Fence Stain & Fence Sealing in San Antonio

The cost to stain a wood fence depends on various factors:

• square footage of fence line (length x height x 2 sides)

• brand new fences will absorb more stain than already stained

• stain brand and type--oil based stains are more expensive

• condition of fence--if peeling will require more prep work

• number of coats required for proper coverage

In the San Antonio area expect to pay anywhere from $1.00 to $1.35 per square feet of surface area being stained.

Exterior wood stains typically come as follows:

• clear (no color)

• transparent (you can have a hint of color)

• semi-transparent

• solid color

Stain and sealers help prolong the life of fences by keeping the sun's UV rays from damaging the wood. Between the UV rays, rain, hail, and snow, fences will slowly start to weather and turn brown or black.

Eventually they dry out enough where they may start to crack and eventually fall apart.

Clear stains don't add any color to the fence and their primary function is to keep water from penetrating the wood.

Transparent stains may actually have a hint of color so you get protection and nice looks. These allow the grain of wood to show.

Semi-transparents provide more protection than the previous two because the stain itself has some solid particles that allow for more protection.

Solid color stains provide the maximum protection and tend to last longer than the other types of stains.

The more solid the stain, the less you will have to re-apply over the years.

For a new pressure-treated fence, wait about 60 days before staining to allow the preservatives to dry out. This ensures proper stain adhesion and prevents peeling. New cedar or kiln-dried wood fences can be stained immediately as they don't contain preservatives.

It's almost impossible to strip off the old stain of a fence. Typically you are left with bits of stain in areas that are hard to reach like between pickets or the space between the railings and the pickets.

General rule of thumb is that the new stain must be the same color or darker than the old one being covered up. This is only accomplished by using semi-transparent or solid color stains.

A solid color stain will generally cover any existing stain therefore is the most favorable to use on older stained fences.

So the answer to the question is no, you do not need to strip off the old stain.

Most fence stain projects, depending on the length and height of the fence, take about 2-3 days to complete. If there's wood rot repairs involved then add another day.

You typically use the first day to do the pressure washing and prep (sanding or scraping). Then the following day you can typically start apply the stain.