# fence staining question



## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I am staining a fence that looks like this: http://growing-image.com/_img/portfolio/carpentry/wood-fence-San-Francisco.jpg

Will be using a clear coat, not semi or solid stain.

Anyway, in the past when I worked for other companies they had me brush stain on the fence.

I would like to spray it, but my concern is that the other side is not being stained (in the neighbours yard). Will spraying it send stain through the cracks and be a bad idea? The boards are touching, like in that picture, but spray is pretty high PSI.


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

You shouldn't clearcoat exterior woodwork. Clearcoats are film forming and they will fail in an exterior environment. On fences, an exterior stain alone will work just fine, and will be easily repairable when it fades. 

If it's gloss you're looking for, try a sikkens product such as Cetol. They dry slow as molasses but they're made for exterior wood. 

And don't spray stain anywhere near traffic. The stuff doesn't dry in the air like a latex!


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

I am sorry, I used the word clear coat accidentally. I meant a stain that did not add pigment, but magnified the woods...

Something like cetol,but I think general paints product is called woodcraft.

I will not spray it then, easy to have people brush it.

thanks


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

Dunbar Painting said:


> I am sorry, I used the word clear coat accidentally. I meant a stain that did not add pigment, but magnified the woods...
> 
> Something like cetol,but I think general paints product is called woodcraft.
> 
> ...


Are you talking a clear stain? A natural stain?

I've used woodcraft several times, mostly their latex or oil solid stains though. I have used their semi transparent a couple of times, but never a clear stain from them. 

You'd be happier with a step up from that - their duck back products. I believe it comes in a natural stain and it's better than woodcraft. You still won't want to spray it though.


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## Dunbar Painting (Mar 19, 2010)

Right, I think the step up is the platinum warranty stain. That is actually what I had estimated for, was just seeking alternatives.

Cetol is the BM product right? I could consider that, I surely allowed for such a price difference in my materials estimate.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Dunbar Painting said:


> Right, I think the step up is the platinum warranty stain. That is actually what I had estimated for, was just seeking alternatives.
> 
> Cetol is the BM product right? I could consider that, I surely allowed for such a price difference in my materials estimate.


Cetol is Sikkens....and there are many products under the "cetol" tag.

The "Cetol" SRD, is a transparent stain and sealer

The "Cetol" Log & Siding is stain, sealer, and finish all in one.


:thumbsup:


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

Yah it seems like you mean a waterproofer/seal or transparent stain. The sikkens stuff is good. The cabots stuff is terrible, didnt last 3 months for me. I would throw it in a pump up (garden style) sprayer, get a cardboard spray shield on a 4-8 pole (so you can leave it leaning against the fence), and a rough rider brush on a 2-4 pole. whiz bang done. Makes it an easy one person job. Or one person spraying and shielding and moving drops, one backbrushing. And don't judge me, but a soft 18" or 24" push broom can make a great backbrush for cheap for that kind of stuff.


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