How to Paint a Fence

Step 1: Prepare the area and protect your garden

Typically, when painting a fence outdoors, people are far less concerned with spilling paint on the ground or surrounding plants.

• To be safe and ensure your garden stays immaculate, we would recommend using a Seriously Good Tarpaulin if you are planning to paint over brick, wooden decking or concrete to guarantee strong protection.
• To protect yourself from any potential splashes, wear a Seriously Good Protective Suit and opt for old clothes to be extra safe.
• Once the floor is suitably covered, tie back any climbing plants and cover any vulnerable plants using the tarpaulin.

Step 2: Assess and repair fence damage

A vital step in painting a fence is examining the fence for any signs of damage, including rot, mould or loose slats, to ensure your paint glides on seamlessly.

• Be mindful that simply painting over these problem areas will not resolve the issues in the long term and could potentially cause more daunting, time-consuming work at a later stage.
• This stage is the perfect opportunity to repair or replace any damaged areas and remove the risk of more costly jobs later down the line.
• In some cases, depending on the type of fence you have, fence panels may need to be replaced to ensure safety and prevent the garden from looking untidy.

With the fence checked and repaired or replaced, you can use a Seriously Good Wire Brush and Scraper to clean up the fence panel and achieve a smooth surface. Only a light brushing is needed with the wire brush to eliminate any dirt or debris which might have accumulated over the year.

Step 3: Apply fence paint for a flawless finish

• Once your fence panels are perfectly prepared, shake your tin of fence paint, open the lid and stir the contents if necessary to remove any lumps. The paint must be of a smooth consistency with no patches of oil, water or other colours to ensure smooth coverage is achieved.
• Pour some of the fence paint into an Ultimate Large Handyhold. Now, time to use the best brush out there for painting a fence; our Ultimate Swan Neck Shed and Fence Brush will make short work of applying the paint smoothly and evenly. Use this intelligent brush to work the paint into the wood, covering all areas. 
• Alternatively, you can take the Seriously Good 4 inch Shed & Fence Roller to rapidly cover the panels. This is the ideal solution for larger, or more uniform fence panels. Once this step is complete, you can take the Seriously Good 2 Inch Shed & Fence Brush with guaranteed no bristle loss, to paint the frame and finish off any areas that require a higher level of intricacy.

Step 4: Finish!

• When you have finished painting the fence, allow the paint to dry fully. For a deeper, darker colour, add additional coats, being sure to wait for the required drying time between coats.
• Store the Ultimate Swan Neck Shed & Fence Brush in the Brush Protector. This Harris-approved top tip stops the paint on the brush from drying between coats and becoming far more challenging to clean.

That’s all there is to it! You now have a remarkable-looking garden and flawless fence panels that will remain well-protected from the summer through to the winter.

Discover more top tips for perfecting your garden DIY projects with our guides on How to Paint Garden Decking and How to Paint a Shed, or head to our How To section to map out your garden transformation.

Choose the best tools for painting a fence

For efficient and even coverage on your garden project, we recommend the Harris Seriously Good 4 Inch Shed, Fence & Decking Roller Set. This fully-stocked kit includes everything you need for a professional finish: a roller tray, a four-inch frame, a roller sleeve, and a two-inch paintbrush.