Painting Your Garden Fence

8 min reading time

A freshly painted garden fence makes a well-kept, inviting impression and thus also visually enhances your property. In this way, you not only please yourself, but probably also your neighbours.
A new coat of paint also offers your fence protection and care. It should be renewed first and foremost when the old varnish comes off.
With MissPompadour, repainting is child's play. Here we have all the important information for painting your garden fence.

1. Ideas for your garden fence

2. Preparation: How to choose the right colour for your garden fence

3. Painting a garden fence the right way: Instructions by MissPompadour

4. FAQ: Frequently asked questions about painting garden fences

5. These are the accessories you need to paint your garden fence

Garden Fence Painting Ideas from the MissPompadour Painting Community

Painting a garden fence is not only a beautification of your garden, but also an important maintenance. A new coat of paint provides protection against the elements. Depending on the environmental conditions, the paint should be renewed every few years. Whether you paint your garden fence in classic dark or trendy colours - there are no limits to your imagination.
In any case, we have the right colour selection for you. For inspiration and even more ideas, check out the Before-After pictures in our community.

Before

- The privacy screen no longer matched our customer's style.

After

- Thanks to the paint, the fence now has a much more modern effect.

Before

- The weather has left its mark on this fence. It was time for a refresh.

After

- With a little paint, the fence no longer shows its history.

Before

- Even though it is anything but beautiful, it would be far too bad to replace this fence.

After

- That's why our customer not only gave it a new coat of paint, but painted it with a character all its own.

Preparation: how to choose the right colour for your garden fence

Our large colour scheme leaves no colour wish unfulfilled. For outdoor use, you should always choose varnishes (as opposed to wall paints), as they are more resistant and weatherproof. But no matter if wood or metal, with our colours your garden fence will become a jewel of your garden in no time.

What material is the garden fence made of?

MissPompadour has a wide range of different colour shades and products for you to choose from, whether it's a metal, wood or plastic fence. We especially recommend our MissPompadour Eggshell Varnishes. With them you have a wide colour scheme with many modern and bright colour shades to choose from. The products are ecological, water-based, easy to clean and hard-wearing. They are particularly suitable for garden fences made of wood, metal and plastic. The material plays a role especially for the primer, as this must be perfectly matched to the respective surface. You can find an overview of the different primers in our instructions.

Professional tip: To ensure that your fence has a long service life, you should also include the anchors in the maintenance. All elements that are in contact with the ground need extra care.

What gloss level do you want for your garden fence?

The gloss level of our products ranges from matt to silk matt to glossy. Depending on which product you choose, the surface of your wooden fence will look either matt or very glossy - depending on how the incident light is reflected by the painted surface.
For outdoor use, we recommend that you use semi-gloss varnishes, as these are particularly hard-wearing and also easy to apply. You will be satisfied with the result. But of course there are no limits to your wishes and you can also paint in matt or gloss.

Painting a garden fence the right way: Instructions from MissPompadour

No matter what project you're tackling, the painting process is the same and really easy with our paints.

Step 1: The optimal weather for painting your fence

Wait for a stable weather situation with temperatures in the moderate double-digit range - also at night. Make sure it is neither too hot nor too cold.
On hot days or days with high sunlight, the paint will dry on your brush before you can apply it to the surface. If, on the other hand, it is cold and damp, it will take too long for the paint to dry or stick at all.
Of course, it is important that your fence is dry when you paint it. So after a downpour, it's better to wait another day before you start, especially with wooden fences. Also, allow enough time for your project, as it is important to wait several hours - preferably overnight - between coats before applying a second or third coat.

Professional tip: If you arevarnishing in summer when temperatures are high, set your alarm clock and start right away in the cooler morning hours.

Step 2: Prepare the garden fence

It is important that the surface is clean, grease-free and load-bearing.

Old varnish that is flaking off, paint residues and, in the case of metal fences, rust must be removed in any case. Also remove moss, lichen or other plants that may have already attached themselves to the fence. For general cleaning and the removal of moss and lichen, we recommend MissPompadour - To Clean. Damage caused by corrosion (such as rust) should be sanded down and completely removed.
Uneven areas can be repaired, sanded or filled, e. g. with To Fill - MissPompadour Filler.
Before painting, the fence should be thoroughly cleaned again with clear water and then given enough time to dry.
If there are tiles or other sensitive materials under the fence, protect them with a plastic drop cloth.

Step 3: Priming

The primer is the first thin coat applied to the prepared surface. It has three functions:

The paint will bond better with the material, the paint will be more even and will last longer.
Especially if you want to apply light colours on a dark surface, primer covers the dark layer and can prevent wood fences from bleeding
For metal, it also serves as corrosion protection.

Here you can find a product overview of our different primers.

For wooden fences: For real wood, play it safe with our To Block - MissPompadour Stainblock. The barrier layer prevents tanning agents contained in the wood from bleeding and leaving unsightly stains in the fresh paint.
For metal fences: For metal, the primer is especially important to prevent rust from forming. For metal you can use To Block from MissPompadour.
For plastic fences: For plastic surfaces, use To Bond - MissPompadour primer to ensure a good paintable surface. Apply the primer as thinly as possible and let it dry well.

Professional tip: You should really only apply a thin layer of primer. It doesn't have to be opaque, and when applied thinly, it unfolds its full potential even better. Be sure to let the foundation soak in for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Step 4: Paint the garden fence

Once the surface is dry, start applying the actual paint. A few tips for painting:

Do not use too much paint on the brush, so that no runners or unsightly drops of paint appear.
How many coats you need to apply depends on your colour preference and the material. Apply as many coats as you like until you are happy with the result.
Let each coat dry very well. Four to five hours is usually enough, but it can take longer depending on the weather. You can wash out the accessories with water. Only brushes or rollers that you have used to apply the blocker need to be cleaned with turpentine.

Professionaltip: To prevent the brushes or paint rollers from drying out between the individual passes, wrap them airtight in cling film or put a rubber glove over them.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Painting Garden Fences

When is the best time to paint wooden fences?

Wooden fences should be painted in the dry season or during periods of good weather. This ensures that the paint layer can dry sufficiently.
If it is too cold, the varnish will not hold well. If it is too warm or the sun is shining directly on it, the paint may dry on the brush. Temperatures should be in the mid two-digit range - even at night.

How often should I paint my fence?

How often you paint your fence depends on the location and the degree of weathering. An interval of 4 to 5 years is usually sufficient.

How do I paint a hunter's fence?

A hunter's fence is a wooden fence in diamond shape that is very popular in Germany. It should be regularly maintained and painted. Since the fence is usually quite dark, you should definitely apply To Block - MissPompadour Stainblock as the first coat. After that, you can also try something new and paint the fence in a beautiful Scandinavian blue or white.

Hunter fences are usually supplied in modules about 2 metres wide, which has the advantage that you can dismantle them relatively easily for painting.

These are the accessories you need for painting the garden fence

With these materials you are well prepared to paint your fence:

Sandpaper or Sanding Pad: For all areas where old varnish has flaked off or for other superficial damage to the wooden fence that should be sanded smooth before painting, you can use our MissPompadour Sanding Pad To Sand.
Cleaningrag and bucket: The surface must be free of dust and grease for your paint to hold well. To thoroughly clean the garden fence first, use To Clean from MissPompadour.
plastic drop cloth or newspaper: To protect the floor against paint splashes.
Brush or spray system: Whether you prefer to use a brush or a spray system depends on the type of fence. If it is an ornate metal fence, it is easier to spray.
Note, however, that you will need more paint for this, you cannot spray the primer (as only water-based paints can be sprayed) and you must cover everything in the background well beforehand