What's the best paint to use for painting a wooden fence?
Answers:
hiya josiwax...
since you powerwashed it last year and it has returned to a weathered gray appearance, i'm gonna assume you have no finish on the surface at this point...if that's the case, your surface preparation is going to be to power wash it again (or sand it) - bring the wood back to as close to a blond finish as possible (if pressure washing, 15-1800 pounds of pressure is plenty and don't use smaller than a 25 degree tip)...
once you've pressure washed the surface, allow it to dry for a day or so then apply one or two coats of a high quality acrylic (latex) wood stain. the reason you want to use latex is this - since your posts are buried in the ground, there will always be an issue of moisture in the wood. a latex paint or stain film is micro-porous...in other words, it'll allow moisture, in the form of vapor, to pass through the paint film without causing a loss of adhesion. oil based stains, oil based paints, enamels and marine finishes would not allow for this vapor transmission - and since you can't stop the moisture from being drawn up through the posts through capillary action, then drawn to the surface by the sun's heat - the moisture will cause the oil, marine or enamel finishes to peel...and that is guaranteed. another reason not to use oil based finishes are they are a food source for mildew growth...
whether to use an acrylic latex paint versus stain is a toss-up. from a compositional perspective, there is very little difference between the two. they both use the same components, but a stain will have less solids (the portion of a gallon of product that does not evaporate) and the ratio of resin to pigment will be a little higher (a higher resin ratio is necessary for better penetration into wood). an acrylic paint will generally last longer, but because of the resin/pigment ratio, most manufacturers recommend a primer when painting bare wood.
the color you choose will make little difference to the lifespan of a stain or paint finish (darker colors absorb more heat which helps turn moisture into vapor faster, but also may cause a paint film to lose some flexibility)...
a good stain, applied to a properly prepared surface will probably last about 5 years, regardless of what the label or the salesperson says and depending on the exposure to the elements (btw, sunlight is the most damaging of all the elements)
so, there you have it - high quality acrylic stains require no primer...they last longer than oil based products...they are usually pretty color-fast and naturally mildew resistant...in contrast to other types of finish, they are easy to apply and easy to recoat when necessary with minimal surface preparation.
when you're ready to start this project - see your local independent paint dealer for more complete surface prep and finish ideas - big boxes, like lowes or home depot, may have the products you need but rarely have the experienced personnel to walk you through a specific project.
i hope this information is helpful - good luck.
ric
Other answers:
you should go to home depot and ask they will be able to reccommend what is best for your area of the world.
you should go to home depot and ask they will be able to reccommend what is best for your area of the world.
wood paint
paint it white bcz it will last longer
I would use a paint designed for boats and marine type stuff. It will be waterproof and last longer.
Dutch Boy white exterior flat latex
exactly BROWN
After you prime it, a good exterior grade enamel is best.
None, leave it the way it is. I have a wooden fence and my mom painted it blue. Now boards are coming loose so she has to replace it again in certain areas. That means having to cut back vines that grew all over it and hammering away to erect a new fence and painting it all over again.
Keep the wooden look, it's natural and you don't have to worry about getting the same color you used years ago or buy buckets of paint to repaint the entire fence.
oil based white lead
white paint
http://www.mntap.umn.edu/paint/
Any exterior oil base paint is good how ever the best thing i have found is a solid stain. It cover good after two coats but its really durable through rough conditions. If it has been painted before with a oil base paint you can not go over it with latex it will not stick.
home depot or lowes will have an answer
latex based paint
For the best results on your finished fence you should use a nice oil-based paint that will stick nicely to the wood, you dont want to use just regular paint because you dont want your fence to look flat. In my opinion you should use a nice oily paint.
Enamel.
Ask The Guy Who Is Getting A Gift Card At Menards. And Paint The Fence.
White.
By the way, who needs a fence? Tear it down and put up a wall.