Are you renovating your home and want that garden fence to look nice and vibrant? Don’t like how your newly installed fence looks and want to switch things up?
As a homeowner, your fence is one of those things that influence how your home looks. Unfortunately, wooden fences require maintenance. Without it, they can quickly turn into an eye sore.
Now, as far as maintaining, revamping, or refreshing a fence goes, there are two options to consider. You can either paint or stain your fence. While both offer protection, they are far from the same.
So, what’s the difference, and which is better?
Table of Contents
Fence Painting
Paint is a high-build liquid pigment applied to a wooden fence to protect and add color or texture to the surface. Now, paint can be water- or oil-based and doesn’t slip into the wood but rather sits on top of it, creating a film-like layer once it’s all dried up.
If you choose to use paint as your preferred option, refresh your fence with a new coat regularly to avoid irreparable damage, preferably once a year if the weather conditions are harsh.
Fence Staining
Stain is a water- or oil-based product applied to a wooden fence to protect it and enhance its beauty. Unlike paint, stain doesn’t sit on top of the wood but rather seeps into the wood to provide a deeper treatment. Stains are mostly transparent or subtle so as not to hide the beauty of the timber. However, they also come in solid colors.
If you go with fence staining, you can refresh it every 3-6 years, depending on the weather conditions and how your fence holds.
Paint or Stain: Which is Better?
Let’s look at how the two options compare:
- Appearance: paint typically covers the wood completely, which means you will only see the color of the paint. Stain, conversely, doesn’t hide the grain of the wood. Rather, it sinks into the wood, enhancing its beauty.
- Longevity: With time, paint cracks and peels, which is why it’s recommended that you redo it annually. However, stain generally lasts much longer than paint and can be redone after three years or even longer.
- Application: Both stain and paint can be applied the same way. However, a stain has less prep work, is easier to apply, requires less specialized equipment, and, more importantly, is a lot more forgiving. However, if you want to achieve the best results, get professionals like Stain Guys to do the job for you.
- Color customization: stains and paints come in a variety of color options. However, stains have fewer colors than paints, with options leaning more toward natural wood colors. Paint, on the other hand, comes in all kinds of colors.
- Cost: Paint is generally cheaper than stain. However, this is a poor judge of what’s best for your fence, as you will need to buy more paint than stain in the long run.
Always Choose Professional Staining for Excellent, Long-Lasting Results
Your fence is no doubt exposed to all kinds of damaging elements. So, without proper maintenance, it will quickly wear out, costing you thousands in repairs or replacements. Staining is an excellent way to add protection and keep the beauty and integrity of your fence intact. That said, ensure you get professionals to do the job for maximum value for your money.
