Fence painting, staining and finishes.
Colour applied before the boards go up, not brushed on around them afterwards.Also sold as Fence painting, Fence staining, Fence treatment.
New pressure-treated timber does not need painting to survive, but it will silver within about two seasons if left bare. A pigmented stain applied to the boards before they are fitted costs around £10 per metre on a new fence and holds its colour for three to four years — far longer and far neater than painting a fence that is already up.
Every run is fitted by our own team — see how a fence installation in London works end to end, or what's involved in a full fence replacement.
- Stain, one coat
- £10/m
- Bare timber
- Silvers in ~2 yrs
- Recoat
- 3–4 yrs
Applied during the build
Structurally fine
Depends on aspect
Why we finish before fitting
Once a fence is standing, the board edges, the overlaps and the back of every board are unreachable. Paint the front and you have coloured the 70% you can see while leaving the vulnerable edges bare.
Finishing the timber flat, before it goes up, coats every face. It is quicker, it uses less product, and the result is even instead of streaky. It is also the only time it can be done properly, which is why it is worth deciding before the job starts rather than after.
Stain, not paint
Paint sits on top of timber as a film. Timber moves with the seasons, the film cracks, water gets behind it, and then you are stripping and repainting rather than recoating.
A penetrating stain soaks into the grain, moves with the wood, and fades rather than flakes. When the colour tires you clean it and put another coat on. No stripping.
Colour, honestly
Dark charcoal and near-black have been the London default for several years now. They make planting look sharper and make a small garden recede, and they are the safest choice if you are not sure.
One caution: a dark fence in full south-facing sun runs hot and fades faster than the tin suggests. On a bright, exposed boundary expect to recoat at three years rather than four.
- Slatted and hit-and-miss runs where the look matters
- Dark, contemporary garden schemes
- Anyone who does not want silver-grey timber
- Composite fencing, which never needs finishing
- Standalone painting of an existing fence
Questions we get asked
Compare it with
Slatted
from £195/mThe architectural one. Even shadow gaps, clean lines, and no room for sloppy carpentry.
Hit-and-miss
from £195/mLooks the same from both sides, and lets the wind through instead of falling over in it.
Gravel boards & trellis
One keeps your fence out of the mud. The other buys height without buying a taller fence.
Finishes across London & the South East
Send photos, get an estimateFree estimate · no obligation. Fixed-price survey later only if you want one, from £30 and credited in full against the job.