Advice and Ideas for Painting Your Fence. Wrap Your Garden in Fantasy

Summer is the best time to paint your fence, because the paint dries faster and sets into the wood better. A painted fence will withstand seasonal weather conditions better, not rot and improve the look and style of your garden. But you can do more with a wooden fence than apply a fresh coating of paint. You can create an actual painting which you’ll always be pleased to see surrounding your garden. Here are some advice and ideas for painting your fence, so all you have to do is let your imagination run free to enhance the color and look of your garden.

It’s always recommended to check the weather forecast for at least 24 hours prior to applying paint as you should only paint your fence in dry conditions. Try to wait until the fence is in the shade before you start work – if the wood is too hot, the paint will dry too quickly and won’t get a chance to soak into the wood properly. The paint can only fully protect the timber if it’s allowed to soak in.

Choose the right product, that is wood paint for the outdoors, oily enough to be easily wiped clean.

If you also use primer or undercoat on your panels before you paint, you’ll increase the lifespan of your wood which means you won’t need to redecorate as often.

Advice and ideas for painting your fence. Prepping

Firstly, make sure your plants and vegetation are protected by covering them in plastic sheeting. If required trim back any of the foliage to give yourself space to work.

If any plants are still resting on the fence panels and can not be covered by plastic sheeting or cut back, then pin them back temporarily using plant ties and canes.

Move any garden furniture out of the way or cover it to protect it from splashes.

Start to prepare your fence panels by removing any old nails or screws sticking out of them. Then sand down any rough areas or splinters sticking out off the panels to ensure they are as smooth and flat as possible to assure a better finish.

Make sure your fence is clean, otherwise the paint won’t soak into the wood. If the fence is sturdy enough you can use a power washer or a sturdy brush. Remove any algae, lichen, fungi or moss using an appropriate fungicidal wash and scrub any mould with a suitable fence cleaner. Let the timber dry completely before you start painting.

Pre-treat any bare or untreated wood with an appropriate wood preserver to prevent rot and decay.

Advice and ideas for painting your fence. Applying paint

Now that you have your work surface ready, you can get to the creative work. Apply paint downwards to make up the picture you want. Make sure you apply paint evenly everywhere, between the vertical panels and beneath the horizontal ones, so your whole fence surface is protected.

Here’s what lovely works you can make.

Credits: homebase.co.uk

Photo credits: acasa.ro, Pinterest/lorigomezart.com, decorateyourfence.com, ruthola-writeaway.blogspot.ro, myamazingthings.com, agardening.com, ebsqart.com