Painting a Fence: The Basics

The world is a canvas, and your yard a work of art. If you’re looking to make your house a thing of beauty, you need a beautiful fence to serve as the border. A fence marks the edge of one’s territory, but it does so much more. A fence lets the world know how much of it is yours. It’s the first thing people see when they look at your property– let the world know that you take pride in you appearances. First impressions are important, after all. But like with most forms of art, it takes knowledge and effort to do it right. Here are a few fundamental tips from which you can lay the foundation of a beautifully painted fence.

An Artist Is Only as Good as Their Tools

If you’re looking to make something that looks good and lasts a long time, you need something that’s made from quality materials. Often, that means sacrificing cheapness for quality. While it can be tempting to save a buck and buy a cheaper form of paint, it often won’t have what you need to make it last, or it may lack the luster that a name-brand form of paint might have. That’s not to say that price means quality, however. Good paint can go on sale, for example.

You’ll also need a good brush. Not all paint brushes are created equal, nor even of the same make. There are two types of brushes: synthetic and natural. If you’re looking to paint a fence with an oily paint, natural-fiber brushes are the best fit for the job. If you’re looking to paint a fence with a latex paint, use a synthetic brush. It’s best to choose a brush that’s a little thinner than the area it’ll be covering in order to avoid slathering the wrong kind of paint over a different area.

A thinner brush may require more strokes across the panels of a fence, but it’ll save you time and effort in the long run by avoiding a scenario in which you’ve accidentally covered a part of the fence with the wrong kind of paint. High-quality paint brushes have split ends, which can be seen at the edge of the bristles.

Application of Materials

Before you can actually begin painting, you need to prepare your fence to be painted. It’s not as simple as skipping right to the fun part. First, you have to hose your fence or pressure-wash it to get rid of any dirt or debris that might be clinging onto it. Next, you apply a layer of primer. You want two layers if you want to ensure the highest quality possible. You need to use the highest grade paint primer you can buy to make a beautiful fence. Finally, map out which areas of the fence you want to take care of first. Don’t try to do everything at once. Some of the paint may drip onto lower areas, spoiling what would have been a perfect layer of paint, so start from top to bottom in different segments, until the fence has been fully painted.

If you want even more tips and tricks, feel free to call our phone (1-800-221-6425), or visit us in person at one of our convenient locations in Swainsboro, Vidalia, Statesboro, or Sandersville! We’ll be happy to assist you in any way we can.