Wood Fence

Sealing, painting, and staining wood fences 

While synthetic fences require very little maintenance, your Superior wood fence will require maintenance to ensure your fence continues to look beautiful for years to come.  Finishing your fence with a sealant, stain, or paint is highly recommended for protection from the effects of sun, rain, and temperature changes on your wood. Depending on weather conditions and the pre-treatment process your wood has undergone, your wood fence should ideally be sealed, painted, or stained within 30 days to 6 weeks after installation. You do not want to seal your fence immediately after construction. Allowing 4 – 6 weeks will allow the wood to expand and contract with the amount of sunlight and temperature variations of your local climate.

Sealing your wood fence will offer a barrier against water. Wood sealers are available in transparent or semi-transparent options allowing the natural beauty of your wood to shine through.  It is recommended to apply a wood sealer that also contains UV stabilizers to lessen the impact of sun exposure. You should reseal your wood annually for continuous protection.

In order to stain your wood fence, the wood must be completely dry.  To determine if your wood is ready to be stained, sprinkle water onto it surface.  If the water beads, your wood is not ready to properly accept staining. Wait a few days, and retest until the water no longer beads from the surface of your wood.  Select a stain with the longest manufacturer’s warranty. Be sure that your stain also has a UV stabilizer and a water repellent.

When painting your wood fence, choose an alkyd oil-based primer.  You must prime every surface of your wood, including cut ends. Finish with two coats of top-quality acrylic latex paint.  As with staining, you must be certain that your wood is completely dry before priming and painting. Perform the sprinkle test by applying a few drops of water onto the surface of your wood.  If any beading occurs, wait, and test again in a few days. Paint must be reapplied as needed to maintain a beautiful finish. This could be annually, or otherwise, depending on your environmental conditions and the location of your wood fence.

Cleaning your wood fence

A low-pressure cleaning with a pressure washer will help keep the surface of your wood free of dirt and mold.  Use a mild soap that is formulated specifically for cleaning pressure-treated wood. Do not use high-pressure cleaning methods, or keep your pressure washing wand concentrated on one area.  Once your fence has been cleaned, allow it to completely dry, and reapply your weather-repelling sealant or stain.

Wood fence inspection, replacement, and disposal

Superior Fence & Rail will build your wood fence with only the best materials, including fasteners.  We use only hot-dipped galvanized ring shank nails to prevent rusting or wood separation. You should inspect your wood fence in regular intervals, noting any irregularities in your wood and your fasteners.  

If you have wood fence components that are being replaced, treated wood should be disposed of in landfills or burned in commercial incinerators or boilers.  Never burn wood from your fence in open fires, fireplaces, stoves, or residential boilers.

Wood fence warranty

Building Superior wood fences with pressure treated pine means that your fence line will remain beautiful and strong for many years to come.  The intensive wood pressure treatment acts as an inhibitor against wood rot, fungal decay, and termite damage. Your Superior wood fence warranty will include a minimum of 15 years for pickets, and lifetime protection for your posts and horizontal wood fence supports against those potential wood maladies.

Natural wood manifestations

There are many factors that will determine the overall performance of your wood fence.  Superior Fence & Rail recommends finishing your fence to further protect your wood from the harmful effects of the environment.  What are some of the natural properties of wood, which you might expect with your wood fence?

As wood dries, it will shrink slightly.  Superior Fence & Rail will build your wood fence to minimize gaps that might occur between wood components.  Other natural occurrences in wood properties might be splitting along the grain, bowing, or twisting. Such occurrences are dictated by the original cutting of the lumber, down to amount of moisture absorption. Wood will naturally undergo color fading.  Treated wood starts with a green hue, but as the treatment dries, your wood fence will fade to brown or weathered gray. You can achieve the wood color you wish by using a high-quality stain with UV protection and water repellence.

Wood Fence Care & Maintenance Guide

Wood Fence Company Locations in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida

Looking for a quality aluminum fence installation or supply?  Check out our newest locations in Raleigh, NC, Nashville, TN, and Pensacola, FL.