Fence Staining Planned Around North County Weather

The shady side of a wood fence turns green because algae and mildew grow on wood that stays damp, and shaded wood dries slowly after rain and morning dew. In Glen Burnie yards with big oaks and maples along the lot line, the north-facing or tree-covered side can stay wet for days. Cleaning with a product that kills mildew and algae removes it, and a penetrating stain helps the wood shed water. Trimming overhanging branches and raking leaves away from the base helps the fence dry faster afterward.

A wood fence usually needs a couple of dry days after a summer rain before it can be stained, and longer for boards in heavy shade. The surface feels dry while the inside of the board still holds water, and stain cannot soak into wet wood. It sits on top and peels. We check boards with a moisture meter in sunny and shaded spots before staining instead of going by the calendar. Rain in the forecast right after staining matters too, because fresh stain needs time to cure before it gets wet.

Salt air from creeks like Marley Creek, Stoney Creek, and Bodkin Creek can affect fence stain by leaving a residue on the wood and by rusting steel fasteners that then streak through the finish. Stain applied over salt residue does not bond as well, so we rinse waterfront fences thoroughly before staining. The bigger issue is usually hardware. Plain steel nails and hinges rust faster near the water, and the rust bleeds dark lines down the boards. Replacing rusted fasteners with corrosion-resistant screws before staining keeps those streaks from coming back through a fresh coat.

Black streaks running down from the nails on a wood fence are usually caused by rusting steel nails reacting with the tannins in the wood. Cedar and some other woods contain natural tannins, and when they meet iron and moisture, they turn dark. Staining over them does not fix the problem, because the nails keep rusting and the streaks bleed back through. The fix is to replace rusted nails with corrosion-resistant fasteners, clean the streaks with a wood brightener made for tannin and rust stains, then stain. This shows up most on fences near the water and in damp shade.

Staining only your side of a wood fence is still worth it, because it protects the face you see and slows weathering, though the unstained side keeps taking in water. A board sealed on one face and bare on the other dries unevenly, which can lead to some cupping and to mildew on the bare side. If your neighbor agrees later, staining their side then improves the fence's protection. In the meantime, keep the top of the fence and the bottom edges well sealed on your side, since that is where water gets in and rot begins.

Trimming trees before your fence is stained is a good idea when branches touch the fence or hang low over it, because those branches keep the wood wet and drop debris onto fresh stain. Branches resting on boards hold moisture and rub the finish off. Overhanging limbs drip sap and pollen and shade the fence so it dries slowly. Clearing a gap of a foot or two between the branches and the fence lets air move along the boards. Trim before we clean the fence, so the cleaning step removes the dirt and debris from the trimming.

Staining can make an old gray fence look close to new if the wood under the gray layer is still sound, because cleaning strips the gray off and the stain brings back color. A wood cleaner and brightener remove most of it and show the wood underneath. If boards are split, soft, or rotted, stain will color them but will not make them strong, and they will keep failing. A heavily weathered fence often looks most even with a semi-transparent or solid stain, which hides differences in the old wood better than a clear finish.

Spring pollen can cause problems when staining a fence because it settles on wet stain and sticks there, leaving a gritty yellow film on the finish. In Glen Burnie and the rest of the Baltimore area, tree pollen is heavy in spring, especially on fences under oaks and pines. When the fence is dusted with pollen, we rinse it off as part of cleaning and stain once it is dry. Penetrating stains that soak into the wood are less affected than film-forming ones, since the finish is inside the wood and not sitting on top for pollen to stick to.

Fence stain should not get on your house, plants, or a neighbor's car when the area is covered and the stain is brushed in rather than sprayed loosely. Before staining, we cover plants with breathable cloth after wetting them, lay drop cloths on patios and walkways, and mask siding and fence hardware. Brushing the stain in keeps it on the wood. Spraying on a breezy day is how overspray travels onto nearby cars and windows, which matters on tight lots where a driveway runs right beside the fence.

A cedar fence that has never been stained can still be stained, as long as the boards are not rotted or split through. Most unstained cedar has turned gray from sun exposure, and the first step is a deep clean and brightening to remove that gray layer and any mildew. Cedar takes penetrating stain well once it is clean and dry, because its open grain soaks the stain in. If some boards or posts need replacing, that work happens before staining so the whole fence gets an even coat after repair.