Fence Painting and Staining in Ottawa
Cedar and pressure-treated wood fences, sprayed and back-brushed so the coating goes into the board rather than sitting on it.
Paint Experts provides professional wood fence painting and staining throughout Ottawa, Ontario. A fence is unusual among exterior surfaces because both faces are exposed, the bottom rail sits in wet grass all spring, and the top rail takes sun all day — which means one fence can be failing three different ways at once along the same run.
One side, two sides, and what your neighbour sees
Pricing a fence starts with how many faces get coated. Coating one side is cheaper but the uncoated face keeps absorbing water and the boards keep moving, which shows up as cupping visible from your own side within a couple of seasons. Where the fence is shared we will tell you plainly what the one-sided option will look like in three years so the decision is made with the information rather than on price alone.
Washing, brightening and the bottom-rail problem
Fences collect mildew on the shaded face and grey on the sunny one, and the bottom 200mm is usually the worst of it because it sits against wet grass and takes mower splash. We wash the full run, brighten to pull the grey out, and give the bottom rail and the first boards extra attention including cutting back growth that is holding moisture against the wood. Coating a wet bottom rail is the most common way a fence job fails.
Spray and back-brush, not spray alone
Spraying a fence is fast and, on its own, shallow — the coating lands on the surface and bridges the gaps rather than soaking into the grain. We spray to get material onto the board and immediately back-brush it in, which drives it into the grain, into the gaps between boards and into the end grain at the tops of pickets where water enters first. It roughly doubles the labour and roughly doubles the service life.
Questions about your project? Talk to us directly.
(613) 801-7316Protecting lawn, planting and the neighbour's side
Everything on both sides of a fence is at risk during a spray job: grass, garden beds, patio stone, a neighbour's car. We sheet the ground on both sides, tent planting that is within overspray range rather than just laying plastic over it, and check wind conditions before starting rather than after someone's siding has picked up a mist coat. Where conditions are wrong we brush and roll instead of arguing with the weather.
Stain or paint, and expected service life
On cedar, semi-transparent stain is usually the right answer — it lets the wood breathe, keeps the grain visible and typically holds two to four years before a maintenance coat. Solid stain and paint typically run four to seven years but commit you to that finish permanently, because getting a solid coating back off a fence is not practical. Pressure-treated wood needs at least six months of drying before it takes any coating at all.
- Cedar, pressure-treated and pre-stained wood fences
- One-side or both-side coating, priced separately
- Full wash, wood brightener and bottom-rail attention
- Sprayed and back-brushed into grain, gaps and end grain
- Rotted board and picket replacement as a carpentry add-on
- Lawn, garden bed and neighbouring property protection
Common questions
How much does fence painting cost in Ottawa?
$4 to $8 per linear foot for one-side coating, or $7 to $13 per linear foot for both sides. A typical 100 foot fence runs $700 to $1,500.
When can a fence be stained in Ottawa?
Late May through early October, with overnight temperatures holding above about 10 degrees. We do not coat in spring rain or once fall frost starts, because neither will cure properly.
Should I stain or paint a cedar fence?
Stain. It lets the wood breathe, keeps the grain visible and is recoated with a wash rather than a strip. Paint commits you permanently, because removing a solid film from a fence is not practical.
Do you replace rotted boards?
Yes, board and picket replacement is available as a carpentry add-on. Posts and reframing get referred to a fence builder.
Quote my fence
Send us the approximate run in feet, the wood type and whether you want one side or both. We will send a written quote.