I have just had a new garden fence and would like to keep the ''new look '' colour.

What would be the best clear varnish/preserver to use and would it keep the same new wood look.

clear preserver if you want to keep the natural look varnish will stain it to a certain degree or put a shine on it,  and stops the wood breathing

I painted mine with sump oil, keeps the kids off it haha

1 hour ago, Jimpster said:

I painted mine with sump oil,

Yes, I used to do that with fence and garden sheds for years when I used to do all my own car  maintenance, killed two birds with one stone as you got rid of the old oil as well as preserving the wood. Mind, it might have killed a few other things as it would hardly be regarded as environmentally friendly nowadays, I guess!

So clear preserver is the way to go,just put that on and will maintain the wood from rot and keep the colour of the fresh wood.

Looking at best ones now to get,so many makes these days.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Edit...........Just ordered some clear wood preserver and some clear yacht grade varnish,it states put preserver on leave dry and varnish.

Bear in mind too what type of fence you have. I have traditional 6ft lap fence panels, and there are 18 of them, painting them is soul destroying and  I'd highly recommend a paint sprayer, unless you are young & fit LOL They just soak in paint!

4 hours ago, jace1969 said:

So clear preserver is the way to go,just put that on and will maintain the wood from rot and keep the colour of the fresh wood.

Looking at best ones now to get,so many makes these days.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Edit...........Just ordered some clear wood preserver and some clear yacht grade varnish,it states put preserver on leave dry and varnish.

Do not put clear yacht varnish on the fence panels. It will peel and crack within 12 months and then you will have to sand down the panels to put anything else on.

Clear yacht varnish type stuff should only be used for exterior door/window frames and wooden garden furniture.

9 minutes ago, Wino said:

Clear yacht varnish type stuff should only be used for exterior door/window frames and wooden garden furniture.

and... of course, yachts 🤣

Agreed pick up a cheap sprayer, otherwise you'll be cursing lol

9 hours ago, StephenFord said:

painting them is soul destroying and  I'd highly recommend a paint sprayer,

Soul destroying ain't the word! 

Anyone recommend from personal experience a reasonably priced sprayer? 

pick up a cheap one from ebay or marketplace, it wont matter if its ruined

 

1 hour ago, Turvey said:

Soul destroying ain't the word! 

Anyone recommend from personal experience a reasonably priced sprayer? 

Lidls are due one soon in the middle aisle, they haven't done one now since last summer...

47 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Lidls are due one soon in the middle aisle, they haven't done one now since last summer...

Will they be any good though?

 

Daughter works in Lidl so staff discount as well 😉

7 minutes ago, Turvey said:

Will they be any good though?

 

Daughter works in Lidl so staff discount as well 😉

I love Lidl tools! Last week I bought a cordless pole saw for high branch trimming (a chain saw on a stick!), it's brilliant, and during winter, I bought their leaf blower/vacuum, again, quality bit of kit. They're all German made to a very high standard, so yes, highly recommended. Been buying their tools for over a decade, excellent guarantee, and as well as instructions in the box, you can download a PDF for ease of access...

Oh, and as your daughter will testify, if you see something you like, just buy it, it won't be there again next week!

Lidl stuff is good and you cant beat the 3 year warranty so keep the receipt

7 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

Lidl stuff is good and you cant beat the 3 year warranty so keep the receipt

Better still, download their app, scan at till, and you will have a permanent digital receipt which you can recall if needs be (for big items, you can 'favourite' the receipt to make it easier to find!)

Don’t use varnish that is water based.  Use the good stuff - solvent based - high in VOCs.   If it doesn’t have high in vocs warning on tin then it won’t last when used outside or anywhere where there is moisture eg bathroom. 

I've bought this, but my first attempt was with some old wood perervative that wasn't suitable for spraying as I found out. Came out in large splatters much to the disgust  of the neighbour and his footpath the other side of fence. 😂😂😂😂. 

I will buy some proper sprayable stuff and have another go as I've had 5 fence panels and a large gate replaced a few months ago. 

14 minutes ago, iantt said:

I've bought this, but my first attempt was with some old wood perervative that wasn't suitable for spraying as I found out. Came out in large splatters much to the disgust  of the neighbour and his footpath the other side of fence. 😂😂😂😂. 

I will buy some proper sprayable stuff and have another go as I've had 5 fence panels and a large gate replaced a few months ago. 

As with car paint try thinning it down and run it thru an old pair of tights before loading into the gun

7 minutes ago, Jimpster said:

As with car paint try thinning it down and run it thru an old pair of tights before loading into the gun

As said above, loads of internet info on how to dilute varnish/paint to make it flow properly through a sprayer... When I used a friends a while back, he taught me how to dilute paint, then run it through a special 'test' bottle that came with it, and time how long 10ml took to flow through it to get the target consistency...

I think paint shops have moved on from the wifes tights and use micron filters LOL

2 hours ago, Jimpster said:

As with car paint try thinning it down and run it thru an old pair of tights before loading into the gun

I was just impatient and the neighbours a knob anyway. 

I bought one of the Ronseal sprayers and used the Ronseal fence life plus, sprays on ok but still needed brushing to cover properly, still easier than just using a brush.

I painted five 6ft fence panels with a large brush and Cuprinol autumn gold paint. It is not soul destroying. Just dip and slap on. Do not ... forgot the word now .... rub a dipped paint brush on the edge to reduce the amount of paint sticking to the brush like when you do interior paint.

I think you also nee Teak oil before you paint it but I never bothered 😁

2 minutes ago, OilSheikh said:

I painted five 6ft fence panels with a large brush and Cuprinol autumn gold paint. It is not soul destroying.

I can assure you, by the time you reach panel No.18, your opinion will change! 🤣

56 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I can assure you, by the time you reach panel No.18, your opinion will change! 🤣

Yeah, when I got divorced and the ***** kept my house, I bought another house with a huge garden. Took me lots of weekends to do all the fencing panels . Probably 25 -30 full panels.