Painting Fence Panels - Which Way Is Best?
After having 6ft fence panels put up in my garden, I found the idea of having to paint all of them very daunting. If you have a garden over 60ft long, it’s quite impractical to paint each fence panel as sometimes a second coat might be needed.
Spray painting a fence panel
Although most paint sprayers advise that you buy their own branded paint this is not obligatory as I have found that own brand paint from the local DIY store will work just as well. When purchasing branded paint to go with the sprayer (for example Cuprinol), l found that for the first few refills you are fine but after having to refill for the third time, that’s when you start to notice the problems.
The bad points to spray painting a fence:
- The filter inside the spray container gets clogged up too quickly so you have to keep cleaning it out
- The battery only lasts 30 minutes, you have to recharge it for two and a half hours afterwards before you can use it again
- Getting the paint to spray out the nozzle and not squirt can take awhile, so you lose precious battery spraying time
- It’s a heavy spray machine that although comes with a shoulder strap can cause some injury if used for long periods of time
- The maker insist you buy their branded paint even though non branded paint does exactly the same job
- The machine makes a hell of a lot of noise, so if you live in a quiet area your neighbours may complain
- The paint tends to drip down the fence panel sometimes leaving a darker finish at the bottom
The good points to spray painting a fence
- It takes less time to spray paint than paint with a brush
- The spray nozzle sprays paint into all the creases and folds of the fence panels
Painting a fence the old fashioned way
Many people are reluctant to paint a fence panel due to stressful and busy lives. If you have a small garden then it won’t take long but if you have a very big garden with fence panels down each side then you can say goodbye to your weekends.
The bad points to painting a fence with a brush
- Painting a fence with a fence brush does take a lot of time
- It takes twice as long as spray painting
- Your hands hurt after a little while
- It’s really boring
The good points to painting a fence panel
- You don’t have to wait for the spray machine battery to charge
- The brush takes only what it needs so you don’t waste or drip paint
- You don't waste paint
The verdict: In some ways I like spray painting because it’s quick and easy but the finish isn’t so good and you will need to spray on a second coat. Painting a fence panel requires more patience and strength as your hand will cramp up after a while. For the sake of convenience, spray painting is quick and easy but if you want a really good finish then painting with a fence brush is the way to go.
