Fence staining, by referral
Fence staining by Local Stain of Northwest Arkansas, our family company.
Privacy Fence builds the fence. Staining is done by Local Stain, a trusted family company, and it is scheduled and billed separately from the build.
Alan can include a staining estimate while he is quoting your new fence, so ask about it during the visit. To start a fence estimate, call (479) 751-7894.
Why stain
Five things a wood fence is up against.
- Moisture
- Bare wood takes on water and gives it back, and the swelling and shrinking is what cups boards and opens splits. Stain slows that cycle.
- Sunlight
- UV turns new wood grey and dries the surface out. Stain carries pigment and protection that bare wood does not have.
- Mold and mildew
- Damp, shaded runs grow mold and mildew first. A sealed surface gives them less to hold on to.
- Lifespan
- A protected board lasts longer than a bare one, and a fence is an investment you want to keep.
- Curb appeal
- Stain is where a cedar fence gets its finished color, from the pale tone of Desert Sand to the depth of Dark Sierra.
When to stain
Wait for the wood, not the calendar.
New wood holds water from the lumber yard and the treatment. Stain goes on once its moisture content is 14% or below.
Moisture content or below
Hot, dry weather
A couple of weeks can be enough for a new fence to get there.
Cool winter conditions
Ninety days or longer is common before the boards dry down.
The real test
Check the moisture rather than count the days. Those ranges are a guide, and the wood has the final say.
What goes on the fence
Wood Defender oil-based stain, in two strengths.
Local Stain uses Wood Defender oil-based stain, and it comes either transparent or semi-transparent.
Transparent keeps the look closest to bare wood and lets the grain do the talking. Semi-transparent carries more color while the grain still shows through. Which one fits depends on the wood and on how much color you want.
Because a stain reads differently on different wood, Local Stain shows sample swatches on pine, eastern cedar and western cedar. Pick from the swatch on your wood, not from a color chip.
The process is short. The crew cleans the fence, protects the surfaces around it, and turns the work around fast.
Four colors to start from
Cedar Tone, Leatherwood, Desert Sand and Dark Sierra.
Local Stain color samples on real fences, each on the cedar it was tested on.
Staining estimate
Ask Alan about staining during your fence estimate.
He can include a staining estimate while he quotes the new fence. Staining stays a separate job from Local Stain, scheduled and billed on its own.
Building the fence first? See our wood privacy fences.