Sometimes life doesn’t always go the way we plan and projects can get pushed aside. If you don’t manage to get around to painting your fence in the spring or summer, you may think you have missed your chance until the following year. However, if you plan accordingly, you can still paint your fence in winter.
You may feel inclined to leave your fence until the warmer months come back around, and whilst we don’t blame you, there are a few reasons why you should consider doing it sooner rather than later.
Reasons to paint your exterior wood now
Paint will protect your wood
Using a high quality paint such as Owatrol Shed & Fence Paint will protect your wood from damaging moisture and UV rays. Shed & Fence Paint contains E-B (a mix in bonding primer), which gives it excellent adherence without the need for lengthy preparation and priming.
It is available in 35 different shades and when applied to bare wood is guaranteed* against flaking and peeling for 15 years on vertical surfaces. Shed & Fence Paint is perfect for creating a signature look to your exterior wood and provides unsurpassed protection against UV damage and moisture problems.
It can be too hot to paint in the summer
You may not be aware but it can be too hot to apply paint during the summer. Having very high temperatures and direct sun can make the water in the paint evaporate too quickly. As a result, the paint will thicken up and be very difficult to get an even application.
It will also be difficult to keep a wet edge and brushes or rollers will not flow nicely. Cans of paint can skin over very quickly too. It also makes it difficult for the paint to form a strong and stable film if the surface is too hot.
Most paints need to be applied between 10-30°C but be sure to check your specific paint as they do vary.
Add colour and interest to your garden during winter
Once autumn is over and winter is officially here, our gardens can look a bit lacklustre. With no more bright colourful flowers or pretty autumnal leaves, our outdoor spaces can look a bit dull, so painting your fences is a great way to have a pop of colour in your garden all year round!
It is easier to paint once flowers and plants have stopped growing
If you have a lot of flowers and plants on or near your fences, you may find it easier to paint in the autumn and winter months. This is because any blooms will have died off and leaves will have fallen, making it much easier for you to get to your fences without the worry of knocking off flowers or snapping stems!
Other tips for painting your fence in winter
There are various things you should consider before painting, but our top tips to make sure you get the best results possible are:
- Avoid low temperatures – usually, you will want to avoid days below 10°C but some paints can be applied at 5°C
- Check the weather forecast – the paint will need adequate time to dry. Be sure to paint when there is low wind, low humidity and no rain is predicted
- Try to avoid direct sunlight – slightly overcast or lightly cloudy days are best
- Use a paint conditioner – allows for a more professional looking finish
Other ideal weather conditions for painting outdoors can be found in our previous blog post.
Can I paint a new wood fence in winter?
New wood often has a hard shiny surface known as mill glaze on it. This is something that naturally occurs during the milling process but can prevent finishes from fully saturating.
For new wood, we recommend applying a coat of Seasonite – our new wood protector. After 6 months, the wood will have naturally weathered and then you can safely apply Shed & Fence Paint.
Alternatively, you can also remove mill glaze with Prepdeck/Aquanett (depending on the wood) and then neutralise it with Net-Trol. Once the wood has dried, you can then apply your paint finish.
We hope you found this post on painting your fence in winter helpful. If you have any other tips, tricks or advice, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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*Owatrol International warrants Shed & Fence Paint against peeling on wood decks for 5 years and against cracking, peeling and flaking on wood cladding for 15 years from the date of purchase if it is applied to a properly prepared surface according to label directions. Owatrol International will, at its option, replace the material or refund the purchase price if Shed & Fence Paint does not perform as described.
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