the standard 6 ft high and we stained about 80ft of fence, front and back. I used about 6 gallons total, that included 2 full coats on the fence.
Do you suppose to stain a fence on the inside and the outside? Its the first time we are staining in 3 years?
Typically yes we stained both sides for a clean consistent look, but if you share a property line with neighbors be mindful that some places have ordinances about it or you need approvals.
Hi,
I am also about to embark on staining our fence as well. Curious which stain color you used? the color is beautiful!
Hello, thank you so much for very detailed information about making fence. In the purpose of my curiuos, how much time did you spend to build that beautiful thing?
Well, staining is one of the most important step in maintaining the health and quality of the fencing investment. It is just because hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters can wreak havoc on the wooden fences. But proper staining helps in protecting the fences from these undesired elements. Your blog describes some useful tips related to staining the fence. I genuinely found some of the tips very unique. That’s why I would like to say thank you for sharing such an useful info. I would share some of the benefits of fence staining in the following.
1)It prevents rotting.
2)It limits the UV damage.
3)It enhances the wood grain.
4)It increases the lifespan of the fence. Etc.
What stain brand/color did you use? I love it and am having a hard time finding a color like this. Thanks!
Hi! It’s BEHR Cordovan Brown in Semi-Transparent. We did three coats. I looked for a long time for the right color and this one is really great! it has a little bit of a taupe color to it.
You can really tell the difference between the number of coats applied. Not only do multiple coats look better, but they also provide more protection from the rain. I’ll have to remember your tips if I ever build a fence.
Your fence looks beautiful! We just started our horizontal fence and I’m worried about sagging. It looks like you used a support in the middle of your boards. Would you mind telling me more about that?
Hi. Were the slats sanded smooth before you stained or were they rough?
Hi! Because of the style of fence we went with, the horizontal look. We used decking versus true fence boards. So they were already smooth.
Hi, what type of decking wood did you use? Cedar, pine?
Hi Taryn!
Such a beautiful fence! I really love the finish. I think stain looks very good and natural on a fence. And what a clever idea to use paint sprayer!
Thank you for inspiration, maybe I need to get my husband to help me to paint our fence too!
Did yall build the fence yourself? If so, do you have a tutorial on your website? I love the horizontal look.
Hi there! Thanks so much! No, we didn’t build it ourselves we designed it and hired someone to build it for us.
I am just curious if you could give me the stain info that you guys used. I built the exact same fence (deck boards and all then came across your post lol. You have built exactly what I was trying to do but I can’t find the stain I want. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Beautiful. I appreciate the details on which you stained your fence. Very useful. thank you
What kind of wood is your fence made with? Pine or cedar? It looks great!
Hi! It’s actually decking wood and we are almost 100% sure it’s cedar :)