Treating new fence

Lotus-eater

An elderly friend of mine is putting up a new fence. Well new panels.
It's good quality stuff, pressure treated, the std horizontal strips.

He wants to treat the fence before it goes up and there is no cost pressure on what stuff he buys.
He does want clear treatment stuff, no colours.

I'm wondering if it's worth treating this early on, as it's just been pressure treated and if it is, what recommendation you would give for what to use.

I've had a look at the Cuprinol stuff, but there seems to be several which would do it, I'm not sure which one to advise him to use.

Lotus-eater

No idea if pressure treated timber would benefit from a coating of treatment at all?

fwor

I asked my fencer the same question and he said that there's no point on a new fence.

His view was that it takes several years for the pressure treatment to leach out, so adding preservative from new is not worthwhile.

I should add that I don't believe him, as I reckon it's in his interests for my fence to rot away, but perhaps I'm being too suspicious there...

cyclonebri1

The recomendation I've heard is that it isn't neccessary for the 1st year.
Mine?, it gets done immediately, it rots too dam quickly for my liking anyway, and as he's probably realised there are bits that are not easy to painted when errected

I do think anyone treating a fence or decking or a shed etc needs to take care, many of these finishes that are available even under accepted names such as Cuprinol or Ronseal, are nothing more than coloured finishes, precious little preservative in there if any at all.

Check the detail on the cans and purchase a decent preservative, the Sikkens range of products that is more trade orientated probably produce some thing suitable, other stuff of their I've used on hardwood windows stands head and shoulders above anything else I've used.;)

There is a product called Creoseal, which is an oil based substitute and would probably be more effective than the water based stuff that predominates now H&S has gone wild. (Incidentally, Creosote is still widely available for sale in spite of what some may think, but I'm not suggesting using that for 1 minute although it does still have it's place).

Getting back to where I came in, 1 tip you should ensure he is aware of is to ensure the panels are readily removable for repainting later, it's so much easier and much less messy, just a few screws for security if concrete posts and secured with screws if not.

p.clark62

I wouldnt worry about treating the panels they will rot/breakup over time no matter what you do to them, but they will last about 10-15years anyway, the main part of the fence to take care of is the posts, treat the bottom coming up to just above ground level with either Creosote (if you have any) or Tuffip which is available at real Timber shops (not B & Q) that will give you an extra 10years

cyclonebri1

p.clark62 wrote: »

I wouldnt worry about treating the panels they will rot/breakup over time no matter what you do to them, but they will last about 10-15years anyway, the main part of the fence to take care of is the posts, treat the bottom coming up to just above ground level with either Creosote (if you have any) or Tuffip which is available at real Timber shops (not B & Q) that will give you an extra 10years

Yeah, all well and good but you do want them to look respectable for that length of time, so paint'em with something decent