Chewing the fat while straddling the fence

[Jogeephus]

Last year I posted a picture of a wooden fence I built and my intent was to let the wood cure a year then stain the fence with diesel and roofing tar. This seems to be the thing to do down here and it makes the fence look really nice. Prior to building my fence I looked at other fences to get some ideas and insight. I'd say that well over half the fences I looked at had been stained with this tar solution but now that I've given the wood time to dry good I'm having second thoughts on whether or not to stain it. Looking at some of the fences I looked at a year or so ago I see where they might need to be re-stained. Just staining it once is going to be a big enough job but I'm wondering if I do this am I just creating another maintenance job for me to have to do every few years? If so, I don't need this. I'm trying to make my world simpler and wondering if plain unstained sun aged boards don't have enough beauty of their own. Any thoughts or experiences with this?

 

[M-5]

I pass both two and from work every day. while the Black ones are nice I personally prefer the aged natural look myself. If I were to build a fence like that I would allow it to age and then apply a clear sealer over it. It would require a maintained coat every few yrs but if a few months passed who would know. just my 2cents Unless your keeping up with the jones do what makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I love the look of a black fence. I also think a white fence looks good too. But when it comes to simplifying my life, a plain wood fence looks just as good.

One of the fences we put up, 14 years ago; 2" woven wire w/board on top, stained/painted the posts and the boards black, looked great, but by year 4 they could have stood a touch-up. Here now 14 years later, its pretty much worn most of the way off. Re painting/staining those posts and boards just never have been the priority. Replacing a broken board here and there or fixing a brace would get done right away. I guess what I'm trying to say is here at our place, its function before form.

 

[greybeard]

It's Aug 2015--there should be no question in your mind.
Haven't you heard?
Black fences matter.
8)

 

[Jogeephus]

It's Aug 2015--there should be no question in your mind.
Haven't you heard?
Black fences matter.
8)

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

I like the look of the black fences too but the more I think about it the more I don't like the idea of the maintenance and I never have liked or trusted the Jones' so what gives me that fuzzy feeling inside is knowing I'm not going to create another maintenance job for myself so I think I'll leave it be and let it grow lichens. Lichens are neat and add character.

 

[Ouachita]

I have pine board/batt siding on my house. I mix a fungicide, insecticide along with some Thompsons water seal and use a chemical sprayer about every 5 years. It still has the slight greenish tint from being treated bandsawed lumber, but the grain shows better than 17 years ago. Of course, spraying a fence you'd have a lot of wasted product.
If you could build a vertical boom spray rig and drive along side it, that might be the ticket

 

[Nesikep]

It sounds like you're doing it for looks, in which case that's completely subjective... but if the diesel/tar coated fence lasts longer and doesn't rot out, it would be a no-brainer for me, I'd do it.. easier to slap some of it on than rebuilding the fence

 

[highgrit]

I mix a 1/3 diesel, 1/3 used diesel oil and a 1/3 oil based black paint. Put it in my 12 volt spot sprayer and have at it.
Also works good on box stands, totally dry in less than a week. Jogeephus, you can't slow down theirs millions talking on their free phones and collecting welfare depending on you.

 

[lavacarancher]

Just curious Jo, what kind of wood did you use? I guess I'm wondering if the wood, untreated, would outlast other methods of fence building. I remember helping granddad build fence when I was just a tyke and back then he used split post oak for fence posts. Some of that fence is still in place and it's more than 60 YO. Personally, I like the natural look of the aged wood. If the wood would last long enough I would just leave it untreated but that's just me.

 

[Kell-inKY]

Unfinished fence looks just like that to me, unfinished. Plus you need some protection. I mix about half diesel and half diesel oil and have been spraying it through a pump up sprayer. I won't be doing that again, I'm getting a 12v sprayer for this year. Anyway, the diesel oil is free and protects it somewhat. It is true that you have to re-stain every other year to really look good but you just hose it down, not high maintenance. I would never ever paint it, EVER, I see paint flaking off neighbors after 1 year. I don't know how much fence I have now but it is a lot, well over half a mile though, probably won't be finished this year due to rain delays....

 

[Nesikep]

I don't like paint for that same reason.. anything looks better than flaking paint!

 

[Jogeephus]

Just curious Jo, what kind of wood did you use? I guess I'm wondering if the wood, untreated, would outlast other methods of fence building. I remember helping granddad build fence when I was just a tyke and back then he used split post oak for fence posts. Some of that fence is still in place and it's more than 60 YO. Personally, I like the natural look of the aged wood. If the wood would last long enough I would just leave it untreated but that's just me.

I used rough sawn treated full 1 by pine. The black stain looks really nice and tidy but I don't know if I like it that much more than the aged natural look or enough more for it to be another chore for me. I need to simplify.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Just curious Jo, what kind of wood did you use? I guess I'm wondering if the wood, untreated, would outlast other methods of fence building. I remember helping granddad build fence when I was just a tyke and back then he used split post oak for fence posts. Some of that fence is still in place and it's more than 60 YO. Personally, I like the natural look of the aged wood. If the wood would last long enough I would just leave it untreated but that's just me.

I used rough sawn treated full 1 by pine. The black stain looks really nice and tidy but I don't know if I like it that much more than the aged natural look or enough more for it to be another chore for me. I need to simplify.

An easy way to simplify is to not build the wood fence in the first place. I despise a wood fence, but most of that comes from having to paint dad's half a mile of wood fence every July. I do not like to paint anyway, but I really hate painting outside in July. I swore that if I ever got my own ace I would not have a wood fence, and so far I don't. Funny thing, that fence never did get painted again after I moved out. When that fence rotted out dad went to the diesel stain method on his new fence.

 

[Jogeephus]

Unfinished fence looks just like that to me, unfinished. Plus you need some protection. I mix about half diesel and half diesel oil and have been spraying it through a pump up sprayer. I won't be doing that again, I'm getting a 12v sprayer for this year. Anyway, the diesel oil is free and protects it somewhat. It is true that you have to re-stain every other year to really look good but you just hose it down, not high maintenance. I would never ever paint it, EVER, I see paint flaking off neighbors after 1 year. I don't know how much fence I have now but it is a lot, well over half a mile though, probably won't be finished this year due to rain delays....

I could imagine your place in Southern Living Kell. Very inviting and peaceful looking.

 

[boondocks]

Jo I've got a porch I've been having the same debate over. I've come to the conclusion that I can always paint/stain something later if I want, but I can never "unpaint" (or unstain) it (well, baring herculean effort anyway). Now that I've hit middle-age, I balance trying to be a good steward of the property, with the return-on-investment (of time & $) in my lifetime.

I would maybe let the decision ride a year. When we bought our farm, we did a lot of what my dad jokingly called "unnecessary work." Now that I have way more necessary work, taking on something that's going to require ongoing upkeep (e.g., porch-staining as opposed to leaving it au naturel) has to pass a higher test. The exception would be if staining it would keep me from having to structurally replace it in the time period I expect to own it.