To 'stain' or not to 'stain'?
 

OK, so i 'revitalized' a old, grimy fence that runs along my back yard. Used my 2000psi pressure washer to remove all the 'gray dirt'..so now, am undecided...should i bother staining it? i believe it is cedar and matches up with the newer fencing i put in place along the sides. Thing is, i have no control over the other side of the fence so staining it may not necessarily protect it..rather, it'll 'look good'.

Here are some pix of my weekend 'fence restoration project'.

total time: 5-6hrs of pressure washing.

original grey shade:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...18243675_n.jpg

pressure washed (wet):
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...86191472_n.jpg

the 'difference':
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...87535660_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...91894911_n.jpg

last panel:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...94998711_n.jpg

complete:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...79423021_n.jpg

neighbour grey vs my restored fence:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...86909747_n.jpg

A good coat of stain/sealer is going to maybe not protect the fence itself from moisture damage and rot, but should keep you from having to do this every couple of years.

Nicely done btw...looks vastly different.

I've used oil on exterior wood, it looks like the wood in pic #2 after oiling. After bleaching the mildew I sprayed it on, it lasts about a year maybe two, then reapply the oil over the worn finish and it comes right back. No sanding or scraping needed.

If you want a different colour then a stain can tone down wood grain. It will help even out colour variations between old and new work.
The heavier bodied the stain the greater the toning effect and UV protection.

If you decide to not bother re-coating in later years it just goes grey again, no peeling finish.

The after pics look great.

Yes the 'wet' look on the newly restored wood looks great so an
oil that can maintain that look would be awesome.

I guess now the question is what do I need and approx how much
Paint will be necessary for approx 15 panels.

I most likely won't invest in a sprayer but know that brush / roller
Will take a few days.

UV rays from the sun will give your wood that gray dead look by the end of the summer if you leave it uncoated.

To avoid power washing every year and give you that nice wet look you should use a semi transparent stain ( the most natural ) however, the more transparent the less protection you get. Expect to have to do a maintenance coat every 1-3 years depending on exposure. If you want more durability use a more solid stain!

Transparent
Semi transparent
Semi solid
Solid

Oh and if you spray a stain you MUST back brush it! The stain must penetrate into the wood so rolling / spraying will not work the product into the wood. It takes longer but you run the risk of it peeling / flaking if it dries on the surface. Stain is not paint :)

nice work on the pressure washing

ya I was just gonna say to back up what Nanaki said go get yourself a rougher exterior surface roller not the thin interior wall ones, and the proper exterior brush to do this by hand, it's the only way to do it. 2 coats of will do the trick, just make sure to lay on your first coat very thick and cover every crevice and corner. I literally find myself stabbing with a brush the areas not easily reachable, lol

I've done a few full fence installs and finishes for my dad's company just like this over the years and this method never fails me.

And from the pictures you posted there honestly it shouldn't take long, I by myself have finished bigger fences than that with 2 coats in less than 2 days. The shitty part about this style fence is the mesh pattern at the top of the fence there, that shit will literally eat up almost half of your painting time, you're constantly having to touch up the paint runs because there's so many ways the paint can drip in and around that mesh.

But don't discourage yourself thinking it should take close to a week, just lay that thick first coat down that's the hard part, then the final coat will be a breeze.

went with a semi-transparent stain... a bit darker than i hoped although the photos make it look darker than it is. I just want it to look decent for about 2yrs before I sell this house. so far, it hasn't been that difficult....combination of a roller/small brushes but yah, the criss-cross lattice is a pain in the ass.

i wanted to kinda be able to see the 'wood texture' instead of a flat color so semi-trans was great.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...36597363_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...15674879_n.jpg

looks really good!