Fencing Transforms Our World

Painting your fence can be a simple recoating to protect the fence material, or it can be a total restyling of the fence. But no matter which colors and designs you plan to use, you'll have to decide which type of paint you'll use as well.

Different types of paint can fill different needs, even within the outdoor paint category. Here are a few types of paint to consider for a wood fence painting job.

1. Extra-long-lasting paint

Since your fence is outdoors, any finishing material you use will be exposed to weathering from the sun, wind, and precipitation. UV rays, wind-blown debris, hail, and other stressors can make a paint layer break down faster. If you want to reduce how often your fence needs painting, you may want to look for an outdoor paint designed to stand up to these forces.

One extra-tough outdoor paint to consider is acrylic paint, since this material is known to last longer than other paint base types, even when faced with UV exposure. Make sure you get one that's all acrylic, rather than a cheaper formulation that has only a little acrylic. You can also ask your fence painting contractor which specific acrylic paint products are (in their experience) likely to have the longest lifespan.

2. Eco-friendly paint

If you're looking for an eco solution, talk to your painting contractor about whether they use any paints with zinc oxide in them. Paints made for outdoor use contain fungicides to prevent mold and mildew, and zinc oxide is considered a more eco-friendly fungicide than other options.

Another way to get a greener option is to check for paints that have low VOC (volatile organic compound) levels. Like interior paints, some exterior paints are formulated with more harsh VOC-producing chemicals than others. A low-VOC formulation will give off fewer of these chemicals, making it a healthier and more environmentally friendly paint.

3. Specialized barn and fence paint

Some types of paint are made especially to meet the demands of painting an exterior wood surface (often called a barn and fence paint). This specialized paint may protect the wood surface better and may even stick better to your wood fence, or it may even be designed to hold its color longer outdoors without fading, depending on the formulation.

As you can see, even a simple outdoor painting job can require you to think about what's important to you before you choose a type of paint to use. Get in touch with your local fence painting contractor today to learn more about different paint options and which one will serve you and your wood fence the best.