Staining Fence Without Cleaning: Is it a good idea?

You’ve just repainted your home, and it shines like new. But wait! The age-old fence is all dusty and greasy. How about some staining to make them last longer and complement your newly painted home?

Wooden fences enhance the beauty of your home but also increase the responsibilities of home maintenance. A few days back, I went through this phase of some renovation.

So, my wooden fences looked old and dull, and I had to do something about it. Hence, I thought of giving them a new look by staining them.

While I made my mind to do that, I didn’t know where to begin. I knew it would cost me a considerable amount of bucks and also a whole lot of effort. So, I didn’t want to mess up.

Cleaning with a power-washer felt like a bit too much effort, so I even thought of staining fence without cleaning. That is when my friends saved me from such a significant loss!

Also, my friend gave me an idea to clean my house fence easily with a cheaper and less time-consuming method. To know the idea,  read this article to the end.

Why do you need to Stain Fence?

Before we get to the cleaning part, isn’t it vital that we know why the fences should be stained? The change in weather conditions, the burning hot summer, the moist-soggy winter and the wet rainy season affects the fence conditions profoundly. Staining can protect against all these and more.

Benefits of Staining your Wooden Fence:

Increase wooden grain: If you dye your fences at regular intervals, the wood grain pattern looks top-notch. It doesn’t only make them aesthetic but also increases the property value.

Reduce damage by UV ray: UV rays are generally harmful to everything natural. Same goes for the wooden fences. They gradually decrease their beauty by ruining their colour and making them dull.

Without staining at regular intervals, you can minimize the damage by these harmful rays. And thus, help the fences look new and last long!

No rotting! Rain and snow damage the quality of the fences if they are kept raw. How? Well, the water is absorbed through the wood fibres and gradually, the quality both physical and visible decreases.

If your fences undergo the pre-staining process, then you are likely to save them from rotting. This coat of paint does not allow the absorption of water by the wood. And hence, no rotting!

No splitting of wood! Variation in weather conditions can disrupt the wood conditions to a great extent. For instance, if the water droplets of rain get in your fences, that is going to be big trouble for you.

By temperature fall, these droplets can freeze and initiate splitting of wood. Who wants split and broken fences, right?

So, the only way to prevent this is if you apply stain to the fences. As it repels water, you don’t have to worry about splitting and breaking!

Ensure longevity: If the stain can protect the fences against all these harsh situations, it can easily ensure the longevity and durability of your fences.

So, if you want to increase the lifespan of the fences of your property, you know what to do!

Reasons why you Should not Staining Fence without Cleaning:

Now let us reach the solution that people like me have been looking for.” Is it possible to stain the deck without cleaning? if not, then why?”

Let me just briefly discuss with you why you shouldn’t even think about it once more.

Allow the paint to last longer:

Deck staining can fail prematurely due to the lack of preparation before the staining process. You may have heard that the preparation needs to be top-notch before you enter the actual painting phase for woodworks.

Yes, you can say that you’ll use high-quality deck stain but trust me on this, even this won’t last as expected. The reason is without proper cleaning; your fences cannot get rid of the dust, dirt, visible or microscopic debris. So what you are doing is, painting over them, then how can you even expect the paint to last longer?

Give better protection against harsh weather:

If there are holes, gaps or hollow spaces between the paints, that means it has provision for water absorption by the wood. Ultimately, the reason you are doing the staining is futile; you cannot ensure protection!

By good cleaning, the stain is filling the gaps within the wood fibres and hence offering security and safety against harsh weather.

Visually more appealing:

When you clean and wash the fence, it is creating a smooth surface for the paint to be applied to it. As a result, the staining is more seamless with consistent texture.

It looks visually more appealing. So when guests arrive at your property, you don’t have to hesitate in showing them your lawn or premises.

I guess now you are convinced that the cleaning-part is mandatory. So, let’s move on to the correct step by step method of staining the fences. Read Also: How to Fix Wood Stain Mistakes.

Cost Effective & Fast Methods of Cleaning the Fence:

Power washers can cost you a lot and may even go over your budget. Though this is the most efficient way to clean your fences, yet if you are bothered about the price, you can try alternatives as well:

1. Renting an Electric Pressure Washer:

Gas-run power washers can be both expensive and too powerful to work with if you are new to this. They have higher psi range that you might not be able to control or adjust.

To solve this problem, you can use a more affordable electric pressure-washer if you have a power outlet conveniently set. If you don’t want to purchase one for the time being, you can also rent one. This will both solve the problem of your budget and a washer.

2. Using a Garden Hose-Nozzle:

This option is not hugely recommended because using a hose-nozzle is not very effective in most cases. But if you think the fences still look good enough and a light cleaning might do, then you can go for this option.

Set the machine to medium-high and clean smaller sections and gradually the whole deck.

3. Washing by hands:

This is a way but is it an ideal option, though?

The thing is, washing by hands in the traditional way will make you put a lot of effort and time. But if that is more convenient to you, then don’t hesitate.

Buy an effective cleaner from a nearby local hardware store. Read the instructions of dilution properly and do as it says. Apply elbow grease before you begin.

It is important that you maintain safety. Do not forget to wear your safety goggles and rubber gloves. Do some hard rinsing with the solution and I guess it’ll do.

But if you have a larger area to clean, this may be a troublesome choice. So, depending on all these factors, you can initiate the cleaning process. Well, that’s all folks! Read Also: 6 best concrete stain and sealer of 2020.

How to Clean and Stain Wood Fence Properly & Quickly:

If you are restoring or renovating the deck, do it correctly! Because why would you even invest in a lost project only for saving a few bucks? So have a look at the correct procedure.

1^st Step: Observe Weather Condition

Check the weather forecast before you are planning the system, it’s better if the temperature is of medium range. And ensure no precipitation for the day. Without the right weather, either the drying process can take way longer, or it may leave lap marks on the wood.

2^nd Step: Ensure Fence Quality

If you are working on a previously stained fence, then you may need to do some sanding on it.

By sanding the entire deck, you can create a smoother surface to work. Otherwise, the stain will not last long, and even the look will remain unfinished.

If you are trying with a newly built fence, then you should test the quality of your slats for stain absorbance. You can take help of a little water sprayer or a garden hose for lightly spraying water to a smaller section of the fence. Wooden slats absorbing water means they’ll absorb the stain too.

Hence, you’re good to go!

3^rd step: Washing and Cleaning:

The most debated step. Yes, you need to wash your fences!

You can either use a power washer or a garden hose attached to a spray nozzle with high-pressure water coming out of it.

If there is any remaining varnish on the fence, debris or dust, the water will make sure to blow away all of it leaving a cleaner surface to work on.

For a power-washer, I suggest using one with not more than 2000 psi because you don’t want to cause any damage to the slats.

4^th step: Clean Away the Mould:

Mould deposition over the fence? No worries. Just take a mixture of bleach and water. Wear your rubber gloves and spray the slats with it by a garden hose or sprayer.

Give it a few minutes to settle. Then use the power-washing again and clean the residue along with the mould!

5^th step: Repair!

If the condition of the slats is not good enough and you can spot gaps within. Try using chunks of wood fillers to the respective spots. You can also replace the severely damaged wooden slats.

6^th step: Stain and Paint:

After the cleaning, wait at least 24 hours to start the staining.

You can stain the fences by a brush or spray-paint. If you are opting for the paintbrushes, I recommend a natural bristle-brush for oil-based wood staining.

You can try watching a few online tutorials to understand the process better. Let’s Read: How to Make Stain Darker on Wood Furniture.

If you think you have a good hand with spray-paint, take smaller sections of the deck about two to three feet. Keep a considerable distance, so you don’t get chemicals on your skin or breath them in.

Spray on the smaller places and repaint where the paint is lighter. Keep going with the process and voila! You are done!

7^th step: Let it Dry!

After you have successfully completed the staining, give adequate time for drying. Follow the directions as given on the stain container for drying.

You can also add more coats of paint for better depth creation of the colour.

A durable sealant can also be applied over the stain for better protection. It is not a must, though.

Yes, in these easy steps, you are done with the staining!

Final thoughts

I guess I’ve shared good content here and answered your interrogations. I’m hoping you will not think of staining fence without cleaning anymore, because it’s a bad idea!

A renovation is always appreciated if you keep track of your budget and also how your property looks. Even though the washing may cost you more money, it is worth it.

Old fence wearing out? You know what to do! I suggest you follow the directions correctly and it will certainly not disappoint you.

Last Updated on July 30, 2020 by Rogers Weber

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