Fence Staining in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma's wind, sun, and weather patterns will quickly shorten the life of any wood fence. Warping, wood splits, grey coloration, mold, and rot are all guaranteed to happen without proper fence staining. Below we discuss the challenge and solutions to maintaining your wood fence in Oklahoma.

A newly installed fence will have many oils embedded in the fence. Natural oils in the wood, as well as various chemicals used in the lumberyard, need time to escape the wood's pores. If fence staining is applied on top of these oils, the stain may not last as long.

Luckily, our Oklahoma weather greatly assists in ridding these oils. Rainfall exposure is crucial, and our baking sunshine will season the boards. Allow the boards to weather naturally for a time. Once the fence has weathered over enough time, the wood pores are emptied of previous oils and are ready to receive a professional stain.

Bleaching wood before fence staining does add additional steps to the process, and prolongs the project. However, many Oklahoma City property owners believe bleaching is worth the time and work. This process removes the grey tint from the boards, and restores the natural color of the wood. Once the fence has been bleached, cleaned, and dried, it is ready to receive stain. the fence staining must be applied relatively quickly to avoid the grey tint returning.

Bleaching can sometimes affect the surrounding vegetation, so be mindful of any flowerbeds, fruit trees, or valuable shrubs and bushes near the fence. The bleach may even kill grass in your yard for a few weeks, but if you have you heart set on seeing the natural colors of your greyed fence, bleaching can give you the results you are looking for.

Another option for old, weathered wood fences, is to cover with a solid-body stain. Solid, non-transparent stains are not only longer lasting than transparent stains, but they can readily match with colors of your home or building. See below for more info options on fence staining in Oklahoma City.

Every board is as unique as the tree it originally came from. It is not uncommon for some boards to need replacement. Boards may be split, snapped, blistered, and warped. Sometimes, if nails were used instead of screws, boards can pull away from the fence frame. It is better to replace boards before a new stain, to keep a uniform color. A good fence staining crew take the extra time to ensure that a fence is structurally ready for fence staining. Severely warped boards, split boards, and cracked boards, should be counted, and replacement for them included in a cost estimate.

Proper fence construction uses screws rather than nails. Although nails are faster to work with and preferred by new development contractors in the Oklahoma City area, nails can slip out over time, causing the boards to slip out as well. When getting estimates for any fence staining project in OKC, ask about securing loose boards with screws in the preparation steps. A good fence staining crew will take the extra time before staining to prepare the fence, including tightening loose boards with screws.

Wood Stains vary in a range between transparent and solid. The more transparent, the more of the wood grain and natural colors you will see. The more solid, the less wood grain and natural colors you will see. The more transparent a fence staining is, the less duration it will last against the Oklahoma elements. Likewise, more solid stains will hold up longer to the Oklahoma City wind, sun, and rain.

If you want to see the natural lines, swirls, and wave patterns within the grain of the wood, transparent and semi-transparent stains are what you want. Just be prepared to re-stain your wood fence more often through the years.

If you enjoy the uniformity of a solid color, and longer lifetime for your fence staining, solid stain is what you want. Remember that the color will fade over time due to exposure to the sun, as well as Oklahoma sand and dust.

Solid body stains are also a better choice for older grey-colored fences, which have weathered grey beyond the help of bleach. If your fence has been grey for years, a solid fence staining will cover up the grey and provide a full bodied refreshing color to any Oklahoma City property.

If you want to re-stain your fence, the previous stain will determine what options you have. If your previous stain was a solid stain, you are limited to another solid body stain. If your previous fence staining was transparent, you can go darker with semi-transparent, or even a solid stain. You can always go darker, but cannot go lighter

Water-based stains are often more transparent, and a fully transparent fence staining will almost certainly be water-based. That is because oils change the tint of the color. Water-based stain can be a great option if speed is desired, because it dries very quickly. Water-based stains are also allow moisture to escape wet wood after a rain, whereas oil stains often trap moisture. Drawbacks to using water-based stains include shorter lifespan, and requiring pretreatment of the wooden board to ensure proper absorption.

Oil-based stains last much longer, and can endure the brutal elements of Oklahoma City. Oil-based does take longer to dry, and color changes over time are common. Using an Oil-based stain can significantly reduce fence maintenance, requiring less re-staining through the years. Oil does have some drawbacks to be aware of. For instance, oil stains are more vulnerable to fire. Oil may also trap moisture into the wood, leading to rot.

Every project is different, because every fence (and backyard) is different. Your fence is unique, and no other fence will have identical shade conditions, soil, or space and access challenges. That is why it is important to get an in-person estimate.

Our team is ready to take a close look at your fence condition and give your the best, most detailed estimate in OKC. Drop us a message, or give us a call today.