Treating a new fence

fly-catchers

I recently had a extensive new fence fitted. It is already pressure treated. But they had to fit a different section in one part as it was on a corner and smaller. This has a couple of batons fitted which are not treated. What is the best way to treat them? Looking at various wood preservative treatments they say they need to be painted or stained afterwards. So do you need more than one chemical to do the job right? Is it a good idea to treat the rest of the fence going forward on a regular basis?

twopenny

I've left my pressure treated panels unpainted because I like the look of bare wood compared to the orange my neighbour'kindly' did the rest but no reason they can't be painted.
Untreated battons is a pain. I'd be inclined to oil them if you want to leave it as is. They are easily replaced if there is a problem in future.

Woolsery

If they were battens and not 'batons' all would be well, because by the nature of their intended use, battens are pressure treated at source.

25_Years_On

Yes it's a good idea to treat on a regular basis. I use a proper oil based soak in preserver like Ronseal Shed and Fence Preserver or the cheaper Barrentine Wood Protector. I use this even on new pressure treated wood. However I haven't tackled a big fence with panels.

ispookie666

I used everbuild lumberjack wood preserver (please wear coverall of sorting) and then used boiled linseed oil. This was done last year on all the fence, one part of the fence is new and it has a different sheen due to less sun bleaching. The fence looks great 

Bendy_House

It can be a bit of a minefield to know what all these treatments are!

Your new fence comes 'dip' or 'pressure' treated against rot. Ie, the wood has been soaked in what is a preservative which should protect it against rot for a decade or so (provided it isn't in contact with/below the ground). This treatment simply holds back 'rot', and it doesn't actually prevent water from soaking in, or usually even give it a decorative coating.

This preservative treatment will ultimately get leached out, and become less effective, and then rot can set in, usually along the bottom sections, or where water can pool and not dry out - behind the rails, side frame, etc. So, if you simply want to prevent your fence from rotting, and not change its colour, then it needs a clear preservative applying to it, and a good one is the Everbuild Lumberjack mentioned above - you can but a large 25 litre drum for around £85. Water-based, it's nice to use, not smelly, and generally quite safe, tho' you should always wear protective clothing and a mask. Easiest way to apply it is via a pump-up garden spryer - £10-ish - and concentrate on the parts where water would settle - so that's along the bottom rails, down inside the side frame, behind battens, etc.

That's 'preservative'.

Then there's the common fence 'paints' - the Ronseal 'Fence Life' type stuff. This gelatinous paint does the exact opposite of preservative!  It doesn't preserve the timber; it instead gives it a surface coating that repels water, and adds a decorative finish. So, if any water gets behind this coating, it'll still rot the timber. And, guess what, this paint just doesn't get to where it should - in these tight, hidden joints and frames. So your fence will look great, but almost certainly the parts that are susceptible to rotting will still rot because water will get in there, and settle.

And then there's coatings which are a combination - coloured timber preservative, usually in shades of brown, sometimes green, and also sometimes with a water repellent in them. This stuff is usually spirit-based, so smelly (nice...), soaks right in, colours the wood, but doesn't leave a surface layer on top of it. Easy to apply, because it can be sprayed or brushed, and you don't need to be careful - you just soak it. Examples are as mentioned by 25YearsOn above.

What I've done with older fence panels that need a new lease is to spray/brush them with fence paint (the Ronseal stuff) which has been thinned with Everbuild! This makes it watery, so sprays easily. I aim the nozzle down each side frame to fire the liquid right in there where a brush won't get to. Ditto along the bottom rails - that's usually the first to rot. Once dry - it doesn't take long - I then give it one or two coats of neat Fence Paint. (Really into charcoals and blacks this time - green planting looks great against it!)

The best stuff to use is probably the 25YO recommendations, but they can turn out quite costly. But then, it'll save you a lot of future expense.

Once upon a time, Creosote was the go-to material! Nasty stuff, but - man - it worked! Preserved, coloured, and repelled. Not available to laypeeps these days for safety reasons (quite right), but the friendly replacement - Creocote - is quite different and does NOT preserve, only colours and repels.

If you want to STOP & PREVENT rot, you need a preservative. If you want to delay rot, and add a cosmetic finish, use a 'paint'. If you want both, then use either both, or 25YA's suggestions.