Wood fence restoration: pressure washing and a fresh coat of paint

On a fence like this, restoration means a careful repaint. The boards were sound and only the coating had failed, so the job was fence painting done properly: wash, scrape, let it dry, then paint.

What did the fence look like before and after?

Before, the paint was peeling off in long strips. The photo shows wood fence panels stepping down a grassy slope, each with an arched top rail between square white posts with caps. At the top end is a lattice screen with a round white ring set into it like a window.

The panels had been light blue-grey, but the colour had faded and orange-brown bare wood showed on almost every board. The lattice had weathered to brown where the paint was gone. The white on the posts and rails was worn and flaking.

A raised flower bed behind a fieldstone wall sits in front of the screen.

After, the boards and lattice are one even blue-grey with no bare wood showing. The posts, caps, arched rails and round window are bright white again, and the line between the two colours is clean. The flower bed is still in place.

Why was the fence paint peeling?

Usually it’s moisture. Purdue University’s extension bulletin Paint Failure Problems and Their Cure names moisture as the most common cause of early paint failure on wood, and says paint tends to fail first at the ends and edges of boards.

The USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook describes how it happens on fences. Paint cracks where two pieces of wood meet, water gets in through the cracks, and the paint then slows the wood from drying out.

How long can bare fence wood wait for new paint?

Not long. Bare wood turns grey in the weather, and the Wood Handbook warns that badly weathered wood with loose fibres on the surface can’t hold paint. Its test results make the case for repainting while the bare patches are fresh:

Wood that stays wet can also start to decay, which turns a paint job into a fence repair job.

How do you restore a peeling painted fence?

You strip off what’s loose, dry the wood, and repaint. It goes in this order:

1. Cover or protect the plants along the fence, since paint chips and wash water land right on them.
2. Pressure wash at low pressure with a wide fan tip to take off dirt and loose paint. The Wood Handbook notes that power washing works well on loosely bonded paint, but the pressure needed to blast off paint that’s still stuck tight can gouge the wood.
3. Scrape any paint that’s still loose back to a firm edge. Purdue’s bulletin starts surface prep the same way: scrape off all loose paint, then clean.
4. Let the wood dry completely. Trapped moisture is what lifted the old paint, so Purdue has the surface thoroughly dry before anything new goes on.
5. Paint the boards and lattice evenly. Lattice is slow work, because a roller can’t reach into the small openings.
6. Cut in the white trim by hand, so the posts, caps and rails meet the blue-grey in a straight line.

Rotten boards or loose posts get fixed before step 5. Fresh paint on failing wood doesn’t last.

Is it better to paint or stain a fence that’s already painted?

Stick with paint. A semi-transparent stain works by soaking into bare wood, and Purdue’s bulletin Selection and Application of Exterior Finishes for Wood notes that once a coating has dried on the surface, it seals the wood so the next coat can’t soak in.

The Wood Handbook says a solid-colour stain can usually go over paint, but it forms a film much like paint anyway. Our guide on fence painting vs staining compares the two on cost and lifespan.

How long does fence paint last?

Plan on repainting every several years. Purdue’s bulletin says one top coat of good acrylic latex paint over a primer should last four to five years on a house, and two top coats up to 10. A fence has no roof overhang to shelter it, so don’t count on the top of that range.

These habits help the new paint last:

• Point sprinklers away from the fence. Water hitting the same boards every day keeps them wet.
• Keep mulch, soil and snow off the bottom of the boards.
• Wash the fence in spring with a soft brush and a garden hose. For mildew, the Wood Handbook’s remover is one part household bleach to three to five parts warm water with a little powdered detergent. Never mix bleach with anything containing ammonia, and keep it off your plants.
• If you use a pressure washer, keep the pressure low and the fan tip wide. Our guide to pressure washing decks, fences and interlock covers the settings.
• Touch up small spots as soon as they lift, especially at board ends and the bottom edge.

If your fence looks like the before photo, see our fence painting and staining service or text a photo of your fence to (437) 684-2535. We work across Markham and nearby, and the quote visit is free.