Often, it is recommended that you wait a year to paint a wood fence to allow time for it to weather to the point where all the tannin, or in the case of pressure treated wood, all the chemicals have leeched from the wood. There are stains made to go over unweathered wood, and you can paint the fence with 100% acrylic paint or solid stain before it's weathered, but you may see tannin or chemical staining over time and it will take longer for the leeching to complete. I wouldn't recommend using oil based primer, paints or stains because they could peel off over time when coating unweathered woods.
Woods that don't leech tannin, like pine, oak and spruce can be primed and painted immediately.
I've been told the stain is better as it wont chip
No
It is not recommended to use acrylic paint on wood, especially if it is outdoor. You could seal the fence first, but it is not guaranteed to work as well as stain and it just is too much work. I would recommend using stain. It is designed primarily for outdoor wood and holds up pretty well.
Generally, yes, although the water-based stain may run a small amount after application if the wood still has a lot of oil present in it. After 15 years, it should be okay.
You re-stain with a darker stain. Good luck.
I've been told the stain is better as it wont chip
The fastest way to stain a fence is to have a group of people do it. I helped stain a fence this morning and we had four people. It took us four hours using paint brushes, sprayers, and rollers. I would get a sprayer that sprays an even coat.
as far as i know no but i wouldn't recommend it.
you can spat the paintball and then take a wet rag towel and wipe it off. If there is still some paint left you can paint over it or stain over it.
No
It is not recommended to use acrylic paint on wood, especially if it is outdoor. You could seal the fence first, but it is not guaranteed to work as well as stain and it just is too much work. I would recommend using stain. It is designed primarily for outdoor wood and holds up pretty well.
Generally, yes, although the water-based stain may run a small amount after application if the wood still has a lot of oil present in it. After 15 years, it should be okay.
You re-stain with a darker stain. Good luck.
Paint stays on the surface and stain soaks into the the surface.
The answer will depend on the type of fence you have erected and your personal taste. The most common reason for staining a fence is two-fold, esthetics (the look of the thing) and preservation (stain helps to extend the life of some types of wood). For un-treated wood (except cedar) you can and in most areas should stain your fence immediately you finish putting it up. Semi-transparency or solid, latex/acrylic or oil based stains all work and have various pros and cons. For cedar fences, personal taste is your best guide. This is one of the woods where preservation is less needed. Teak and cypress being two others (but the prices for these can be prohibitive). Good cedar will "silver" within a year or two, depending on your area, and the amount of "weather" you experience. If you like the look of silvered cedar, it is completely un-necessary to do anything but wait. If, however, you do not like the "silvered" look, the fence will need to be stained, usually after the first year. Pressure treated wood should be allowed to weather a bit before staining. It usually comes with a bit of colour from the chemicals used in the process, so it is best to let that fade, particularly if you are using a semi-transparent stain. Depending on your area and the amount of "weather" you get this will take anywhere from 2 months to a year. Once the wood has started to grey give it a good cleaning, allow to dry and apply your stain. If you are using a solid stain, the timing is less important, you can usually paint it with a solid stain within weeks of finishing your project.
If you paint over the "weathered" paint, it will chip and cause the stain to come off. Also, the stain needs a clean sanded surface in order for the wood to absorb it. Otherwise, there is no reason to use stain.
sh**stain