How to Preserve Wood Fencing

Natural-wood outdoor fences look great for the first summer they're up, and then they can quickly become gray, weathered and rotted. If you don't want to spoil the natural wood look by slathering thick paint all over it, another alternative is to seal the fence with a weatherproofing liquid sealant. There are many to choose from in both clear form and tinted with stain to give your fence some color.

Things You'll Need

• Enough liquid wood weatherproofing sealant to cover your fence (See the package for square-foot coverage)
• A garden chemical sprayer with pump and hose
• A wide paintbrush

Instructions

1. Let the fence sit untreated for a month if it's new. This will allow the wood to adjust to the climate and moisture in your region by expanding or contracting. Allow a few sunny days before you apply the sealant so the wood is nice and dry, and make sure the forecast calls for another sunny day or two.

2. Fill your sprayer with the sealant solution as instructed. Spray your fence one 6-foot-wide section at a time in long, steady horizontal motions, starting from the top and working down.

3. Stop spraying when a 6-foot section is well-soaked with sealant. Immediately run over it with your paintbrush, working the liquid into the crevices of the wood.

4. Repeat for the rest of the fence length and on the other side.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear eye goggles when spraying the fence.

References

• Protecting exterior wood.