Fence paint how long to dry

Wood paint is specially designed for the task in hand, which means it is tough, durable and in most cases, can be wiped clean. Most colours and stains have been specially developed to colour and protect sheds, fences and other garden wood. Painting by hand will take some time so you might want to consider using a pump or power sprayer pumps are five times faster than using a brush and power sprayers are 10 times faster.

If using a sprayer, you should also ensure that you do not use it on a windy day as this could blow paint onto other areas of your garden. Firstly, make sure your plants and vegetation are protected by covering them in plastic sheeting. If required trim back any of the foliage to give yourself space to work. If any plants are still resting on the fence panels and cannot be covered by plastic sheeting or cut back, then pin them back temporarily using plant ties and canes.

Start to prepare your fence panels by removing any old nails or screws sticking out of them, any hanging baskets or decorations and any other objects that may be in the way. Then sand down any rough areas or splinters sticking out of the panels to ensure they are as smooth and flat as possible to assure a better finish. Apply a layer of primer to all the panels and let it dry completely, this will give a better finish to the final result and increase the lifespan of your paint.

Next, use a large brush to paint the fence panels with your selected colour; use horizontal strokes for horizontal panes of wood, and vertical strokes for vertical panes of wood. Following the direction of the timber grain will give you a better, smoother finish and allow you to get all surface area on show covered much easier. Start at the top and work your way down — this way you can catch any drips. If your fence is constructed from lap panels, make sure there are no drips escaping down the other side of the fence.

Alternatively, you can use a specially designed spray paint or a spray gun which can paint an entire fence in just a few minutes and makes it easier to paint evenly.

Use a brush to make sure you paint the small spaces between panels and posts. If required, apply a second coat of paint to the panels, but most good quality fence paint generally only need one coat.

Remove all plastic covering from your plants and vegetation and any temporary plant ties and canes you used. Clean your brushes as soon as you finish to preserve them for future use. Oil-based paints are thicker than water-based, so they require white spirit to remove all paint traces. Rainwater contains dirt and particulates that will stick to the fence even after the wood has dried out, so you will need to remove these before you consider painting.

A hard rain may also cause dirt to splash up onto the fence from the ground. Apply the paint to the wood in smooth, even up-and-down strokes in order to achieve a uniform texture and quality. Do not try to get it perfect on the first coat, as most fences will take at least two and possibly more coats of paint before they achieve that attractive quality you are looking for. Give the paint several hours to dry -- exact drying time can be found on your paint can -- then apply additional coats as necessary.

Joshua Benjamin began as a professional freelance writer in He has successfully published numerous articles spanning a broad range of topics. If applied to wet woods, the stain will be thin and will eventually wash off after a few sizable rains.

It is simply better to stain wood when dry. If it rains before the paint surfaces dry the rain will wash some of the paint off that were painted last. This is rarely a problem because the surfaces, when dry the next day, can just be repainted. Oil base takes longer to dry and therefore rain should not be in the forecast for about 24 hours.

As long as the primer dried before the rain a week or 2 of the primer exposed is fine. Like stated you may have to give it a light sanding before the finish goes on.

Using a hard bristle hand brush or broom, brush away debris and dirt from all areas of the fence that shall be painted. Scrape before you Paint. If the old paint is flaking, cracked or chipping, then you'll need to scrape the fence before moving onto the next step.

Wash and Dry. And you should wax it too. The wash and wax will allow your vehicle to shed the water off so it does as little damage to the paint as possible. While rain by itself won't hurt your paint job , rain mixed with city pollution can have a detrimental effect. A good rule of thumb is to wait a month or two if the fence is made with dry materials.

This will allow it to weather enough but not too much. If the fence is made with pressure treated materials it may be months for the posts to dry enough and can be checked with a moisture meter.

An advanced exterior paint combining the best features of oil and latex for superior color retention, adhesion, penetration and durability.

The Short Answer. Yes, you can paint both the exterior and interior of your house when it rains , though there are limitations when it comes to painting exteriors. There are no reasonable limitations when it comes to painting interior surfaces when it is raining outside. Typically, your second coat of latex paint can be applied two to four hours after the first coat.

If you're using an oil-based interior paint, it is often best to wait 24 hours between coats.