Staining wood

[Danno]

I'm replacing the rails and pickets on about 160 ft of privacy fence using treated pine. I want to stain and seal the fence and am looking for advice from those in the know, So a couple questions...

How long do I need to wait before applying stain to treated pine?
What is the best way to apply for nice results? Spray, roller, or brush?
Recommendation for brand of stain to use?

I like the natural pine look, so what about a clear stain/sealer?
Is there a one-step product available that would seal and protect?

TIA for your replies.

[IBKuz]

I have not heard of using Pine for privacy fencing, usually it is pressure treated Spruce or Cedar. Pine has been used more for siding (board and batten) from my experience up in Canada due to the expense.

On the spruce side, in recent years there is a new brown colour pressure treated board, rather then the original green colour. If used, it does not need to be stained except for the cut ends. Though dark in colour to start, after the first year it lightens up to look like a fresh cedar colour. If using cedar, this also does not need stain, nor do I find cedar works well with anything other than a transparent stain if you want to apply something. If you don't want it to go to the usual grey/silver colour over time you can use a water sealing compound, Home Depot has various brands to chose from. As you apply this every 2-3 years anyways, I have not really been choosie on the brands I have used.

Previously when staining at the cottage we have always used transparent or semi-transparent stains. These are usually oil based, again the brand did not seem to be as important as the colours available. I have seen lately that it is hard to get transparent stain which I prefer as it provides the water repellent qualities but still allows the wood grain to show through. The semi or opaque stains tend to get closer to paint and you loose the wood look.

As to applying, for fencing I like a brush, but it is not the easiest route. For 160', this would be a lot of brush strokes, so using a roller made for stains would be my choice. The secret is to always keep a wet edge, if you go back over something that has dried you will see the second coat easily. On big flat surfaces (siding) I would likely go with spraying, just seems to be the best for large areas. I would worry about overspray with the gaps in the fence and protecting the ground.

For fencing, pressure treated lumber would be the way to go in my book so that you don't have to use stain, unless you want a particular colour/look.

[Danno]

Thanks, Ian....appreciate your reply.

[The Watchman]

Danno, around here (Missouri), you usually wait for it to dry for a few weeks or more, since it can have a pretty high moisture content. Pressure treated fence around here can be spruce-pine-fir, mostly pine. Cedar is premium fencing, normally not treated at all. Many don't stain or clearcoat at all, since it all turns gray after awhile. Any coating will have to be repeated periodically.

[harpspitfire]

i would think it depends how wet the treated wood is, leave it dry if needed, get a good stain, i like oil base as mentioned, and as mentioned- it will need cleaned and recoated for sure!- spraying is faster, but rolling or brushing would be my choice (if you can get everything)

[brad2001]

My son is a commercial painter, currently spraying a 300' fence. He has to cover the back side w/ drop cloth (painters plastic) to not have overspray. He stated were it not such a big job he would brush it.

[C-ville Brent]

I do a good amount of wood work (making stuff), most of which is not music related. I use Minwax stain, generally Provincial, which is kind of medium brown. Ipswitch Pine will add a slight golden hue & may keep the wood from 'graying' outside. A coat of poly (Helmsman by Minwax for outdoor) will help seal it. I used regular gloss poly on a couple of 1x12 speaker cabinets I built earlier this year over the Provincial stain to protect and give them some shine. I used a brush to apply the Provincial on treated pine for the 40 ft picket fence between my house and garage about 18 years ago and it's held up well. If the wood feels wet, I'd let it sit until it feels dry before staining. The Minwax stain dries pretty quickly but the poly takes several hours. You may have to reapply the poly over a period of years, depending on the weather you experience, to keep the original shine. I'm sure there are better products, but the Minwax products are readily available, reasonably priced, and what I have experience with.

[Truckjohn]

Around here pressure treated wood is all southern yellow pine.

Generally - you have to wait several weeks till it is good and dry.... It comes in dripping wet... I would personally install it and then just leave it till next year to paint/stain it... That way you will know it's good and dry.

Most folks never do anything. They just let it naturally age unless they paint it white, red, or something like that or stain it a dark color... The stains I have seen used are generally dark brown...

It's going to be basically impossible to "stain" greenish pressure treated wood to a lighter natural wood color... It's already darker green... Any light colored stain will still show the greenish cast....

[MikeBmusic]

I always read to wait at least 6 months to stain pressure-treated wood. I waited a year to do my small decks.
Used the Behr Premium semi-transparent stain, still needed re-doing after 2 years.
Used Olympic (I think) sealer previously on PT and it needed redoing every year.
Doing 160 feet of fence, I'd let it age naturally.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Truckjohn

...Most folks never do anything. They just let it naturally age...

That's what we did. Looks natural and fits in with the environment better in the long run, IMO.

[Danno]

Thanks guys...appreciate the feedback.

Was really hoping to keep this fence looking nice after all the hard work it took to replace it. Here's a picture that shows the contrast from the old pickets in the foreground to the new pickets that have been installed in the background. After reading your replies, I'm wondering if it's even worth the additional expense to stain the fence if it's not going to last more than a year or two. I really like the natural look of the new pickets and would prefer a clear transparent look versus a colored stain.

[C-ville Brent]

New fence looks great! If you like the look, maybe add a sealer when wood is dry.