How to Stain a Fence: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide

If you have a weekend off, it might seem like the perfect opportunity for you to tackle that long-overdue home improvement task of restoring your old wood fence. However, before starting, make sure that there’s not any rain in the forecast and that there won’t be any showers for at least 24 hours after the job is complete.

If it rains on your newly stained fence, you’ll likely immediately see unsightly water spots that will ruin the integrity of the stain. 

You should also pay attention to the temperature. Cold temps or high humidity levels will make it tough for the stain to dry thoroughly. Conversely, scorching hot days can dry the stain out before it has a chance to absorb into the wood, leading to glaring overlap marks and an untidy finish. Save yourself money, time, and labor by checking the forecast first and taking a rain check if you need it.

Wood prep depends on the current state of your fence. It will either be new or previously painted. For a new fence, you’ll need to make sure the stain can penetrate the wood. Test the wood by spraying a section of your fence with a garden hose. If the water beads off rather than absorbing into the wood, you’ll need to sand the fence down before staining. 

Using an orbital sander is the easiest way to sand down your entire fence quickly, but if you’re looking to save money and have a lot of extra time and endurance, you can sand by hand. Regardless of the method you choose, after sanding, make sure you wipe away all the dust. Otherwise, sanded-off wood particles may get trapped in your stain and make the appearance patchy and uneven.

If your fence was previously stained or painted, you’ll first need to remove the old finish using a paint, stain, or finish stripper. Apply your product according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, finish-stripping products bubble up when it’s time for you to clean up the paint or stain. Use a plastic scraper and soft bristle brush to gently scrape your fence clean. Then, wipe the wood with a damp cloth.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, paint and stain strippers contain hazardous ingredients, like methylene chloride and caustic alkalis. These ingredients can cause skin and eye irritation, nausea, dizziness, and headaches, in addition to more serious illnesses. These side effects are why it’s incredibly important for you to take all possible safety precautions when working with paint and stain strippers. 

Always wear chemical-resistant gloves, a respiratory mask, and goggles when handling paint and stain strippers. Additionally, avoid letting these products come in contact with your skin, and do not use them near sparks, open flames, or high heat, as many of them are flammable. When in doubt, call in a professional.

Cutting corners with prep work can lead to problems with stain application, durability and longevity, and even mold, mildew, and rot.

Using a power washer or a spray nozzle attached to a garden hose is the easiest and most effective way to clean your fence. Hosing the wood down will remove dirt, mildew, and paint or stain peelings, leaving the wood clean and ready for the next step. 

You should start on a lower pressure (around 800 PSI) to ensure you don’t overly weather and wear down the wooden slats during the process. Additionally, don’t go above 1,500 PSI. Be slow and methodical, passing the pressure washer over each board to remove stains, discoloration, and debris. If your fence has extensive damage or severe sun bleaching, you can add a wood cleaner to your power washer or a diluted bleach mixture (75% water and 25% bleach).

Wood fences are sometimes magnets for mold and mildew. If you notice mold or mildew stains, you’ll need to spot-treat them with a bleach solution. 

Taking proper safety precautions by wearing gloves and a respiratory mask, mix 75% water and 25% bleach in a bucket, then put the solution in a garden sprayer and spray it over the affected area. Let the bleach mixture sit for five to 10 minutes so it has time to absorb. Then, wash it away using a power washer or spray nozzle attached to a garden hose.

Don’t apply your wood stain until the fence is completely dry, as the stain won’t adhere properly to damp slats. Most stain manufacturers recommend that the moisture content of the wood should be less than 15% when you apply stain. It typically takes up to 48 hours for a wooden fence to fully dry out after you wash it, so a little patience will go a long way during this step.

Making sure newly-cleaned wood is dry isn’t the only important thing to consider when talking about a fence’s moisture level. New wood often contains a lot of moisture and needs time to cure and dry out. Depending on the type of wood and your local climate, you might need to wait for one to six months before staining your new fence. 

So how do you know when your fence is dry enough to stain? There’s an easy trick that can help you decide. 

After waiting a few months for the fence to dry, grab some water and sprinkle it onto the fence’s surface. If the water beads off, the wood is still too wet. When the water absorbs straight into the wood, the fence is dry enough for you to stain. However, if you have even a shadow of a doubt, test the wood with a moisture meter; this is the only way to be 100% sure that the fence is ready for you to stain.

Use drop cloths to protect nearby furniture, plants, grass, paving, and driveways; you don’t want to splatter anything with hard-to-remove stain. For a neat finish, use painter’s tape to protect any fencing hardware, as well.

Most DIYers apply stain using brushes or rollers, but using a paint sprayer also works. Pouring some of the stain from the can into a tray makes it easier to load up the brush, and you’ll definitely need a tray if you’re using a roller. You may also need a set of ladders or a roller pole for taller privacy fences.

Using a Brush 

Using a brush might be the slowest technique, but it offers the best control. A 4-inch brush helps provide a neat finish and good coverage, but you may also want a 2-inch brush for touch-ups and small details around hardware.

A natural bristle brush typically works best for oil-based stains, and a synthetic bristle brush is ideal for water-based varieties. You won’t have to load up as often if you choose a natural bristle brush, as this type holds more stain than synthetic bristle brushes. If you’re painting an old fence and the wood surface is very rough, a synthetic brush is a better choice because synthetic bristles are stiffer and less likely to break. 

Coat horizontal slats from left to right and vertical slats from top to bottom. Try to always complete an entire slat before taking a break to prevent lap marks from forming. Don’t forget to stain each slat’s top and bottom edges, too.

Using a Roller

A roller with a 3/4-inch nap works best on rough wooden surfaces, like fences. Use a 9-inch-wide roller for good coverage and a 4-inch-wide variety for those hard-to-reach areas.

Using a Paint Sprayer

Spray painting is a fast way to apply wood stain, but mastering the technique is tricky (and it can be messy). 

There are a couple of downsides here. You’ll need to buy or rent a sprayer if you don’t already have one from one of your other outdoor DIYs. Also, the overspray (particles that don’t actually make it onto the fence) with this technique means you’ll need to purchase more stain than you would if you were to use a brush or roller. 

Be extra careful about covering the surrounding area before spraying, and don’t use a paint sprayer when there are high winds.

To get the best coverage, spray in the direction of the wood grain and work your way back up to cover half of the area you just sprayed on the following stroke. Adopting this technique helps prevent lap marks.

Practice on a less visible section of the fence to get a feel for exactly how much you should be spraying. If you apply too much, there will be lots of runs, and too little spray means you’ll have a patchy finish.

Depending on the wood, the type of stain, and the application method, you might need to apply a second coat to each side of the fence. Adding a second coat can help produce a more even finish or a greater depth of color. If the fence is new and you're happy with the coverage or plan to add a sealant on top, another coat usually won’t be necessary. When deciding whether or not to add a second coat, wait until the stain is fully dry. Only then will you spot any lap marks or patchy spots and get a feel for the final color, which will help you make the most informed decision. You can expect to wait between two and 12 hours for the stain to completely dry and between one and three days for it to fully cure. Given that fence stain costs around $0.30 to $0.60 per square foot, it’s well worth the extra time and investment for a tidy, long-lasting job.

A high-quality, well-applied stain is often enough to protect your fence for at least a few years. However, you may decide to add a coat of sealer on top once the stain is fully dry. 

Some people looking for a natural wood finish choose to seal their fences instead of staining them. However, although sealers provide excellent waterproofing qualities, they don’t penetrate the wood the same way that stain does, and their UV protection qualities aren’t as good.

You can apply sealer using the same steps and methods you would for applying stain. Make sure the fence is fully dry, and use a brush, roller, or sprayer to evenly apply the sealer in the direction of the wood grain. Then wait again for the sealer to dry before doing anything else with your fence.