Best paint for external fence?

[cynthial]

I need to repaint and fence. It is currently painted black and I plan to use a similar colour. Is it better to use normal low sheen external paint or could I use a paint stain. It won’t be able to clean the fence completely so not sure if normal external paint would be the best option.

[Nailbag]

Hi @cynthial 

Since the fence has been previously painted then repainting not staining is the go. If you head in to the paintshop at Bunnings they will be able to show you a range of suitable exterior paints that can be mixed to your choice of colour. The paint will be water-based so easy clean up. I would use cheap fence wide brim fence brushes to apply the paint. The hairs will wear relatively quickly, hence buying just cheaper ones, to be more disposable.

Regards, nailbag

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @cynthial. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about painting a fence.

Some great advice from @Nailbag there. I'd agree that painting is really the only option as a stain would likely not work well over existing paint.

You will need to clean the fence, though. Do you have a pressure washer? Blasting it down would be a good start, but ultimately, you should wash it down with a scrubbing brush and Sugar soap.

When you come to paint the fence, I highly recommend picking up a paint sprayer; it will make painting the fence a breeze. Even a budget-friendly option like the Ozito 400W Power Paint Spray Gun will do a great job. 

Here's a helpful step-by-step guide: How to spray paint a fence.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell