That is the question on a lot of home and business owners’ minds. A wooden fence is a great option for security and privacy, but it’s also an expensive investment that you will want to protect long-term. 

For that reason, once you’ve installed a wood fence, you’ll want to keep it looking good to ensure it lasts you a lifetime. To do that, it must be treated, stained, or painted on a regular basis. 

The most popular methods people use to protect their wooden fences are by painting or staining them. Both options are visually appealing and aid in preventing damage to the wood, thereby extending its life. 

But which is best? The truth is, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. 

We enlisted the help of long-term Stax Manchester customer and handyman Stephen Fish to weigh up the options. He’s painted a few fences in his time and has also sampled both options as well providing his customers with long-term maintenance. 

Painting 

Paint coats the fence’s surface completely, often concealing the timber. The result is a complete, more dramatic makeover that can provide long-lasting protection. 

One thing to consider is that any coating will wear out over time and can look unappealing if not repainted. Repainting a fence every two to three years, or whenever any imperfections appear, is recommended to avoid peeling and cracking. Good preparation between coats is necessary to get the perfect finish. 

Some paints can also limit the wood’s ability to breathe. This can result in an increase in moisture content below the protective surface, leading to trapped moisture and rotting issues. Always make sure you use a modern product that doesn’t swap opacity for breathability. 

In terms of cost, paint is typically less expensive to buy than woodstain and can last longer. However, you should keep in mind that maintenance coats in future years will cost money and in some cases you may have to scrape off, sand and prepare the old paint before recoating. 

Stephen says: 

“Painting fences is quite popular at the moment. A lot of people have lived with the natural finish of a pre-treated fence and as weathering occurs, they now want to make a statement. Paint offers a constant on-trend solution, and many colours are available. Paints have high opacity and so any colour can be applied over any previous colour to achieve the desired results. In some cases, first-time applications of paint can be more labour-intensive. You may need to apply more coats and prep a sound base if you’re going for a complete colour change. It also requires regular maintenance to stay in tip-top condition. The flip side of that is that you really can make your own statement about the colour palette that you choose.''

Staining 

Unlike paint, stains or wood treatments generally soak into the fence to provide a more thorough treatment that enhances the natural beauty of wood. This eliminates peeling and cracking issues and requires far less preparation than opaque paints. 

To give you an idea of ongoing maintenance tasks, a good pressure-wash with a proprietary cleaner is usually all that is needed to remove any loose material before re-staining a wooden fence. Sanding is not recommended between stain coats as it can block the microporous action of a woodstain and lead to future issues. Always check the label for recommendations. 

There are various types of stains available, from almost transparent to ‘semi-solid’ and everything in between. As a general rule, the more solid-in-colour a stain is, the more protection it provides, but less of the wood is visible. Bear this is mind for the future as, unlike paints, stains can only be applied in darker shades as time goes on. 

A semi-transparent stain, for example, will provide the necessary protection while preserving the natural beauty of the original wood.

Stephen says: 

“A lot of customers like to see the grain and knots - it’s the natural beauty of wood. Whether they’ve got a wooden fence, decking or furniture, they like it to reflect whatever wood it’s made from and woodstain enables them to do this. Provided the colour chosen is darker than the original wood, you can actually make wood appear more expensive than it actually is, for example using a mahogany stain over pine. In my case, I often prefer woodstain. The only reason I say that is because, if you’ve gone to the effort and expense to install a wood fence, it’s nice to enhance its natural beauty. It all comes down to personal preference, and what style the customer is looking to make. As time goes on, or if you have tired of the wooden look, paint can transform a tired old fence into something that looks brand-new. Far beyond the possibility of wood-coloured stains."

The final verdict 

It all boils down to what you and the customer want to accomplish. If you’re aiming for a more dramatic change in the appearance of the fence and don’t mind a more intense preparation schedule, go with paint. If you want less intensive prep or a more natural-looking fence, stain is your best bet - but just be aware of your colour options as time goes on. 

Painting and staining are both excellent ways to protect and update the appearance of your fence, and there are a number of products that can help you do so. 

We stock paints and woodstains from all the leading brands including Dulux, Ronseal and Sadolin, so when you’ve made your decision, be sure to stock up at your local branch or online.