Looking After Your New Fence/Shed/Decking

Garden Fence Preservation and Protection

The wood we use tends to be pressure treated or pre-treated with a wood preserver before leaving the merchant. This said, there’s never any harm in applying an additional wood preserver before installation for additional protection. A good quality Wood preservative will protect the fence from a range of biological threats including mould, algae, dry rot and insect attack. If the fence is more than a year old and hasn’t been treated in that time, applying a wood preserver can offer up to 5 years protection.

Can You Use Decking Oil On Fence Panels?

In short ‘Yes’. Decking oils are perfect for protecting and preserving garden fence panels. Decking oil penetrates into the timber to give the wood excellent water resistance and, depending on which Decking Oil used, the added benefit of UV resistance. Some decking oils also contain fungicide which will help to protect the garden fence from mould, algae and fungi.

To keep fences looking natural, simply use a clear wood preservative and clear decking oil. These products will enhance the natural grain of the timber and give it an almost damp appearance, retaining the natural look of the wood. If looking to transform the appearance of a new or old garden fence, there are a wide range of coloured wood preservers and wood oils, semi translucent and opaque to achieve any effect.

How to give the best protection to Garden Fence Panels?

To get the best level of protection, it is recommended to use both a wood preservative, usually 2 coats, followed by 2 coats of decking oil or other exterior wood oil.

Note: When using solvent based wood preservatives, its important to follow the manufacturer’s drying times. Although solvent based wood preservers usually feel dry in around 4 to 6 hours, the recommended drying times are usually around 48 hours. Why is this? Simply speaking the solvent content of the preservative must be allowed to fully evaporate from the wood before applying the decking oil or other fence treatment. Solvents break down dissolve waxes and oils so if the oil is applied to early, the solvent will attack the oil and may render it ineffective.

How to colour a Garden Fence

Wood preservers are available in a wide range of colours like Cedar Red, Summer Tan, Holly Green, Golden Brown and more. These can be applied to colour the fence then overcoated with a clear decking oil. An alternative approach is to use a clear wood preservative then overcoat with a coloured wood oil or decking oil.

The benefits of using a wood preservative and wood oil combinations over a fence paint is that they will not crack, peel or flake as paints often do over time. This means there will never be the need to sand off old coatings.