Painting a garden fence

[Tim+]

I have an unpainted garden fence that was behind a hedge until recently.
The timber is in good condition but is rather green with algae in patches.

I'd like to paint it to match the other fences but not sure how much effort
to expend in removing the algae prior to painting. I've tried a pressure
washer which removes some but not all algae. There's a lot of fence to do
and I don't think that this is the best answer.

Any recommendations for preparation and fence painting products gratefully
received.

Tim

[Mr Pounder]

"Tim+" <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1772754152437667986.88560...@news.eternal-september.org...

Caustic soda cleaned up my garden wall. Its cheap. Maybe worth a try?

[Tim+]

Hmm, might try that but I'm hoping someone will say "Nah, just wire brush
off the loose stuff and paint over it.". ;-)



Tim

[Capitol]

You don't need to remove all the algae, the paint will kill the rest
off. I've had good enough results with the Baufix fence paint from Lidl
( or Aldi maybe?), but it's only available from time to time. The other
cheap alternative is Creocote, but IME the colour doesn't last as well.

[Mr Pounder]

"Tim+" <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message

news:299296485437670455.256241...@news.eternal-september.org...

Wire brush, caustic soda then jet wash for max effect.
Be bloody careful with the caustic!
>
>
>
> Tim

[stuart noble]

On 14/11/2014 16:19, Mr Pounder wrote:
> "Tim+" <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:299296485437670455.256241...@news.eternal-september.org...
>> "Mr Pounder" <MrPo...@RationalThought.com> wrote:
>>> "Tim+" <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
>>> news:1772754152437667986.88560...@news.eternal-september.org...
>>>> I have an unpainted garden fence that was behind a hedge until recently.
>>>> The timber is in good condition but is rather green with algae in
>>>> patches.
>>>>
>>>> I'd like to paint it to match the other fences but not sure how much
>>>> effort
>>>> to expend in removing the algae prior to painting. I've tried a pressure
>>>> washer which removes some but not all algae. There's a lot of fence to
>>>> do
>>>> and I don't think that this is the best answer.
>>>>
>>>> Any recommendations for preparation and fence painting products
>>>> gratefully
>>>> received.
>>>>
>>> Caustic soda cleaned up my garden wall. Its cheap. Maybe worth a try?
>>
>> Hmm, might try that but I'm hoping someone will say "Nah, just wire brush
>> off the loose stuff and paint over it.". ;-)
>
> Wire brush, caustic soda then jet wash for max effect.
> Be bloody careful with the caustic!
>>
>>
>>
>> Tim
>
>

Don't use caustic on fencing would be my advice. Penetrates deeply and
is therefore impossible to wash off. Deliquescent too, so the fence will
attract moisture forever more

[Phil L]

"Tim+" <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1772754152437667986.88560...@news.eternal-september.org...

Just brush it down with a stiff yard brush and paint it with whatever you
like.
Ronseal do some decent fence paint quite cheap.

[Tim Lamb]

In message
<299296485437670455.256241...@news.eternal-septembe
r.org>, Tim+ <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> writes

Angle grinder....... and wire brush? Run at reduced speed and avoid
breathing the dust.
>
>
>
>Tim

--
Tim Lamb

[Another John]

In article
<1772754152437667986.88560...@news.eternal-septem
ber.org>,

Tim+ <timdow...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> I have an unpainted garden fence that was behind a hedge until recently.
> The timber is in good condition but is rather green with algae in patches.

A quick brush down, if you ask me -- and you've done that already with
the pressure washer.

What I WOULD suggest is to buy one of those fence sprayers made by the
makers of the fence paint: this speeds up application 20-fold.

My own tips for using the sprayer: flatten out a large cardboard box
(the vaster the better), and get it flat against the back of the fence,
so you don't spray through it; and another to lay underneath the bottom
edge. Then spray fairly quickly over the whole section: don't try to get
every little bit, or else you'll waste pints of paint. Then use your
fence brush (the vaster the better) to spread out what you've sprayed
and get into the cracks.

John

[Mr Pounder]

"stuart noble" <stuart...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:Cjq9w.1012030$AB3.1...@fx07.am4...

Fair comment.

[MM]

On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:11:38 +0000, Capitol <sp...@wher.eva.co.uk>
wrote:

I've used creocote (and the original creosote) since the 1950s, but it
IS very smelly. The odour seems to hang around for ages. It doesn't
bother me, but I have the neighbours on three sides, some with
children playing in the garden. Also, creocote ain't cheap any more!

MM

[MM]

On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:58:21 +0000, Another John <lal...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

But would the sprayer penetrate the wood quite like a paintbrush does,
which you can "work" into the corners? If the fence were brand-new I'd
say spraying would be okay, but on an old fence, I'd rather make the
effort and use a brush. Also, what I would do is wire-brush one
panel's worth at a time, then paint it, so that I would help maintain
the enthusiasm for what must be a very boring and messy job. If you're
worried about the residue from wire-brushing the next panel wafting
back on to the newly painted panel, stagger the job so that you start
at one end, do a panel, then move to the other end and do that one,
and so on, till you meet yourself coming back so to speak!

MM

[Dennis@home]

Have any of your creosoted fences last longer than 30 years?

[Bob Henson]

Mine are up to 25 this year and are still in reasonable nick.
Creoc(s)ote comes in handy if you have unwanted ingress by badgers etc -
hang a creoc(s)ote soaked cloth over their entry point and they won't
come anywhere near it.

--
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK
Doctor, I've got deja vu and amnesia. Hmmm, I think I forgot that before!

[stuart noble]

On 15/11/2014 07:40, MM wrote:

You're not kidding about the smell. Hangs around for ages too

[Capitol]

Do you mean creocote? Its only been around a few years, Creosoted
fences, yes some are now >40 yrs old.

[Dennis@home]

On 15/11/2014 12:41, Capitol wrote:

> Do you mean creocote? Its only been around a few years, Creosoted
> fences, yes some are now >40 yrs old.

Mine are now 34 years old but I haven't put anything on them for 30 years.
The posts went 20 years ago and have spurs bolted on.

[Another John]

In article <ls0e6a19tjsum4o4d...@4ax.com>,

MM <kyli...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:58:21 +0000, Another John <lal...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >My own tips for using the sprayer: flatten out a large cardboard box
> >(the vaster the better), and get it flat against the back of the fence,
> >so you don't spray through it; and another to lay underneath the bottom
> >edge. Then spray fairly quickly over the whole section: don't try to get
> >every little bit, or else you'll waste pints of paint. Then use your
> >fence brush (the vaster the better) to spread out what you've sprayed
> >and get into the cracks.
>

> But would the sprayer penetrate the wood quite like a paintbrush does,
> which you can "work" into the corners? If the fence were brand-new I'd
> say spraying would be okay, but on an old fence, I'd rather make the

> effort and use a brush....

The *great* advantage of using the sprayer is that it gets the coating
on to the wood in double-quick time, and you're not faffing about
dipping, shaking, transferring, brushing. Once it's on, then, as I said,
you can then use the brush to spread it out / get the cracks .... and I
guess you can spend as much time as you like doing that :-)

J.

[MM]

Dunno, I've only had one for 10 years.

MM

[MM]

Actually, yesterday when I finished off the fence posts with creocote
the smell wasn't quite as bad as I remembered, but previously I've
always applied it on a warm-to-hot day, whereas it was chilly and
foggy yesterday.

MM

[MM]

On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 15:04:54 +0000, Another John <lal...@hotmail.com>

Sorry to have another downer on fence sprayers (the equipment, not the
staff!), but what about knot holes in the boarding where the knots
have fallen out? Surely the neighbours won't take too kindly to
discover you've been spraying their prize roses with brown stuff?

MM

[Andy Burns]

MM wrote:

> Sorry to have another downer on fence sprayers (the equipment, not the
> staff!), but what about knot holes in the boarding where the knots
> have fallen out? Surely the neighbours won't take too kindly to
> discover you've been spraying their prize roses with brown stuff?

Or on windy days, their windows and cars :-(

[rick]

I recently stained a large shiplap out building all one side was algae
stained.
I used a product called "Liberon Tough Deck Clean & Revive"

I diluted 3:1 in warm water I used a stiff broom to apply and then hosed
off ... wood was like new.

Had used it on decking and was good at that ... now know it is equally
good on vertical surfaces.
Also designed to prep surface to take stain.

[Another John]

In article <23og6a1qmbqhtbg9l...@4ax.com>,

That's the idea of the flattened cardboard box (above) ... obviously,
neighbourly cooperation is required!

But horses for course and all that: personally I use the sprayer+brush,
as described, others will be happier with the precision approach :)

John

[Tim+]

Well I've been using a brush as my fence is a "ranch style" fence with
staggered planking and large gaps. I think a sprayer would be exceedingly
wasteful in this instance. 18L applied so far, only another 18 to 27L to
go!

Tim

[zdht...@googlemail.com]

Will creocote cover green fence paint ?

[F Murtz]

On 5/6/20 6:27 am, zdht...@googlemail.com wrote:
> Will creocote cover green fence paint ?
>

Creosote if that is what you are referring to is not paint ,it is a
protective treatment,usually for wood, and is usually on bare wood
Apparently creocote is a creosote substitute but same thing applies

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

No.
Brian

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<zdht...@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:bd7f26a6-fa66-4036...@googlegroups.com...

[Andrew]

Creocote is a very poor substitute for old-fashioned creosote.

Putting it on top of a painted fence (and probably flaking paint)
is a bad idea.

Maybe use a karcher first and try to blast as much of the old paint off.