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Removing existing wood stain on fencing

SUZSUZ Posts: 1
in Tools and techniques

Hi, 

Hope this is the right area to post this.

I have bought some woodstain in a light green shade. Not having treated fencing before, I have now discovered that it won't work over a darker colour. (I have a mixture of treated - mid brown colour and untreated second hand panels). I have tried using a sander on an area and this isn't going to work as surface not smooth enough.

Can I use paint stripper or something similar? I really don't want a brown colour or to buy new fencing! Please can anyone offer advice or product suggestions. Thanks.

 

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,489

    It's not a good idea to use chemicals near your plants. At least your fence isn't that awful orange colour

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • BLTBLT Posts: 525

    I have found this too, as its had blue and  I needed to cover it, so you cannot use stripper on a rough surface.All you can do is choose a darker colour, so I used the least toxic shed and fence paint  in Red Cedar colour, works for me and its even water based..

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,078

    Woodstain isn't like paint.  It tends to soak in as rough wooden fencing is more porous than planed wood.

    You could try doing several coats of your light green in a quiet corner to see if that will cover up the dark but, if not, you'll have to go for dark green.   You can buy a dye for water based paints that will turn your pale green darker.   Look in good DIY stores.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • barryhibarryhi Posts: 4

    If the existing stain is quite faded you may find a powerful pressure washer will remove most of it back down to the original wood.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,140

    Otherwise your alternative is to wait a few years until the dark stain has faded, then you can stain your fence the lighter colour that you prefer - that's what we did.  Just had to be patient. image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I had the same issue - a load of 'orange' fence which I wanted to paint green. I ended up mixing the green with some brown and making it an olive colour which blended with the planting. Mixing with black gives a bottle green which is also good.

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Gardener JohnGardener John Posts: 114
    I agree with Barryhi. My patio trellis used to be blue and I fancied green..

    I used a pressure washer to clear most off,then applied the green.

    I used Cupinol colours range..most of it covered in one coat the rest wanted

    a little extra but it worked..Maybe try another coat before you continue.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Only problem with the paints for smaller areas - like Gjohn mentions - is that  they're really for trellis or benches etc, so they're very expensive if you need to paint a long length of fence  image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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