Stain is what keeps a wooden fence from turning grey and rotting. Sun bleaches the wood, rain soaks it, and an unstained fence lasts half as long as a stained one. Staining is a weekend job: one day to clean and dry, one day to stain. The work is not hard — the waiting is.
Transparent stain shows the wood grain and lasts about a year. Semi-transparent stain shows the grain with more color and lasts two to three years. Solid stain looks like paint, hides the grain, and lasts three to five years. Oil-based stain soaks in deeper and lasts longer; water-based stain dries faster and cleans up with water. Pick the stain for the look you want and the maintenance you will actually do.
Clean the fence. Pressure wash on low pressure or scrub the fence with soapy water and a stiff brush. Remove the mildew, the dirt, and the grey surface wood — stain does not stick to a dirty fence. Let the fence dry for 24–48 hours.
Let it dry. The wood must be dry: splash water on it — if the water soaks in, the wood is ready; if it beads, the wood is still wet or sealed. Never stain wet wood — the stain sits on top and peels off in sheets.
Protect what you do not want stained. Cover the plants, the concrete, and the neighbor's side of the fence with drop cloths. Stain on a plant kills it, and stain on concrete does not come off.
Apply the first coat. Brush or spray the stain in thin coats, working top to bottom and board by board. Do one board at a time, end to end, so the stain does not dry in the middle of a board and leave a lap mark.
Back-brush. If you sprayed the stain, brush it in right after with a brush. Back-brushing pushes the stain into the wood and evens the coverage — sprayed stain without back-brushing sits on the surface and peels.
Let it dry and check. Let the first coat dry for 24 hours, then check the color. If it looks thin or patchy, apply a second coat the same way. Do not let rain hit the fence for 24 hours after staining.
A new pressure-treated fence needs 30 days to dry before it takes stain — stain it too soon and the stain peels off with the moisture. An old fence is ready when water stops beading on it: splash water on the wood, and if it soaks in, the fence is ready. Stain in spring or fall, on a dry day between 50–80°F, with no rain for 24 hours.
Every two to three years for semi-transparent stain, every three to five for solid stain. When the color fades or water stops beading, it is time again. A fence with a leaning post or a sagging gate needs the repair first — the leaning fence guide and the sagging gate guide cover those fixes, and the fence post replacement guide covers the post that will not stay straight.
No — stain dries too fast in direct sun and leaves lap marks. Stain in the shade or on a cloudy day, and work in the morning or the evening.
One year for transparent, two to three for semi-transparent, three to five for solid. Sun and rain wear it down — a fence in full sun needs restaining sooner than one in the shade.
Only if it is peeling. If the old stain is sound, clean the fence and stain over it. If it peels, strip or sand the peeling parts first — new stain over peeling stain peels too.
No — wait 30 days for the wood to dry. Stain it too soon and the stain peels off with the moisture. Splash water on it: if it soaks in, the fence is ready.