Sooner or later, most outdoor facilities that are made out of wood, such as fences and sheds, will need to be painted. This is partly a matter of protecting the wood against the worst of the damage that the rain and the sun can do to it, but also a matter of keeping it looking its best.
It is very important to choose the right paint for the job though. You can start by looking for a product from a reputable manufacturer, with Ronseal fence paint being a popular choice for precisely that reason. There are lots of paints on the market though, so this guide will outline how to select the best exterior paint for your needs.
What is the reason for painting the wood?
This is the first question that you have to ask yourself when looking for the right product, because which one will work best depends on what you are trying to achieve. Essentially there are three different products that can be used on exterior wood and they are:
• Paint
• Wood stain
• Oil
If the goal of the exercise is both to protect the wood against the elements and give it a completely new look, paint will be the product to select. Later on in this piece we will go into greater depth about the various kinds of paint and their differences. One of the many Ronseal fence paint products will refresh the look of your fence or shed while also making it more resistant to rain and sun damage though.
If you want to renew exterior wood that has turned grey and faded due to the sun without changing the basic colour, oil will be the right choice. This will restore the natural wood oils that provide that colouring and will work for everything from fences and sheds to garden furniture and decking.
For changing the shade of exterior wood but retaining a natural wood tone, staining will be the ideal way. If the sun has already turned it grey, sand it down first using sandpaper before adding a product like teak, mahogany or cedar stain to it.
How do you know if exterior wood paint is good?
What you need in an exterior wood paint is protection against the two main weather elements: sun and rain. The first of these strips the wood of oils and turns it grey, creating a lifeless look. The second rots and warps the wood, which can lead to leaks and holes appearing. A good exterior wood paint product must be designed to prevent both of those things from happening.
It also needs to dry fairly quickly after it has been applied. The UK has an unpredictable climate, even in the summer, with sudden bursts of rain not uncommon. Therefore, paint that takes hours to dry is of no use to someone in this country.
Finally, there is the matter of suitable temperatures. A lot of exterior paint products are not suitable for use when it is less than 10 degrees, which can be inconvenient. The reason why Ronseal paints are so highly recommended is because they do not present any of these problems for users.
What are the best products to choose?
The majority of exterior wood painting is carried out on fences and sheds. Ronseal provide a range of excellent products that will be ideal for either of those items. Most of them fall into one of two distinct product ranges: Fence Life and Fence Life Plus.
Do not be fooled by the name: they will work just as well on sheds and can even be used to paint wooden garden furniture if you fancy giving your set a fresh image. Let us look a bit more closely at the differences between the two ranges.
The Fence Life range will provide a fine finish with just a single coat and will dry within an hour of the paint being applied. It is guaranteed to retain its colour for two years.
The Fence Life Plus range is longer lasting, with a five-year guarantee. It also offers more widespread protection, as it can withstand frost and snow as well as rain and sun damage. It is possible to apply it directly to fences or sheds that are damp.
Both of these wood paint product ranges come in a variety of colours. For the Fence Life range that includes Black, Dark and Medium Oak, Forest Green and Red Cedar. For the Fence Life Plus range, available colours include Cornflower, Charcoal Grey and Forest Green.
You should now have all of the information needed to choose the right exterior wood paint.
