Need painter's advice

muncybob

After nearly 30 years we need to replace the wood fence at the barn. I bought rough cut boards late last summer and they should be ready to paint/install in another month or so. I was planning to stain them just like the old boards, but wonder if priming/painting would be a better way to go? Staining is a one step process but painting would be 2 steps unless I get a paint w/primer(which I've never used). Normally wouldn't care much about 2 steps but we are talking well over 100 boards. Any opinions?

pitdogg2

Paint with primer ? Marketing flim/flam 101, if you read the can on those it will tell you 2 coats are needed UNLESS it has already been primed.

Gardenstater

I would go with a solid or semi-solid stain. Less tendency to peel or chip. Will last a pretty long time on vertical surfaces of the fence. Horizontal will not last as long.

rebelsoul

Solid stain will peel just like paint.
Go with a oil based stain.
If you go the paint route use extreme bonding primer and a good exterior paint.

Jstas

You could always go with the stain you want and then use a spar urethane over it. The urethane will last a pretty long time and the wood will likely start to degrade before the finish does. But that makes the finish start to flake off too.

You can get the spar urethane from Minwax called "Helmsman" in gloss, semi-gloss and satin so if you don't want a shiny fence, go with the satin. Minwax is also the clearest of the spar urethanes I've seen with the least amount of hue changing.

The only thing to be wary of is that spar urethane usually has a higher resin content which will give it a yellowish tinge. On dark stains or natural wood, it's not a big deal but it can change the hue of lighter stains and if you are going to apply it over a white stain it will be apparent. But as wood ages, it naturally yellows and darkens from UV and it's not nearly as apparent 6-12 months after application. Except on white or gray stains where it looks like nicotine stains.

Spar urethane is far more durable than paints or just stains. Stains aren't very protective by themselves either. I remember when I was a kid and my dad got a new front door, unfinished. He stained it to the color my mom wanted and then covered it in a few coats of spar urethane. It took 23 years for the weather to beat it down enough where wood was exposed. All my dad did was sand it down to good wood again (maybe a 32nd of an inch), stain it again and put new spar urethane on. The inside of the door, though, is still on it's original finish with nothing more than regular cleaning with soap and water. I was 11 when he put that door up. So 34 years ago now.

dromunds

I use rough cut pine all the time and I quit painting, after I was told by an old barn builder to do so. The rough cut boards age with a beautiful patina. He said he built his barn in 1943, and the boards are still in good shape, he never painted them, and they looked great with a beautiful patina. Now I never have to paint which I hate more than just about any other chore. The old guy also said patina will not really appear on planed boards, and that planed boards rot much quicker, especially if painted, which is another reason I use rough sawn boards pretty exclusively now.

dromunds

Of course, rough sawn is not always an option but my point is that painting is not always a necessity. Aged rough sawn can be very attractive

rebelsoul

I did my parents fence with the semi solid stain and did with a brush and put a heavy coat and it lasted about 15 years.only down side it took 20 gallons . Make sure you use one with uv protection I used flood stain .

audioluvr

If you need to keep it from rotting, I would use an exterior wood preservative.

F1nut

The ultimate product for your job is creosote. Apply once and done forever. The only issue these days is it's only available to pros thanks to the disaster known as the EPA.

F1nut

The problem with film coatings, which includes spar varnish, paint, deck stains, etc. is it will eventually delaminate/peel.

I was out in horse country (big money) today. Since I saw this thread before I left I made note of the fences along my travels. Some were painted white, some appeared to be treated with creosote as they were very dark, but most by a long shot were left natural.

F1nut

I'll add this from my many years of sailing. Spar varnish only lasts a few years before it has to be sanded down to the wood and reapplied. Cetol, which is a spar varnish like product, but is not crystal clear, so it does a better job with UV light damage, might last 3 to 4 years.

My advice, never buy a boat with bright work (wood) on the topsides.

muncybob

I would probably leave it natural, but the Mrs will want it to match the barn which was stained brown many years ago,,,and actually is holding up fairly well. Creosote would likely stop a bored horse from chewing on it though, or kill it I guess and then we would have no need for the fence.

Jstas

If a horse is going to chew on it then you should do none of the above and leave it natural.

aprazer402

F1nut wrote: »

The problem with film coatings, which includes spar varnish, paint, deck stains, etc. is it will eventually delaminate/peel.

I was out in horse country (big money) today. Since I saw this thread before I left I made note of the fences along my travels. Some were painted white, some appeared to be treated with creosote as they were very dark, but most by a long shot were left natural.

Like this Maryland white fence, where Debbie Reynolds on the horse, getting ready to jump over it.

From "The Mating Game" 1959 movie, with Tony Randall, Paul Douglas...

F1nut

Yep, just like that.

muncybob

Jstas wrote: »

If a horse is going to chew on it then you should do none of the above and leave it natural.

Or get out the Irish Spring soap. I wonder if that's the soap Ralphy had to suck on.

newbie308

Depending on how much fence you are dealing with, I understand that black locust wood naturally resists wood boring insects and water damage. You might consider this rout in the future. No finish required.

rebelsoul

I own a painting company and a construction company
the best finish for wood is a semi-transparent or semi solid stain. This stain penetrates the wood and won't peel, unlike some solid-colour stains, which sit on the surface like paint and can peel and flake under some conditions

GospelTruth

rebelsoul wrote: »

I own a painting company and a construction company
the best finish for wood is a semi-transparent or semi solid stain. This stain penetrates the wood and won't peel, unlike some solid-colour stains, which sit on the surface like paint and can peel and flake under some conditions

This. My father was in the paint business and I worked in the store back in the day. Semi-transparent is the way to go if you want to stain. I would never paint as you will have to scrape and paint again sometime in the future. Semi-transparent, just coat again if needed sometime in the future. Go with something that has a color (not clear) as that will last longer for UV protection. My advice is stay away from CWF (a Flood product) as we used to call that Cheap Wood Finish. It didn't last but a year or two before you needed to recoat. Cabot Semi-Transparent would be my suggestion.