Fence Staining & Painting
A cedar fence left bare will turn gray and start to check within a couple of Pacific Northwest winters. Staining or painting it is what keeps the wood sealed, the color even, and the boards from drinking up every rain that hits them.
Wet winters, dry summers, and cedar that swells and shrinks with both. Around here a finish isn’t decoration — it’s the difference between a fence that lasts and one you’re replacing boards on in five years.
What a Finish Actually Does
Bare wood in this climate takes a beating. Here’s what you’re protecting against.
Slows the Gray
UV breaks down the surface fibers of cedar and turns them silver-gray. A pigmented stain blocks most of that and keeps the color you paid for.
Keeps Water Out
Boards that soak up water swell, then shrink when they dry. Do that enough times and you get cupping, splitting, and nails backing out.
Discourages Mildew
Damp, shaded fence lines grow mildew and green algae. A sealed surface gives it much less to hold onto and washes off far easier.
Pulls the Whole Yard Together
Cedar comes in a mix of tones straight off the truck. A stain evens it out so the fence reads as one piece instead of a patchwork of boards.
Stain, Paint, or Clear Sealer
Three different finishes that solve three different problems. We’ll tell you straight which one fits your fence — including when the honest answer is to wait.
Semi-Transparent Stain
The most common choice for cedar. Adds color and UV protection while letting the grain show through. Because it soaks into the wood instead of sitting on top, it fades rather than peels — which makes recoating down the road much simpler.
Solid Stain & Paint
Full, opaque color. Covers the grain entirely, which is what you want if the fence is older and weathered, or if you’re matching a house color or an HOA requirement. More coverage up front, and it will need scraping and prep when it eventually comes time to redo it.
Clear or Toned Sealer
For people who want the natural cedar look kept as long as possible. Seals against water without adding much color. Least UV protection of the three, so it needs recoating sooner — but it keeps the wood looking like wood.
One thing worth knowing up front: brand-new cedar usually needs to weather before it will take a finish properly. Mill glaze and the moisture still in the boards can keep stain from soaking in, and it ends up sitting on the surface and peeling. If your fence just went up, we’ll tell you to wait rather than take the job early and have it fail on you.
What the Job Looks Like
Prep is most of the work. The finish itself goes on fast — it’s everything before it that decides how long it lasts.
Walk the Fence
We look at the condition of the boards, how much sun and shade the line gets, whether there’s an old finish to deal with, and any repairs that should happen first. Then you get a number.
Clean & Prep
Dirt, mildew, and loose old finish come off. Anything we’re not finishing — plants, siding, concrete, hardware — gets covered or masked before a drop goes on.
Let It Dry
Wood has to be dry before it will take a finish. We watch the weather and we don’t rush this part, because applying over damp boards is the single fastest way to have the whole job peel.
Apply & Clean Up
Full, even coverage, both sides where the job calls for it, and attention to the end grain and the bottoms of boards where water actually gets in. Then we clean up and walk it with you.
Not sure whether your fence needs refinishing or replacing? We’ll come look and give you an honest answer, even when the answer is that it can wait another season. Family-owned, licensed and bonded with WA State L&I, serving King & Snohomish County.
Fences We Stain & Paint
Whether we built it or not.
New Cedar Fences
Finished once the boards have weathered enough to take it properly. If we built the fence, we’ll tell you roughly when to call us back.
Existing Fences That Have Gone Gray
Cleaned and brought back before finishing. Gray doesn’t mean ruined — under the surface the wood is usually still sound.
Previously Stained or Painted Fences
Recoating, or stripping and starting over if the old finish is failing. We’ll tell you which one your fence actually needs.
Gates, Posts & Trim
The parts that get handled and rained on the most. Finished along with the fence so everything matches and ages together.
If your fence needs boards replaced or posts reset before it’s worth finishing, we handle that too — see fence repair. There’s no sense putting a good finish on a fence that’s coming apart.
Staining & Painting FAQ
How soon can I stain a brand-new cedar fence?
Usually not right away. New cedar carries mill glaze and moisture that keep a finish from soaking in, and applying too early is the most common reason a stain job fails. The wood generally needs to weather for a season or so first. A simple check: sprinkle water on a board — if it beads up and sits there, the wood isn’t ready. If it soaks in, it is.
Should I stain or paint?
For cedar, stain is usually the better long-term choice. It penetrates the wood and fades as it wears, so recoating means cleaning and applying again. Paint and solid stain sit on the surface, which gives you full color coverage but means scraping and prep when it starts to fail. Paint makes the most sense when the fence is older and weathered, or when you’re matching a house color.
How often does a fence need to be refinished?
It depends on the product, the exposure, and which side of the fence you’re looking at. South-facing sections take far more sun and fade first. Rather than watch a calendar, watch the fence: when water stops beading on the boards and starts soaking in, the finish has worn through and it’s time.
Do you stain both sides of the fence?
We can, and on a fence you own outright it’s worth doing — protection on one side only leaves the other exposed. Where the far side faces a neighbor’s property, that’s a conversation to have with them first, since we’d need access. We’ll bring it up during the estimate.
What about the weather here?
It’s the real constraint. The wood has to be dry and the forecast has to cooperate, which limits the workable stretches around here more than most places. We’d rather move a date than apply a finish over damp boards and have it peel a few months later.
Can you finish a fence you didn’t build?
Yes. We’ll look at the condition first, and if there’s repair work that should happen before finishing, we’ll tell you what it is and what it would cost so you can decide.
Get Your Free Estimate in Woodinville WA
New Ridge Fencing LLC — family-owned fence contractor serving King & Snohomish County. Tell us about your fence and we’ll come look, tell you what it needs, and give you a straight number.
Serving Woodinville, Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore, Bellevue, Redmond, Seattle & surrounding areas.