How to Paint a Chain Link Fence

You can bring new life to a chain link fence by painting it. It can be painted a metallic color to make it look new again, or any other color in the rainbow. This is an easy job with basic painting tools and a sunny afternoon.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Weed whacker
• Whisk broom
• Wire brush
• Roller cage and 1/2" lambswool roller
• China bristle paint brush
• Five gallon bucket with lid
• Paint grid
• Long runner drop cloth
• Oil based paint
• Paint thinner for cleanup

How to Paint a Chain Link Fence

1. Clear the weeds and grass from along the base of the fence by mowing or weed whacking them. Using a whisk broom, brush grass debris from the chain link fence.

2. Use the wire brush to thoroughly brush away any loose rust or dirt on the fence and fence posts and rails. Whick the areas you have brushed free of dust using the whisk broom.

3. Buy a good exterior oil based paint with rust inhibiting properties. A gallon will go a long way. Count on getting at least twice the coverage noted on the side of the can because you will not be painting an unbroken solid surface.

4. Use a long paint runner drop cloth to protect the ground along the fence because this will be a somewhat messy job. 4'x15' "hall runner" drop cloths are inexpensive. While the paint won't harm grass, it will look unsightly until it grows long enough to be mowed. If you are painting over blacktop or concrete, oil based paint is extremely difficult to remove from these surfaces even with paint tninner.

5. Pour the paint into the five-gallon bucket and drop in the roller grid. It will be much easier than using a roller pan, which will be cumbersome and you'll get debris in the paint especially if you are painting around grass. It is better to do the brushing first on the posts and rails. Work on one section at a time, brushing first and then rolling.

6. Dip your roller in the paint and roll out as much excess as possible. You may be tempted to buy a cheap throw-away roller but a quality lambswool roller will hold more paint and get it into all the loops and crevices much easier than a cheap synthetic roller. Start rolling the chain link fence. Work slowly, otherwise you will find the paint spattering well beyond the width of your drop cloth and you will waste a lot of paint. Go from one side of the fence to the other, working the paint evenly until it is no longer dripping and looks uniform.

7. Store the paint, roller and brush inside the sealed five gallon bucket. Not only will this save you time and trouble cleaning up, but it will be ready to go if you need to repaint an area later or touch up. As long as the bucket is sealed securely with the lid, the paint may separate but will last for years so touch ups in years to come will be easy to do.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a lot of fence to paint, it may be easier with two people because both sides have to be done at pretty much the same time to avoid drips.
• If large areas of the fence are deeply rusted, buy a conversion primer for your first coat. This converts the rust into a stable base to apply the paint to and will retard it for a long time.
• You may be tempted to spray a chain link fence but you will waste a ton of paint this way and oil based paint can stay wet and float in the air for many feet, causing overspray in places you wouldn't expect.