By Living Room Realty, June 20, 2018
One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Portland several years ago is the number of wooden fences in disrepair. It’s a weird thing to notice, I know, but it’s true – I hate the look of a sunbaked/water-damaged/otherwise sad fence. Luckily, the solution suggested by Las Vegas Fence Company is (relatively) easy and inexpensive, but it requires a little elbow grease. If you’ve just bought a home that has an untreated fence, deck or railing, the best option is to stain/seal it as soon as humanly possible. If your fence is already in disrepair, not all is lost.
I recommend starting out with a good pressure washing. You can either rent a pressure washer or purchase one at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Mine is a 3400psi model that cost around $600. I use it ALL. THE. TIME. as a homeowner, and I think it’s a great investment! The trick is to very carefully wash your fence so you don’t damage the wood. You want to clean it but not knock sections of wood out of it with the insane pressure.
Once you’ve cleaned it and let it dry out a couple days, check the forecast. You don’t want there to be any chance of rain within 24 hours of staining/sealing. Then, head to your favorite hardware store to purchase your stain. I personally prefer this product in natural cedartone as it only requires one coat and holds up pretty well. I use a combination of a 4″ and a 2.5″ Wooster stain brush (depending on if I’m doing detail work or large planks). My method is to go fast and heavy and really grind it into the wood.
Some will recommend using a roller or sprayer (or spraying then back rolling/brushing), but I still prefer the brush for precision and really saturating the wood. I also find it a little bit zen to paint with a brush. Try to keep a wet edge so you don’t have any ugly overlapped spots.
No worries if it’s not perfect – just get it done! Your home and pocketbook will thank you when you increase the value of your home and avoid prematurely replacing the fence!
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