Services

Has your fence seen better days? Is you fence becoming the neighborhood eyesore? The thing about fences is that they are one of the first things people see when they look at your home. That means they can add immediate value to your home or do it a great disservice. Many people opt for deck painting and resealing when Father Time and Mother Nature have done a tandem number on their fences. And for good reason; it is a very worthwhile investment that can instantly enhance the look of your home.

But if you are going to handle the project yourself, you need to start off on the right foot. And the key to a successful fence restoration project is thorough stripping. So please take a look at this cursory guide for how to get old paint off your fence.

Step 1 – Mind your Lawn – Believe it or not, your overgrown grass can throw a big monkey wrench into your fence project. Tall grass can obscure paint flecks and make repainting much harder. So start out by mowing your lawn, or at least the grass close to your fence, as short as possible.

Step 2 – Fence Cleanup – The goal in this step is to get rid of as much dirt and debris as possible. If you get some flaking paint off as well, all the better. But the focus is to remove as much debris as possible. You can use a garden hose to rinse the fence down and then a damp rag to scrub it. You can also use a wire brush and a solution of 1 cup of bleach and a gallon of water. If you use a pressure washer, make sure to use a low pressure setting.

Step 3 – Let Dry – Before you go at the old paint with a wire brush or a chemical stripper, you have to make sure the wood is completely dry. This may take as much as a couple of days.

Step 4 – Scrape or Strip – Once the wood is completely dry, you can proceed to scrape off the paint with a stiff, sturdy wire brush. But if you want to make the job a bit easier on your body, or if you have particularly stubborn paint, you may want to use a paint stripper made specifically for your type of wood. Be sure to read the manufacturer instructions carefully before applying. You may still need to do some scraping with a painters knife or scrubbing with a brush even if you use a chemical stripper.

Step 5 – Refine – While the chemical stripper is lifting the paint, you should help remove it by going over it with sand paper. In any case you will have to sand the wood after scraping or using a chemical stripper.

Last but not Least…

The best step you can take towards stripping your fence is to hire the professionals. We offer fence and deck stripping in Charlotte, NC here at Century Painting so contact us today (704) 245-9409!