Fence Staining

Hi,

My fence is approx 10 yrs old and I'd like to stain it. It is a 6 foot fence, 5 ft board over board (boards on each side) with a 1 ft lattice on top. I will be power washing the entire fence prior to staining it. I have a compressor and a spray gun that I'd like to use. The spray gun is the 1 quart HVLP type. My questions are:

1) Has anyone used this type of spray gun to stain a fence before?

2) How far will the 1 quart capacity get me? Will I be filling the can every
8 ft section?

3) What stain do you recommend?

I will only be staining my 3 sides as my neighbours do not want to do their sides, so I will be using a drop sheet to catch the overspray on their sides. I've been reading numerous posts and they recommend back brushing/rolling after spraying.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Phil

 

That type of spray rig won't be very effective on a fence. It would also be hard to spray any of the heavier coatings with it. You would be better off using an airless type sprayer to paint the fence with - they can be rented.

You will find better coatings at a paint store than you will at a big box. Some paint stores also rent airless's.

 

If you do spray, it is best to work it into the wood with a brush or roller.

 

Thanks for the replies!

I've heard of the airless sprayers, but I'm not sure how they work. Any info??
Are they electric?? Is there a container that the stain goes in or is there a hose attachment that sits in the stain can that draws the stain out to make the job quicker? A hose attachment would be quicker!

 

Basically an airless is a pump that sucks up the paint, forces it thru the spray line and out the gun/tip for the spray pattern.

Commercial rigs can be either gas or electric powered. There used to be some that were air powered but I doubt they make them anymore [and they took a BIG air compressor] All the commercial ones use either a slightly flexable hose or a rigid 'pipe' that sets in the paint [1 gal, 5 gal or drum] There are homeowner type units that are self contained and only hold a quart. There are also diy type units that are similiar to the commercial ones. Diy type sprayers are always elec powered.

There are 2 types of airless pumps. All the commercial units have a piston pump which is more reliable and lasts longer [also pumps more volume] Some of the diy units use a diaphram pump which is cheaper but won't last as long. They are also limmited to a lower output.

It is always best to strain the paint/stain even though most units have 1-3 strainers built in the system. A reversible tip is also a good idea - if any trash gets past the filters and plugs up the tip reversing it will clean it out - fast and easy Always be mindfull of overspray - it can travel a long ways